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Customer Reviews of The Bride Wore Black

A Classic Novel of Suspense, Obsession, and Murder
Raymond Chandler (The Big Sleep), James M. Cain (The Postman Always Rings Twice), and Cornell Woolrich were among the creators of the noir genre of crime fiction in the 1930s and 1940s. This uniquely American literary genre had its roots in the terse, violent, and often poorly written pulp fiction. More talented, innovative writers evolved a dark, modern mythology that exploited themes of crime, guilt, deception, obsession, and murder.

Many novels and short stories by Cornell Woolrich have been adapted to the screen (the most notable was Rear Window), radio, and TV. I Married a Dead Man, Phantom Lady, and his 'Black' series of suspense novels were among his best works.

I am familiar with other classics of noir genre, but The Bride Wore Black was my first introduction to Woolrich. The innocuous beginning, a young woman leaving home with no particular destination in mind, transitioned rapidly into an audacious, calculated, carefully planned murder without any apparent motive. Woolrich shifts the perspective back and forth from character to character, adeptly disguising the inner thoughts of the killer. Unlike the police who are uncertain whether the deaths are accidental or deliberate, we readers know it is murder, but not how the victims are chosen. I was unprepared for the ending.

The Bride Wore Black has been often republished and you should not have difficulty finding a copy. I look forward to reading other novels by Cornell Woolrich.

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simple yet enjoyable stories of revenge...
Cornell Woolrich is one of those 1940s writers who pumped out loads of pulp fiction that have by now largely gone out of print. He was a very good storyteller but only an average writer - that is, his prose and characterizations are not particularly good. 'The Bride Wore Black' fits this rule completely.

In 'The Bride Wore Black' we have essentially five different murder stories with one seemingly common element: the same murderess. In the end we understand a bit more about her motive and why these victims were chosen. Woolrich also delivers a delicious surprise ending. Don't expect any subplots or side romances. This is pure, simple reading enjoyment that doesn't tax the brain but keeps your eyes glued to the pages.

Bottom line: certainly among Woolrich's better books. Highly recommended.

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A Tale Of Revenge
If anyone ever wanted to cite a story that would best illustrate the observation that revenge is a dish best served cold, then I think this one would fill the bill. As a story of revenge, it's a classic with the big mystery being, what on earth could have happened to prompt such violence.

The person who is seeking revenge is Julie Killeen. She is a beautiful woman, but she's also a careful, cold-blooded killer. She is on an unstoppable mission of painstakingly tracking down, stalking and then murdering men before casually walking away, unconcerned about whether or not she leaves any witnesses. She gives little away as she carries out the murders, although she does feed us with snippets of information which merely serves to add to the mystery surrounding her actions and drives us on to find out more. None of her victims seem to recognise her, nor do they seem to have anything in common with one another, which also adds greater interest to the event that started her off.

Attempting to track Julie down is Lew Wanger, the detective who, while not exactly hot on her trail, is the only one who believes the murders are related. It's through him that the pieces are put together forming a coherent chain of events helping us understand what went on in the past to cause the events of the present.

This is a captivating story told in the typically brutal fashion of the hardboiled genre. The unexpected ending caps off this highly entertaining book very nicely indeed and I found myself well and truly put in my place, just as I was congratulating myself for having figured everything out.