What do you think?
Rate this book
Das Fenster zum Hof
"Dämmrig, dunkel, schwarz ist das Ambiente; voller Fallen, Intrigen, Seltsamkeiten, Widrigkeiten der soziale Topos; obsessiv, bedrohlich, aggressiv, irritierend, unsicher die psychologische Befindlichkeit; in jedem Fall suspicious, verdächtig. Diesen klaustrophobisch-traumatischen Kosmos, Edgar Allan Poe und Franz Kafka streifend, holte ein US-Schriftsteller aus dem Dunkel seines Unbewußten, der zu den seltsamsten und bis heute unterschätztesten Erscheinungen der amerikanischen Literaturszene des 20. Jahrhunderts zählt: Cornell Woolrich. Seine Figuren sind trivialisierte Josef K.s. Der berühmte erste Satz aus Kafkas Prozess - 'Jemand mußte Josef K. verleumdet haben, denn ohne daß er etwas Böses getan hätte, wurde er eines Morgens verhaftet' - irrlichtert als düsteres Motto fast durch alle seine Geschichten.
Mit einer Kurzgeschichte wurde er - wenn auch spät - leidlich bekannt: Das Fenster zum Hof, woraus Alfred Hitchcock 1954 einen fulminanten Film (mit Grace Kelly und James Stewart) machte. Die Geschichte gibt exakt Woolrichs eigene Situation wieder: Ein Mann, an den Rollstuhl gefesselt, zur Unbeweglichkeit gezwungen, hockt Tag und Nacht am Fenster seines kleinen Appartements und beobachtet die Nachbarn in den gegenüberliegenden Wohnungen - bis er einem Mord auf die Spur zu kommen glaubt."
Wolfram Knorr
Mit einer Kurzgeschichte wurde er - wenn auch spät - leidlich bekannt: Das Fenster zum Hof, woraus Alfred Hitchcock 1954 einen fulminanten Film (mit Grace Kelly und James Stewart) machte. Die Geschichte gibt exakt Woolrichs eigene Situation wieder: Ein Mann, an den Rollstuhl gefesselt, zur Unbeweglichkeit gezwungen, hockt Tag und Nacht am Fenster seines kleinen Appartements und beobachtet die Nachbarn in den gegenüberliegenden Wohnungen - bis er einem Mord auf die Spur zu kommen glaubt."
Wolfram Knorr
208 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1942
30 people are currently reading
4114 people want to read
About the author
Cornell Woolrich
439 books472 followersCornell Woolrich is widely regarded as the twentieth century’s finest writer of pure suspense fiction. The author of numerous classic novels and short stories (many of which were turned into classic films) such as Rear Window, The Bride Wore Black, The Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Waltz Into Darkness, and I Married a Dead Man, Woolrich began his career in the 1920s writing mainstream novels that won him comparisons to F. Scott Fitzgerald. The bulk of his best-known work, however, was written in the field of crime fiction, often appearing serialized in pulp magazines or as paperback novels. Because he was prolific, he found it necessary to publish under multiple pseudonyms, including "William Irish" and "George Hopley" [...] Woolrich lived a life as dark and emotionally tortured as any of his unfortunate characters and died, alone, in a seedy Manhattan hotel room following the amputation of a gangrenous leg. Upon his death, he left a bequest of one million dollars to Columbia University, to fund a scholarship for young writers.
Source: [http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bi...]
Source: [http://www.hardcasecrime.com/books_bi...]
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews
July 15, 2016
A man with a broken leg notices a neighbor's wife seems to have gone missing. Is she in the hospital, out of town, or dead?
When a man ain’t got nothing to do but just sit all day, he sure can think up the blamest things—
Most of us know the basic plot of Rear Window (aka It Had to be Murder), even if we haven't seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie. The plot has been parodied on The Simpsons, ALF, Family Guy, and probably a hundred other places. Some peeping Tom sees something and jumps to all sorts of conclusions.
Hal Jeffries can't seem to keep his nose out of his neighbors' business and things start to unravel. Why won't anyone believe him? Is he going crazy? Woolrich keeps you guessing right up until the end.
It's a quick read and pretty suspenseful, if a little dated. 3.5 out of five stars. It can be read for free here: http://www.miettecast.com/woolrich.pdf
When a man ain’t got nothing to do but just sit all day, he sure can think up the blamest things—
Most of us know the basic plot of Rear Window (aka It Had to be Murder), even if we haven't seen the Alfred Hitchcock movie. The plot has been parodied on The Simpsons, ALF, Family Guy, and probably a hundred other places. Some peeping Tom sees something and jumps to all sorts of conclusions.
Hal Jeffries can't seem to keep his nose out of his neighbors' business and things start to unravel. Why won't anyone believe him? Is he going crazy? Woolrich keeps you guessing right up until the end.
It's a quick read and pretty suspenseful, if a little dated. 3.5 out of five stars. It can be read for free here: http://www.miettecast.com/woolrich.pdf
March 2, 2017
I didn' t know that one of my all time fave Hithcocks is based on a story written by Cornell Woolrich, whose works have been adapted by a lot of noir films like the The Bride Wore Black, Waltz Into Darkness and a couple of few more.
This extremely short murder mystery+thriller, packs quite a punch in-a-nail-biting-clammy-palms-hanging-from-the-edge-of-your-seat-kinds.(Despite of knowing what is actually going to transpire :D)
To be honest I kept on imagining James Stuart as Jeff, while there was no Grace Kelly only, Jeff's manservant/help Sam. And there are a few changes here additions there between the story and the film but I am not complaining.Hello it's Hitchcock we are talking about. Duh.. My only complain is, that the story was not long enough...
All in all, definitely recommended, if you want a palate cleanser in-between some reads, if you are on a 15 minute coffee/cigarette break, if you are waiting for your cab or if you want to pull yourself out of a slump.
As for me, am off to watch the movie. Again ;)
Its sooo much better!
This extremely short murder mystery+thriller, packs quite a punch in-a-nail-biting-clammy-palms-hanging-from-the-edge-of-your-seat-kinds.(Despite of knowing what is actually going to transpire :D)
To be honest I kept on imagining James Stuart as Jeff, while there was no Grace Kelly only, Jeff's manservant/help Sam. And there are a few changes here additions there between the story and the film but I am not complaining.
All in all, definitely recommended, if you want a palate cleanser in-between some reads, if you are on a 15 minute coffee/cigarette break, if you are waiting for your cab or if you want to pull yourself out of a slump.
As for me, am off to watch the movie. Again ;)
December 4, 2017
This 1942 short story (originally titled “It Had To Be Murder”) was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film “Rear Window”. Woolrich received his inspiration for the story from H.G. Wells short story Through a Window.
August 19, 2019
Buenos relatos. Ingeniosos. Reales (o casi). Me ha divertido ver la diferencia entre "La ventana indiscreta" de Woolrich y la de Hitchcock. Muy ameno.
January 31, 2021
Leído en la sala de Telegram “Libro de cine” 📖🎬 del Club literario Atreyu.
La película de Hitchcock La ventana indiscreta me parece una obra maestra del sétimo arte mientras que el relato de Cornell Woolrich en el que se basó también me conquistó.
Me quedé con ganas de más (se me hizo corto) así que seguí leyendo los otros siete relatos... y, como suele suceder en estos casos, unos me atraparon más que otros, pero es innegable la capacidad del autor de meter en problemas a sus personajes involucrando a los lectores mediante la narración en primera persona.
La ventana indiscreta: 4,5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌗
Proyecto de asesinato: 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
El pendiente: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
A través del ojo de un muerto: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
Cocaína: 3,5 ⭐⭐⭐🌗
Si el muerto pudiera hablar: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
Los ojos que vigilan: 3,5 ⭐⭐⭐🌗
La libertad iluminando a la muerte: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
¡Una gran colección de relatos!
La película de Hitchcock La ventana indiscreta me parece una obra maestra del sétimo arte mientras que el relato de Cornell Woolrich en el que se basó también me conquistó.
Me quedé con ganas de más (se me hizo corto) así que seguí leyendo los otros siete relatos... y, como suele suceder en estos casos, unos me atraparon más que otros, pero es innegable la capacidad del autor de meter en problemas a sus personajes involucrando a los lectores mediante la narración en primera persona.
La ventana indiscreta: 4,5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌗
Proyecto de asesinato: 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
El pendiente: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
A través del ojo de un muerto: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
Cocaína: 3,5 ⭐⭐⭐🌗
Si el muerto pudiera hablar: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
Los ojos que vigilan: 3,5 ⭐⭐⭐🌗
La libertad iluminando a la muerte: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
¡Una gran colección de relatos!
February 12, 2022
Cornell Woolrich (conocido por sus seudónimos William Irish o Geoerge Hopley y reconocido, después de su muerte, como el "Hitchcock de la escritura" o el "Edgar Allan Poe moderno") dicta a través de estas historias, un especie de curso express sobre giros argumentales y estrategia narrativa. De los ocho relatos que componen este libro los que más me han gustado son "Proyecto de asesinato" "Los ojos que vigilan" y, claro, el famoso de la familia: "La ventana indiscreta", llevada al cine por Hitchcock con algunas modificaciones en los personajes.
Woolrich deslumbra con su oficio para la creación de ambientes sofocantes (siempre en blanco y negro y llenos de humo en mi imaginación), callejones turbios y una confusa ironía en su prosa. Un escritor de policiales "de los de antes" con un estilo minuciosa y cuidadosamente sencillo, conocedor del arte de que lo cotidiano mute en un espiral de creciente angustia psicológica y claustrofobia.
Woolrich deslumbra con su oficio para la creación de ambientes sofocantes (siempre en blanco y negro y llenos de humo en mi imaginación), callejones turbios y una confusa ironía en su prosa. Un escritor de policiales "de los de antes" con un estilo minuciosa y cuidadosamente sencillo, conocedor del arte de que lo cotidiano mute en un espiral de creciente angustia psicológica y claustrofobia.
February 6, 2017
A detective novella which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Was recommended by Jaya as a short and satisfactory read, and it was!
Hal Jeffries is recuperating in his bedroom after a disabling illness/injury and has nothing to do but watch through the windows of the neighbouring apartment complex. And in Apartment 4 he finds something suspicious going on one day. He further spies upon the inhabitants and comes to a fearsome deduction, which almost costs his life.
My first through and through read of the year, and a very short one at just 47 pages.
Was recommended by Jaya as a short and satisfactory read, and it was!
Hal Jeffries is recuperating in his bedroom after a disabling illness/injury and has nothing to do but watch through the windows of the neighbouring apartment complex. And in Apartment 4 he finds something suspicious going on one day. He further spies upon the inhabitants and comes to a fearsome deduction, which almost costs his life.
My first through and through read of the year, and a very short one at just 47 pages.
December 28, 2025
No recuerdo dónde escuché, pero sé que lo hice, que el proceso creativo de Hitchcock para confeccionar una película pasaba por encontrar una historia fallida, una buena trama destrozada por la falta de pericia narrativa de su autor original, un boceto a partir del cual construir una obra maestra cinematográfica. Estoy seguro de que el apócrifo autor del aserto lo hizo con Psicosis en mente, porque dudo que alguien considere a Du Maurier como una autora mediocre, Rebecca una mala novela o, ahora sí, la ventana indiscreta un relato fallido. Robert Bloch, en tanto que escritor forjado en las revistas pulp, nunca mereció el justo reconocimiento durante su prolífica carrera como cuentista, novelista y guionista en Hollywood, pese a su enorme éxito de público, quizá motivo añadido para que los snobs nunca lo tomaran en serio. Dudo que Cornell Woolrich gozara del beneficio de un juicio justo al cultivar solo la novela y relato policiaco, por lo que asumo que el sentencioso autor le hubiera relegado al mismo club de los escritores torpes o fallidos al que pertenecería Robert Bloch. Sin embargo, si tuviera que juzgar la obra de Woolrich a partir de estos ocho relatos debo reconocer que era un autor como la copa de un pino.
La antología recoge los siguientes relatos:
La ventana indiscreta (****): esta historia, por lo que sea, la conoce todo el mundo. Durante el tórrido verano neoyorkino, un hombre impedido, limitado a una silla de ruedas, se entretiene durante su convalecencia observando a través de la ventana a sus vecinos del edificio de enfrente. Una pareja le llama poderosamente la atención, pues los movimientos del marido, y la desaparición de ésta, le hacen sospechar algo terrible.
Proyecto de asesinato (***): la protagonista se confiesa a su amiga: la vida conyugal la está destrozando. Su marido no le permite obtener el divorcio, la odia y le hace la vida imposible. Su amiga le sugiere una forma de acabar con él sin levantar sospechas, a saber, utilizar los miedos del hombre para matarlo de un susto.
El pendiente (***): la protagonista está sufriendo el chantaje de un antiguo amante. A partir de un fajo de cartas falsificados, la mujer se ha visto obligada a acudir al apartamento del chantajista para intercambiarlas por 10.000 dólares. Una vez realizado, la mujer descubre que ha perdido su pendiente, por lo que regresa al apartamento. Cuál no será su sorpresa cuando encuentre al chantajista asesinado y a un hombre armado allí.
A través del ojo de un muerto (****): tras la noticia de la degradación de su padre policía, un chiquillo y su amigo se disponen a encontrar un caso que le permita congraciarse nuevamente con su jefe. Para ello seguirán una pista casual: un ojo de cristal que han intercambiado por unas canicas.
Cocaína (****): tras una noche toledana de la que apenas recuerda nada, el protagonista regresa a su casa con una resaca monumental y la vaga impresión de haber asesinado a un hombre. Al confesarse a su cuñado, a la sazón policía, este decide actuar con presteza y desandar el camino recorrido por el curda con la esperanza de descubrir el cadáver antes que la policía.
Si el muerto pudiera hablar (**): dos trapecistas se enamoran de la misma mujer. Obviamente, la mujer ha preferido a uno antes que al otro, y está decisión hará que un odio terrible se apodere del frustrado aspirante, que jurará venganza.
Los ojos que vigilan (****): una mujer y su amante planean el asesinato del marido de tal modo que parezca un accidente. Utilizando máscaras de gas, la mujer fingirá un escape de gas cuya única víctima sea el marido. Todo parece perfecto, salvo por un detalle: su suegra, tetrapléjica y privada del habla, lo ha escuchado todo.
La libertad iluminando a la muerte (***): luego de que su mujer le acuse de ser un vago y no tener hobbies enriquecedores, el protagonista, un policía neoyorkino, acude a visitar la Estatua de la Libertad. Es durante el ascenso a los miradores cuando se percata de un turista obeso, incapaz de retomar el ascenso debido a su peso. Sin embargo, cuando el protagonista baja y regresa al ferry no ve a este hombre, pero sí a su mujer, una joven de terrible belleza.
La antología recoge los siguientes relatos:
La ventana indiscreta (****): esta historia, por lo que sea, la conoce todo el mundo. Durante el tórrido verano neoyorkino, un hombre impedido, limitado a una silla de ruedas, se entretiene durante su convalecencia observando a través de la ventana a sus vecinos del edificio de enfrente. Una pareja le llama poderosamente la atención, pues los movimientos del marido, y la desaparición de ésta, le hacen sospechar algo terrible.
Proyecto de asesinato (***): la protagonista se confiesa a su amiga: la vida conyugal la está destrozando. Su marido no le permite obtener el divorcio, la odia y le hace la vida imposible. Su amiga le sugiere una forma de acabar con él sin levantar sospechas, a saber, utilizar los miedos del hombre para matarlo de un susto.
El pendiente (***): la protagonista está sufriendo el chantaje de un antiguo amante. A partir de un fajo de cartas falsificados, la mujer se ha visto obligada a acudir al apartamento del chantajista para intercambiarlas por 10.000 dólares. Una vez realizado, la mujer descubre que ha perdido su pendiente, por lo que regresa al apartamento. Cuál no será su sorpresa cuando encuentre al chantajista asesinado y a un hombre armado allí.
A través del ojo de un muerto (****): tras la noticia de la degradación de su padre policía, un chiquillo y su amigo se disponen a encontrar un caso que le permita congraciarse nuevamente con su jefe. Para ello seguirán una pista casual: un ojo de cristal que han intercambiado por unas canicas.
Cocaína (****): tras una noche toledana de la que apenas recuerda nada, el protagonista regresa a su casa con una resaca monumental y la vaga impresión de haber asesinado a un hombre. Al confesarse a su cuñado, a la sazón policía, este decide actuar con presteza y desandar el camino recorrido por el curda con la esperanza de descubrir el cadáver antes que la policía.
Si el muerto pudiera hablar (**): dos trapecistas se enamoran de la misma mujer. Obviamente, la mujer ha preferido a uno antes que al otro, y está decisión hará que un odio terrible se apodere del frustrado aspirante, que jurará venganza.
Los ojos que vigilan (****): una mujer y su amante planean el asesinato del marido de tal modo que parezca un accidente. Utilizando máscaras de gas, la mujer fingirá un escape de gas cuya única víctima sea el marido. Todo parece perfecto, salvo por un detalle: su suegra, tetrapléjica y privada del habla, lo ha escuchado todo.
La libertad iluminando a la muerte (***): luego de que su mujer le acuse de ser un vago y no tener hobbies enriquecedores, el protagonista, un policía neoyorkino, acude a visitar la Estatua de la Libertad. Es durante el ascenso a los miradores cuando se percata de un turista obeso, incapaz de retomar el ascenso debido a su peso. Sin embargo, cuando el protagonista baja y regresa al ferry no ve a este hombre, pero sí a su mujer, una joven de terrible belleza.
February 11, 2024
02/2023
From 1942
I read this before in The Best of William Irish, an old book I have from, I think, the early 1950s. William Irish was one of Woolrich's pen names. This story/novella was published in Dime Detective magazine. Of course, this is famous for the Hitchcock film. A good interpretation. But Woolrich/Irish has no character even resembling the Grace Kelly part. The brilliance of Hitchcock...
From 1942
I read this before in The Best of William Irish, an old book I have from, I think, the early 1950s. William Irish was one of Woolrich's pen names. This story/novella was published in Dime Detective magazine. Of course, this is famous for the Hitchcock film. A good interpretation. But Woolrich/Irish has no character even resembling the Grace Kelly part. The brilliance of Hitchcock...
June 9, 2018
This Rear Window collection of stories (2001) by Cornell Woolrich contains stories from 1969 and earlier. In addition to the title story, there are an twelve stories, primarily from his best years when his stories appeared in Detective Fiction Weekly, Argosy, and Black Mask (among others). Overall, a fine collection of short stories with a mix that ranges from straight mystery to dramatic psychological suspense.
★★★★
"Rear Window": Originally titled "It Had to Be Murder" and the story the HItchcock movie was based on. If you've seen the movie, then you've got the basic plot. But there are definite differences in the original story. Jeffries has no girlfriend doing his running about for him. He has no nosy female housekeeper--he has a houseman--and he's the one who operates as Jeffries's legs. [I have to say that while the story is enjoyable--I much prefer the film. The characters are fleshed out and it's more interesting seeing everything from Jeffries's point of view out the window.]
"I Won't Take a Minute" is one of Woolrich's variations on the-lady-vanishes story. Our narrator is Kenny, engaged the to the beautiful Stephanie. She's just given her boss her notice and one of her tasks during her final wee is to drop off a package after work when they're supposed to be heading out for a night on the town. Kenny doesn't like it much (he thinks they take advantage of her good nature), but she convinces him that it "won't take a minute" for her to pop into the apartment building and hand over the package. Then they'll be on their way. But the minute turns into several and then some more and Kenny realizes that something has gone very wrong.
"Speak to Me of Death": Ann Bridges, niece of the wealthy John T. Bridges, comes police headquarters seeking help for a rather bizarre situation. Her uncle has become convinced, after consulting a man who supposedly has second sight, that he will die on a certain day through Death at the jaws of a lion. Now the Bridges live in the middle of civilization--nowhere near lions of any sort, but her uncle is convinced and the closer the day comes, the more nerve-wracked he grows. She wants the detectives to keep her uncle alive until after midnight on the chosen day--then, when her uncle sees that he has survived, life can return to normal. But sometimes you just can't escape fate no matter what strange shape it might take.
"The Dancing Detective": Apparently this is one of Woolrich's more frequently printed stories because I have read it in a few collections. In this, Ginger, a dance hall girl, loses her best friend when a killer makes a habit of killing girls from the dancing halls. Nick, the policeman on the case, takes a fancy to Ginger and when the killer sets his sights on Ginger, she has to hope that Nick will get the messages and clues she's left behind--before she becomes another "Poor Butterfly" in the killer's collection.
"The Light in the Window": A soldier, having just returned highly disturbed from the war, decides to surprise his girl by showing up at her apartment unannounced. He arrives when he thinks she should have just gotten home from work, but the apartment is dark. Thinking she's just running a bit late, he waits outside for her. Then, suddenly, the her light comes on and he meets an old friend coming out of the building who boasts suggestively of the "time he's had". The soldier is convinced his girl has been unfaithful and he goes to her apartment on the alert for proof of her guilt. And if she's guilty...she's going to have to be punished.
"The Corpse Next Door": An irritable man slugs the man in the next when he discovers him stealing his milk from outside the apartment door. Horrified that he's killed the man, he drags him through the open door (the neighbor's) and stashes him in the Murphy bed. But as time goes by and no one has discovered the corpse, he becomes a bit unhinged--especially when a new couple moves in next door.
"You'll Never See Me Again": Another variation on the-lady-vanishes. This time newlyweds Ed & Teresa ("Smiles") Bliss have one of those silly arguments that turn into a "I'm going home to mother!" moments. "Smiles" walks out on him, promising that he'll never see her again. When he goes, shamefaced and hat in hand, to apologize to her, he finds that she's not there and she's apparently disappeared off the face of the earth. It looks like she might have been right....
"The Screaming Laugh": A man who was known as a very disgruntled fellow who never cracked a smile, let alone laughed at a joke has died--apparently from laughing too hard. The local doctor can find nothing to suggest anything but natural causes, but he reports the unexpected death to the local sheriff, as required by law. But when Deputy Traynor arrives at the scene, he just can't accept that Eleazar Hunt died after reading the book of really bad jokes dropped by the side of his chair.
"Dead on Her Feet": A policeman is sent to breakup a dance marathon because the sponsors are suspected of being flim-flam artists. When he gets there, he discovers that one of the contestants is, quite literally, dead on her feet. It looks like the only one who could have done it is her partner....but the cop has other ideas.
"Waltz": (a very short story, not to be confused with Waltz Into Darkness): A young society girl is all set to elope with her young man. They plan to take off in the middle of the dance hosted by her parents. Bu Wes gets just a trifle agitated when she starts babbling to him about the detective who has crashed the party because there's a crook running loose in the neighborhood. Maybe a thief--maybe a murderer. But why should they worry? No one will interfere with them--after all they're not murderers.
"The Book That Squealed": [adapted for radio on Suspense in 1945 as "Library Book" with Myrna Loy!--found HERE on youtube.] A rather uptight librarian finds herself in the middle of a mysterious adventure when a best-seller (please hear that with all of Prudence's disapproval) is returned to the library with pages missing. Though she disapproves of trashy best-sellers, she disapproves of book vandalism even more. Her determination to hunt down the culprit leads her into much bigger things.
"Death Escapes the Eye": An editor for a magazine falls for the slush-pile author she and her co-editor chose to fill a hole in their latest issue. But she has competition from the man's on-again, off-again first wife. Even when she disappears.
"For the Rest of Her Life": A very dark story about a woman who falls for and marries a sadistic wife-beater. She finds what looks to be an escape with a young, loving man--but what she expects for the rest of her life may not be what she gets.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
★★★★
"Rear Window": Originally titled "It Had to Be Murder" and the story the HItchcock movie was based on. If you've seen the movie, then you've got the basic plot. But there are definite differences in the original story. Jeffries has no girlfriend doing his running about for him. He has no nosy female housekeeper--he has a houseman--and he's the one who operates as Jeffries's legs. [I have to say that while the story is enjoyable--I much prefer the film. The characters are fleshed out and it's more interesting seeing everything from Jeffries's point of view out the window.]
"I Won't Take a Minute" is one of Woolrich's variations on the-lady-vanishes story. Our narrator is Kenny, engaged the to the beautiful Stephanie. She's just given her boss her notice and one of her tasks during her final wee is to drop off a package after work when they're supposed to be heading out for a night on the town. Kenny doesn't like it much (he thinks they take advantage of her good nature), but she convinces him that it "won't take a minute" for her to pop into the apartment building and hand over the package. Then they'll be on their way. But the minute turns into several and then some more and Kenny realizes that something has gone very wrong.
"Speak to Me of Death": Ann Bridges, niece of the wealthy John T. Bridges, comes police headquarters seeking help for a rather bizarre situation. Her uncle has become convinced, after consulting a man who supposedly has second sight, that he will die on a certain day through Death at the jaws of a lion. Now the Bridges live in the middle of civilization--nowhere near lions of any sort, but her uncle is convinced and the closer the day comes, the more nerve-wracked he grows. She wants the detectives to keep her uncle alive until after midnight on the chosen day--then, when her uncle sees that he has survived, life can return to normal. But sometimes you just can't escape fate no matter what strange shape it might take.
"The Dancing Detective": Apparently this is one of Woolrich's more frequently printed stories because I have read it in a few collections. In this, Ginger, a dance hall girl, loses her best friend when a killer makes a habit of killing girls from the dancing halls. Nick, the policeman on the case, takes a fancy to Ginger and when the killer sets his sights on Ginger, she has to hope that Nick will get the messages and clues she's left behind--before she becomes another "Poor Butterfly" in the killer's collection.
"The Light in the Window": A soldier, having just returned highly disturbed from the war, decides to surprise his girl by showing up at her apartment unannounced. He arrives when he thinks she should have just gotten home from work, but the apartment is dark. Thinking she's just running a bit late, he waits outside for her. Then, suddenly, the her light comes on and he meets an old friend coming out of the building who boasts suggestively of the "time he's had". The soldier is convinced his girl has been unfaithful and he goes to her apartment on the alert for proof of her guilt. And if she's guilty...she's going to have to be punished.
"The Corpse Next Door": An irritable man slugs the man in the next when he discovers him stealing his milk from outside the apartment door. Horrified that he's killed the man, he drags him through the open door (the neighbor's) and stashes him in the Murphy bed. But as time goes by and no one has discovered the corpse, he becomes a bit unhinged--especially when a new couple moves in next door.
"You'll Never See Me Again": Another variation on the-lady-vanishes. This time newlyweds Ed & Teresa ("Smiles") Bliss have one of those silly arguments that turn into a "I'm going home to mother!" moments. "Smiles" walks out on him, promising that he'll never see her again. When he goes, shamefaced and hat in hand, to apologize to her, he finds that she's not there and she's apparently disappeared off the face of the earth. It looks like she might have been right....
"The Screaming Laugh": A man who was known as a very disgruntled fellow who never cracked a smile, let alone laughed at a joke has died--apparently from laughing too hard. The local doctor can find nothing to suggest anything but natural causes, but he reports the unexpected death to the local sheriff, as required by law. But when Deputy Traynor arrives at the scene, he just can't accept that Eleazar Hunt died after reading the book of really bad jokes dropped by the side of his chair.
"Dead on Her Feet": A policeman is sent to breakup a dance marathon because the sponsors are suspected of being flim-flam artists. When he gets there, he discovers that one of the contestants is, quite literally, dead on her feet. It looks like the only one who could have done it is her partner....but the cop has other ideas.
"Waltz": (a very short story, not to be confused with Waltz Into Darkness): A young society girl is all set to elope with her young man. They plan to take off in the middle of the dance hosted by her parents. Bu Wes gets just a trifle agitated when she starts babbling to him about the detective who has crashed the party because there's a crook running loose in the neighborhood. Maybe a thief--maybe a murderer. But why should they worry? No one will interfere with them--after all they're not murderers.
"The Book That Squealed": [adapted for radio on Suspense in 1945 as "Library Book" with Myrna Loy!--found HERE on youtube.] A rather uptight librarian finds herself in the middle of a mysterious adventure when a best-seller (please hear that with all of Prudence's disapproval) is returned to the library with pages missing. Though she disapproves of trashy best-sellers, she disapproves of book vandalism even more. Her determination to hunt down the culprit leads her into much bigger things.
"Death Escapes the Eye": An editor for a magazine falls for the slush-pile author she and her co-editor chose to fill a hole in their latest issue. But she has competition from the man's on-again, off-again first wife. Even when she disappears.
"For the Rest of Her Life": A very dark story about a woman who falls for and marries a sadistic wife-beater. She finds what looks to be an escape with a young, loving man--but what she expects for the rest of her life may not be what she gets.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.
January 16, 2019
Tas bija pārsteidzoši labi, īss, bet spraigs stāsts. Autors meistarīgi veido filmai līdzīgu gaisotni un ātri ievelk mistērijas tīklos.
Nav brīnums, ka mans dzimšanas dienas "brālis" ir izslavēts ar savām mistērijām, noziegumu stāstiem un to ekranizācijām.
Nav brīnums, ka mans dzimšanas dienas "brālis" ir izslavēts ar savām mistērijām, noziegumu stāstiem un to ekranizācijām.
January 15, 2022
Suspenseful, talented writing. The movie expands this 48-page story well but with obvious differences: a female love interest, a female (rather than male) nurse/assistant, photographic career background, and a bit of a different ending.
August 31, 2014
Five short stories loaded with tension; in true genre short story style they're invariably about a final punchline but Woolrich had a fair amount of skill when it came to ratcheting up the tension and that's what leaves him recognised as a master of his craft. It's easy to see why Hitchcock was so enamoured of his work, as somebody not enamoured of Hitchcock there wasn't much chance that I'd be overly thrilled with these stories either.
August 25, 2021
Mid-20th Century North American Crime and Mystery
My Favorites: #25 (of 250)
"Rear Window" is many things. First, it's the inspiration for 2018's "Woman in the Window" and the recent "Girl on a Train" and many other works. Even Agatha Christie does a take on this theme, and probably the best spin of all, in her 1957 novel "What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw." If you're looking for inspiration, or want to write a homage, why not utilize an amazing talent like Woolrich? Second, it is one of the few cases in which the film (directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring the great Jimmy Stewart, the luminous Grace Kelly and her sensational wardrobe) is better than the source material. But, third, although very good, "Rear Window" doesn't represent the best of the author. More about Woolrich later.
HOOK = 4 stars: "I didn't know their names. I'd never heard their voices. I didn't even know them by sight, strictly speaking, for their faces were too small to fill in with identifiable features at that distance. Yet I could have constructed a timetable of their comings and goings, their daily habits and activities. They were the rear-window dwellers around me," serves as the opening paragraph. A man in a wheelchair is restricted to movement between his bed and his own rear window. And he has binoculars. What does he see? We become voyeurs along with him. It's a fascinating premise, certainly. How can one not read on?
PACE = 3: In the film we SEE it all, the movie plays directly to the voyeur within us all. But on paper, the observance of neighbors partying and dancing, dressing and drinking and doing nothing illegal doesn't lead to a fast read, as it takes the voyeur and his binoculars (and a cinemotographer and director) a while to realize...
PLOT = 5: ... the man in the wheelchair may have seen a man murder his wife and do away with her body. But, does the murderer notice the man with the binoculars is sitting helplessly in a wheelchair? This is another area where Hitchcock improves on the story: the director ups the tension in a number of different ways, adding layers to an already very good final climax.
CHARACTERS = 4: We seemingly learn more about the way Woolrich sees the world (there's pain and crime and filth everywhere if you look for it) and the way we, as readers, want to see what our neighbors are up to: everyone has secrets, right? And many have some very dark skeletons: why, we see that in the media every day! But the emphasis here is on a sensational plot.
ATMOSPHERE = 5: Here, we're presented with 2 high-rise apartment buildings, their rear windows facing each other. Seldom is atmosphere the very key, the center, of a work. Seldom is atmosphere and plot melded so beautifully, perfectly. Elevators gave us high-rise office buildings, then high-rise living and then the freedom to watch, up close, how other people live.
SUMMARY = My overall rating is 4.2. And my rating might be higher but relativity strikes: the film, for me, is so much better.
My Favorites: #25 (of 250)
"Rear Window" is many things. First, it's the inspiration for 2018's "Woman in the Window" and the recent "Girl on a Train" and many other works. Even Agatha Christie does a take on this theme, and probably the best spin of all, in her 1957 novel "What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw." If you're looking for inspiration, or want to write a homage, why not utilize an amazing talent like Woolrich? Second, it is one of the few cases in which the film (directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring the great Jimmy Stewart, the luminous Grace Kelly and her sensational wardrobe) is better than the source material. But, third, although very good, "Rear Window" doesn't represent the best of the author. More about Woolrich later.
HOOK = 4 stars: "I didn't know their names. I'd never heard their voices. I didn't even know them by sight, strictly speaking, for their faces were too small to fill in with identifiable features at that distance. Yet I could have constructed a timetable of their comings and goings, their daily habits and activities. They were the rear-window dwellers around me," serves as the opening paragraph. A man in a wheelchair is restricted to movement between his bed and his own rear window. And he has binoculars. What does he see? We become voyeurs along with him. It's a fascinating premise, certainly. How can one not read on?
PACE = 3: In the film we SEE it all, the movie plays directly to the voyeur within us all. But on paper, the observance of neighbors partying and dancing, dressing and drinking and doing nothing illegal doesn't lead to a fast read, as it takes the voyeur and his binoculars (and a cinemotographer and director) a while to realize...
PLOT = 5: ... the man in the wheelchair may have seen a man murder his wife and do away with her body. But, does the murderer notice the man with the binoculars is sitting helplessly in a wheelchair? This is another area where Hitchcock improves on the story: the director ups the tension in a number of different ways, adding layers to an already very good final climax.
CHARACTERS = 4: We seemingly learn more about the way Woolrich sees the world (there's pain and crime and filth everywhere if you look for it) and the way we, as readers, want to see what our neighbors are up to: everyone has secrets, right? And many have some very dark skeletons: why, we see that in the media every day! But the emphasis here is on a sensational plot.
ATMOSPHERE = 5: Here, we're presented with 2 high-rise apartment buildings, their rear windows facing each other. Seldom is atmosphere the very key, the center, of a work. Seldom is atmosphere and plot melded so beautifully, perfectly. Elevators gave us high-rise office buildings, then high-rise living and then the freedom to watch, up close, how other people live.
SUMMARY = My overall rating is 4.2. And my rating might be higher but relativity strikes: the film, for me, is so much better.
September 1, 2024
Janela Indiscreta, uma das obras-primas do Hitchcock, está completando 70 anos hoje. Enquanto o conto do Woolrich é muito bom, ele não chega à perfeição do filme, uma das grandes diferenças entre conto e filme é a ausência da personagem da Grace Kelly, o que obviamente tira o componente sexy da narrativa, além, é claro o modo do Hitchcock filmar como alegoria do espectador de cinema.
March 16, 2008
Cornell Woolrich is probably best known as the guy who wrote the story that became Rear Window (and possibly, to a lesser extent, the guy who wrote The Phantom Lady). As a pulp writer who make efforts to break into Hollywood, it's probably fairly difficult to pay the bills, but fortunately his economic suffering is out gain.
Originally published under the name "It Had To Be Murder," the published story of Rear Window differs from the film in key ways. But, keep in mind, this version was first, and so one of the key differences between the two involves at what point we learn certain information about our narrator (in the film it's made explicit in the first scene, whereas the story saves it for the very last line). But there are other major differences too: the narrator does not have a girlfriend, and his housekeeper is male. In fact, as with much of the pulp / noir writing of the time, the homosexual element seems at the forefront of story, unlike Hitchcock's version, which puts marriage (and concerns about commitment) in the forefront.
What, exactly, this says about Hitchcock and Woolrich isn't really my particular academic expertise, but I got a great story out of it, which is more than enough for me. The same kind of grueling suspense and attention to detail shows up in the story as does in the movie, and in both cases, the end is so relieving and satisfying, that it's a pleasure to read more than once. The narrative style, too, is so enjoyable that it was extremely inspiring. Why don't people narrate fiction like this, now?
Originally published under the name "It Had To Be Murder," the published story of Rear Window differs from the film in key ways. But, keep in mind, this version was first, and so one of the key differences between the two involves at what point we learn certain information about our narrator (in the film it's made explicit in the first scene, whereas the story saves it for the very last line). But there are other major differences too: the narrator does not have a girlfriend, and his housekeeper is male. In fact, as with much of the pulp / noir writing of the time, the homosexual element seems at the forefront of story, unlike Hitchcock's version, which puts marriage (and concerns about commitment) in the forefront.
What, exactly, this says about Hitchcock and Woolrich isn't really my particular academic expertise, but I got a great story out of it, which is more than enough for me. The same kind of grueling suspense and attention to detail shows up in the story as does in the movie, and in both cases, the end is so relieving and satisfying, that it's a pleasure to read more than once. The narrative style, too, is so enjoyable that it was extremely inspiring. Why don't people narrate fiction like this, now?
December 2, 2019
Rear Window And Four Short Novels is my first exposure to the noir writing of Cornell Woolrich. I had been looking for The Bride Wore Black when I found this collection of short novels. All in all it was excellent.
The 5 novels are Rear Window (turned into the excellent movie by Alfred Hitchcock), Post-Mortem, Three O'Clock, Change of Murder and Momentum. All were used by Hitchcock, in some form or other, the movie I mentioned and episodes for his TV series for the others. I think my favorite was Three O'Clock, my least favorite, Momentum. But I enjoyed them all.
Rear Window is familiar to most. Alfred Hitchcock obviously fleshed out the story. There are no Grace Kelly and Thelma Ritter in the book. Instead, he has a man who comes in each day to cook meals. Sam plays both roles, dropping off the letter to Thorwald and then entering the flat later to find any clues. Less of a role is also played by the various neighbours. They are really mentioned only in passing. But the tension is there, built up very nicely in a short period of time. I think it was as good as the movie in it own right, and that is saying something considering how much I love the movie.
Post Mortem is nice little story. Mrs. Mead discovers that her dead husband had purchased an Irish Sweepstakes ticket on her behalf and it turns out to have been a winner. Now to find it. Her current husband helps her look for it but when it turns out that it is probably buried with him in his suit, new hubby turns cold to the idea about exhuming the corpse to find it. Who is the strange man who shows up, trying to help Mrs. Mead? It's a neat little story with a couple of twists and with a neat ending, albeit somewhat confusing.
Three O'Clock features a husband who believes his wife is cheating on him. He decides to get his revenge by setting up a bomb in the basement to kill her when she returns home. But things don't turn out quite as he planned. Excellent short story, with building tension until the exciting climax at the end as 3 o'clock approaches. As always, an excellent twist at the end, in fact, almost a double twist.
Change of Murder features a hit man who wants to kill the man who took his wife from him while he was in prison. He pays for an alibi in advance, but has a change of heart. The consequences of these actions make for a neat ending.
In Momentum, a man goes to his ex-boss to get his overdo pay to prevent his wife and he being thrown out onto the street. This leads to a disastrous chain of events that while predictable to me, still made for an excellent story.
All in all, I enjoyed Woolrich's story-telling and writing style very much. Short stories can be hit or miss but these were 'hit'. Woolrich displayed the ability to get right into a story, developing and building tension quickly and coming up with neat, tidy endings. (4 stars)
The 5 novels are Rear Window (turned into the excellent movie by Alfred Hitchcock), Post-Mortem, Three O'Clock, Change of Murder and Momentum. All were used by Hitchcock, in some form or other, the movie I mentioned and episodes for his TV series for the others. I think my favorite was Three O'Clock, my least favorite, Momentum. But I enjoyed them all.
Rear Window is familiar to most. Alfred Hitchcock obviously fleshed out the story. There are no Grace Kelly and Thelma Ritter in the book. Instead, he has a man who comes in each day to cook meals. Sam plays both roles, dropping off the letter to Thorwald and then entering the flat later to find any clues. Less of a role is also played by the various neighbours. They are really mentioned only in passing. But the tension is there, built up very nicely in a short period of time. I think it was as good as the movie in it own right, and that is saying something considering how much I love the movie.
Post Mortem is nice little story. Mrs. Mead discovers that her dead husband had purchased an Irish Sweepstakes ticket on her behalf and it turns out to have been a winner. Now to find it. Her current husband helps her look for it but when it turns out that it is probably buried with him in his suit, new hubby turns cold to the idea about exhuming the corpse to find it. Who is the strange man who shows up, trying to help Mrs. Mead? It's a neat little story with a couple of twists and with a neat ending, albeit somewhat confusing.
Three O'Clock features a husband who believes his wife is cheating on him. He decides to get his revenge by setting up a bomb in the basement to kill her when she returns home. But things don't turn out quite as he planned. Excellent short story, with building tension until the exciting climax at the end as 3 o'clock approaches. As always, an excellent twist at the end, in fact, almost a double twist.
Change of Murder features a hit man who wants to kill the man who took his wife from him while he was in prison. He pays for an alibi in advance, but has a change of heart. The consequences of these actions make for a neat ending.
In Momentum, a man goes to his ex-boss to get his overdo pay to prevent his wife and he being thrown out onto the street. This leads to a disastrous chain of events that while predictable to me, still made for an excellent story.
All in all, I enjoyed Woolrich's story-telling and writing style very much. Short stories can be hit or miss but these were 'hit'. Woolrich displayed the ability to get right into a story, developing and building tension quickly and coming up with neat, tidy endings. (4 stars)
October 21, 2017
Estuvo bien. historias policíacas a lo vieja escuela.
September 23, 2025
finding out grace kelly's character was added in the script. oh how i love that movie!
October 21, 2020
Excellent novella with lots of tension and twists. It's fast and action-packed. I really like novellas like these that have all the information you need and make you grind your teeth. Works especially well when you've read some shite in the past months - this is a gem!
October 11, 2019
Among the best Hitchcock films.
August 25, 2017
Bei diesem Buch handelt es sich um eine Sammlung von fünf unterhaltsamen Kriminalgeschichten, die einfach und schnörkellos erzählt werden. Drei davon erleben wir aus der Perspektive des Kriminellen und zwei aus der Sicht des Beobachters. Gemeinsam haben sie alle die überraschende wie geniale Wende. Besonders die Täter haben schwer daran zu tragen; befinden sie sich bereits in einer glücklosen Situation, erwischt es sie gen Ende knüppeldick durch unvorhersehbare und nicht kalkulierbare Zufälle, die ihre Lage geradezu lächerlich und aberwitzig erscheinen lassen. Deshalb hatte es mir die dritte Kurzgeschichte, Drei Uhr nachmittags, insbesondere angetan. Ein sich betrogen fühlender Ehemann bastelt eine Bombe, die Ehefrau und Haus in Stücke reißen soll. Während er alles geradezu pedantisch plant, um sich seiner Gattin zu entledigen und jede verräterische Spur zu vermeiden, rechnet er keine Sekunde mit Faktor X. Wie sollte er auch einen solchen unglaublichen Zufall vorhersehen, der ihn letztendlich in seine eigene Falle tappen lässt. Diese aussichtlos wirkende Szenerie ist brillant erzählt und der Leser sieht sich förmlich auf das gleiche Ziffernblatt stieren, dessen Uhr unaufhaltsam gegen den unglücklichen Bastler tickt.
Es sind Kriminalgeschichten, die mit einer unterhaltsamen Portion schwarzen Humors gewürzt sind und den Leser dazu verleiten, beinahe Mitleid mit den kriminellen Subjekten zu empfinden.
Den einen oder anderen mag es noch interessieren, dass "Das Fenster zum Hof" nur bedingt Parallelen zu Hitchcocks berühmten Verfilmung aufweist. Eine Grace Kelly schwebt natürlich nie durch das Krankenzimmer und überhaupt ist Romantik kein Thema in der Geschichte. Die Rahmenhandlung ist ansonsten ähnlich konstruiert und mindestens genauso spannend wie im Film erzählt.
Es sind Kriminalgeschichten, die mit einer unterhaltsamen Portion schwarzen Humors gewürzt sind und den Leser dazu verleiten, beinahe Mitleid mit den kriminellen Subjekten zu empfinden.
Den einen oder anderen mag es noch interessieren, dass "Das Fenster zum Hof" nur bedingt Parallelen zu Hitchcocks berühmten Verfilmung aufweist. Eine Grace Kelly schwebt natürlich nie durch das Krankenzimmer und überhaupt ist Romantik kein Thema in der Geschichte. Die Rahmenhandlung ist ansonsten ähnlich konstruiert und mindestens genauso spannend wie im Film erzählt.
January 13, 2020
Rear Window is my all-time favorite Hitchcock movie, so when I discovered it had been based on a short story, I knew I had to read it. Written in 1942, this story is surprisingly fast paced. The tension builds almost immediately, and it is interesting, at least in the beginning, to wonder whether the narrator's speculations of murder are correct, or of he's simply a bored invalid who should spend less time spying on his neighbors.
For me, it was impossible to separate the movie from the story, and I'm certain my enjoyment of it would have been altered somewhat- probably lessened- if I didn't have the movie to reference in my head while reading.
Interesting differences between the two mediums- there is no Grace Kelly character in the story. If Jeff had a girlfriend, we don't know about it. And it isn't until the final sentence, just about, that we discover why Jeff is confined to a chair at all. Also, the last bit of action and resolution differ, but I appreciated Woolrich's storytelling. It was great enough to inspire Hitchcock, so I would definitely recommend this to Rear Window fans.
Here's a link to a free version of the story for anyone interested: http://www.miettecast.com/woolrich.pdf
For me, it was impossible to separate the movie from the story, and I'm certain my enjoyment of it would have been altered somewhat- probably lessened- if I didn't have the movie to reference in my head while reading.
Interesting differences between the two mediums- there is no Grace Kelly character in the story. If Jeff had a girlfriend, we don't know about it. And it isn't until the final sentence, just about, that we discover why Jeff is confined to a chair at all. Also, the last bit of action and resolution differ, but I appreciated Woolrich's storytelling. It was great enough to inspire Hitchcock, so I would definitely recommend this to Rear Window fans.
Here's a link to a free version of the story for anyone interested: http://www.miettecast.com/woolrich.pdf
August 19, 2024
¿Cuál es la innovación de Cornell Woolrich (William Irish) al género policial?
El noir del momento estaba dominado por los detectives omnipresentes que narraban los casos en primera persona y los resolvían en solitario y con sus propias reglas. Woolrich cambia el punto de vista. Ahora las historias son contadas por las víctimas que bordean el límite; están a un paso de la muerte y a otro de la salvación. Esto provoca un aumento de la intriga y el lector se involucra más en la trama.
Por otro lado, los argumentos y las vueltas de tuerca rozan lo inaudito y lo risible. Suceden demasiadas e increíbles situaciones que salvan al protagonista en el último segundo. La traducción en este caso ayuda; nos encontramos con frases cliché que décadas después escuchamos en los cientos de capítulos de las series policiales televisivas.
La selección de este tomo es despareja. “La ventana indiscreta” que abre el volumen esta despegado en calidad e intensidad. “Los ojos que vigilan” y “El pendiente” son muy buenos. El resto, acompaña poco.
El noir del momento estaba dominado por los detectives omnipresentes que narraban los casos en primera persona y los resolvían en solitario y con sus propias reglas. Woolrich cambia el punto de vista. Ahora las historias son contadas por las víctimas que bordean el límite; están a un paso de la muerte y a otro de la salvación. Esto provoca un aumento de la intriga y el lector se involucra más en la trama.
Por otro lado, los argumentos y las vueltas de tuerca rozan lo inaudito y lo risible. Suceden demasiadas e increíbles situaciones que salvan al protagonista en el último segundo. La traducción en este caso ayuda; nos encontramos con frases cliché que décadas después escuchamos en los cientos de capítulos de las series policiales televisivas.
La selección de este tomo es despareja. “La ventana indiscreta” que abre el volumen esta despegado en calidad e intensidad. “Los ojos que vigilan” y “El pendiente” son muy buenos. El resto, acompaña poco.
June 30, 2019
Me ha encantado. Aunque el relato inicial de La ventana, está más simplificado que en la película (y obra maestra) de Hitchcock, no deja de ser un gran relato de suspense.
Es curioso como este autor maneja la narrativa en primera persona por parte de la posible víctima, en los años en que fue escrito, debió ser muy original.
Mis relatos favoritos han sido, el primero, el segundo y el penúltimo. Aunque previsibles, los carga de una gran tensión que hace que el lector "sufra"
Es curioso como este autor maneja la narrativa en primera persona por parte de la posible víctima, en los años en que fue escrito, debió ser muy original.
Mis relatos favoritos han sido, el primero, el segundo y el penúltimo. Aunque previsibles, los carga de una gran tensión que hace que el lector "sufra"
March 31, 2013
I read this short story because I'm going to watch Rear Window because I'm excited about Castle's 100th episode airing tomorrow (April 1, 2013). Yay! I can't wait to see what they do with it.
September 18, 2024
"Rear Window" is a short story, originally titled "It Had to Be Murder" by William Irish, who was Cornell Woolrich who was the dark master of suspense back in the day. The reader can't help but compare it to the brilliant 1954 Hitchcock film. But here there's no Lisa Fremont character (Grace Kelly), and this is just a bare bones outline compared to what Hitchcock (or his screenwriter) did with it. While the film is (much) more fully realized, this story though short is to the point and quite effective, suspenseful, carefully laid out. Woolrich does a lot with a little. Here the reader watches over the shoulder of the first-person narrator, voyeuring out the window while stuck in a chair, gradually putting all the pieces together. The reader and narrator are a team, working in tandem to makes sense of what our eyes take in. It's not the film, and the less the reader pictures the movie (difficult to do) the better in comparison. But this is the tense, alive seed of what it would become. First collected with other short pieces as After-Dinner Story by William Irish in 1944. [4★]
January 22, 2018
Letto dopo aver visto il film di HItchcock. Che ha arricchito di personaggi il plot, ma mantenuto perfettamente il senso di suspense di quelle poche pagine di W. Pagine che però svelano solo alla fine il perché dell'immobilità. Con un crescendo che toglie il fiato, come di consueto.
May 25, 2021
I got this book so I could read the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, and it did not disappoint! The other four stories were just as good, and I definitely want to check out more of Cornell Woolrich's work!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 168 reviews