Cornell-woolrich Quote by Francis M. Nevins

“Long before the Theater of the Absurd, Woolrich discovered that an incomprehensible universe is best reflected in an incomprehensible story. ("Introduction")”

— Francis M. Nevins

“His most characteristic detective stories end with the realization that no rational account of events is possible, and his suspense stories tend to close…

— Francis M. Nevins

“But suspense presupposes uncertainty. No matter how nightmarish the situation, real suspense is impossible when we know in advance that the protagonist will prevail…

— Francis M. Nevins

“The hallmarks of the noir style are fear, guilt and loneliness, breakdown and despair, sexual obsession and social corruption, a sense that the world…

— Francis M. Nevins

“Woolrich had a genius for creating types of story perfectly consonant with his world: the noir cop story, the clock race story, the waking…

— Francis M. Nevins

“Inevitably, his vision verged toward the fantastic; he published a scattering of stories - most included in this volume - which appeared to conform…

— Barry N. Malzberg

“The viewpoint character in each story is usually someone trapped in a living nightmare, but this doesn't guarantee that we and the protagonist are…

— Francis M. Nevins

“In Woolrich's crime fiction there is a gradual development from pulp to noir. The earlier a story, the more likely it stresses pulp elements:…

— Francis M. Nevins

“This may not be art as art commonly goes; the lack of discipline, of control, would seem to rule it out of that category.…

— Francis M. Nevins Jr

“Like the playwrights of the Absurd, Woolrich recognized that a senseless story best mirrors a senseless existence.”

— Francis M. Nevins Jr

“He began as a minor imitator of Fitzgerald, wrote a novel in the late twenties which won a prize, became dissatisfied with his work,…

— Barry N. Malzberg