"Η νύφη φορούσε μαύρα", εκδόσεις Λιβάνη.Κλασικό αμερικάνικο νουάρ της δεκαετίας του '40, που διαβάστηκε σε λιγότερες από τρεις ώρες μέσα στο λεωφορείο. Είναι το πρώτο βιβλίο του Κόρνελ Γούλριτς που διαβάζω, σαφώς οι εντυπώσεις είναι θετικές, αλλά κάποια πράγματα θα μπορούσαν να γίνουν καλύτερα. Η ιστορία αφορά μια νεαρή γυναίκα, άγνωστων λοιπών στοιχείων, που αλλάζει συχνά εξωτερική εμφάνιση, μαλλιά, μακιγιάζ, ντύσιμο, και κάθε φορά που κάνει την εμφάνισή της, ένας άντρας πεθαίνει. Γιατί και πως, διαβάστε το βιβλίο για να μάθετε. Και στο τέλος υπάρχει μια καλή αποκάλυψη, όχι τέτοια που θα συγκλονίσει, αλλά όσο να'ναι έχει ενδιαφέρον. Η ιστορία είναι πραγματικά κλασική και μου άρεσε έτσι όπως ήταν χωρισμένη σε διάφορα επεισόδια, σαν διαφορετικές ιστορίες με συνδετικούς κρίκους να τις ενώνουν. Αλλά έλειπε αυτή η αίσθηση της αγωνίας και του σασπένς που έπρεπε να υπάρχει, όπως και βάθος στους χαρακτήρες. Εντάξει, δεν ήταν εντελώς αδιάφοροι οι χαρακτήρες, αλλά ας πούμε θα μπορούσε να υπάρχει βάθος στον χαρακτήρα της άγνωστης γυναίκας και στον χαρακτήρα του αστυνομικού που ερευνούσε τις υποθέσεις που σχετίζονταν με την γυναίκα αυτή. Δεν είναι ανάγκη όλοι οι χαρακτήρες να είναι καλά σκιαγραφημένοι, έτσι; Τέλος πάντων, καλό βιβλίο, διαβάστηκε εύκολα, γρήγορα και ξεκούραστα, κάτι πολύ βασικό για ένα μακρινό ταξίδι με λεωφορείο. Θα ψάξω να βρω την ταινία του Τριφό που βασίζεται στο βιβλίο αυτό, για την οποία έχω ακούσει καλά λόγια. Από Γούλριτς έχω άλλα τρία βιβλία και θα ψάξω να βρω και όσα άλλα έχουν τυχόν μεταφραστεί, οι περισσότερες ιστορίες του είναι κλασικές και αξίζει να διαβάσω μερικά ακόμα βιβλία του.
Here it was night again, and nothing wonderful, nothing glamorous was ever going to happen to him. Just cheapness. A cheap hotel room, a cheap man in his shirt sleeves, cheap gin, cheap regrets. He supposed he might as well call up Maybelle now as later and get it over with. He knew he was going to in the end, anyway. It was a case of Maybelle or nothing. But he knew just what she'd say, just what she'd wear, just what she'd think. Beer and liverwurst. Be careful what you wish for! Mitchell is a middle aged slob, living in a rundown hotel, the walls of his room plastered with glamour pictures of movie stars and fashion models, impossible fantasies of a lonesome mind. When he receives an invitation to the theatre from a mysterious lady, he jumps at the chance to add a little romance in his life. But these femmes are called "fatale" for a reason: they're not good for your health!Mitchell is neither the first nor the last man to be entrapped by this secretive black widow. The detective assigned to the case tries in vain to find the link between the murder of four complete strangers. It appears as if a woman who never met these men before is sistematically stalking them. She is a master of disguises and of improvisation, each murder done in a completely different manner, followed by a a return to anonimity.There is a reason why so many of Woolrich novels are adapted to the silver screen. His plots are really clever and his control of the suspense is flawless, true edge of the seat anxiety. The prologue shows a young woman in mourning. Nothing is explained, we just experience her despair, her decision to leave everything behind and disappear: - Julie, what can I say to you?- Just 'goodbye'. What else is there to say to anyone ever - in this life? The next chapter begins with Ken Bliss, a man getting dressed for his engagement party. He has the roving eye, and is excited to hear that a mystery woman has been asking the doorman at his apartment block about him. He want to meet her. So it begins ...I don't think it is a big spoiler to reveal that this woman is a modern Edmond Dantes, bent on revenge against a group of men who did her wrong. Even within this classical frame of narration, Woolrich manages to surprise the reader, to keep him guessing both at the motivation and at the final outcome of the case. He dangles red herrings before the eyes of the reader with a glee that reminds me of Hitchcock. He ends on a note of bitter laughter at the irony of fate (view spoiler)[ the original murder of Julie's husband on their wedding day solved by a stupid rookie cop who misdelivered the murder weapon (hide spoiler)]
Do You like book The Bride Wore Black (2001)?
Maureen wrote: "hey! i think you'd enjoy this one. it's a nice flip from the standard dude takes revenge story. :)"I do love me some femme fatales. (Faith on Buffy!....)
—Moira Russell
One by one, men are dying horrible deaths, but these deaths aren't random. Though the men seem to have no connection to each other, each was last seen in the company of a woman, whether a blonde or brunette, stunning or just pretty, there was always a woman around when the guy died. Detective Wanger picks up the case a week after the first death and wants to meet these mysterious women.This was published in 1941 and Woolrich is a very good representation of crime noir writing at the height of its popularity. This book was filmed by Francois Truffaut in the 60's and his story Rear Window was the basis for the Hitchcock film. I'll be seeking out more from him.
—jennifer
La sposa era in nero di Cornell Woolrich è il romanzo del 1940 da cui Francois Truffaut trae l’omonimo film del 1967. Thriller-noir che alterna i capitoli degli omicidi a quelli sulle indagini della polizia, non ha un protagonista vero e proprio: la sposa in nero, misteriosa assassina trasformista, acquisisce un’identità soltanto nel finale, mentre i capitoli che riguardano le sue malefatte sono sempre focalizzati sulle future vittime. Diventa così una leggendaria incarnazione della morte, più che un vero e proprio personaggio. La struttura è forse un po’ leziosa, ma il libro ha comunque la forza di un classico che definisce il genere. Contiene numerose citazioni da Guy de Maupassant. Kill Bill di Tarantino sembra una rivisitazione del romanzo sia nella forma sia nel contenuto.
—Ubiqua
