Thu 29 Sep 2022
An Archived Review by Jim McCahery: CORNELL WOOLRICH – Manhattan Love Song.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[6] Comments
CORNELL WOOLRICH – Manhattan Love Song. Gregg Press, hardcover, October 1980. Pegasus Books, paperback, 2006. First published by William Godwin, Inc., hardcover, 1932. Film: Monogram, 1934.
The first-person narrator, Wade, has been married to Maxine for eight years and suddenly becomes enamored of one Bernice Pascal. He destroys everything, including himself, in his quest to make her his own. Wade is what was once popularly known an a cad as far as his doting wife is concerned, planning to take all their savings and leave her behind for another woman.
What he is unable to discover is why Bernice is being kept in her sumptuous apartment, and by whom. What is her secret, and why does she suddenly become so frightened and fear for her life? The inevitable murder leaves Wade the perfect patsy.
Woolrich’s sixth novel contains the element of suspense which was to characterize his later novels, starting in 1940 with The Bride Wore Black. There are also many other Woolrichian hallmarks present in this early work, such as the use of the small apartment atmosphere, the important play of light, and the pervasive background music of the period (“Why Was I Born?” is an example here). And no one — but no one — can evoke the early New York subways like Woolrich.
This beautiful photographic Gregg reprint of the original novel contains a valuable introduction by Woolrich admirer and authority, Francis M. Nevins, Jr., who is no stranger to readers of The Poisoned Pen.
September 30th, 2022 at 8:04 am
I have only read one or two of his books. This sounds like one worth finding. I love subway lore.
September 30th, 2022 at 10:40 am
I passed on my chance to read this one because I thought Woolrich’s early work was mostly non-successful romance or contemporary fiction. It looks as though I may have been wrong about that.
September 30th, 2022 at 4:32 pm
Even his early SMART SET fiction is recognizably his.
September 30th, 2022 at 7:35 pm
It’s more Scott Fitzgerald than Woolrich in most ways, highly readable, and Woolrich does peek through as himself, but it is minor CW, after you have finished the more famous works and want to see glimpses of what he would become this is well worth reading, but it is no place to start if you want to understand or appreciate his real gifts.
October 1st, 2022 at 4:13 pm
I have this reprint somewhere and enjoyed reading it. I knew Jim McCahery, the reviewer long ago. A good fellow but I seem to recall he died some years ago. Nevins was the leading expert on Woolrich.
October 1st, 2022 at 4:20 pm
You, Jim and I were all members of DAPA-Em around the same time many many years ago. But you’re right. Jim died fairly young and is no longer with us, alas.