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_theconstantreader's review against another edition
5.0
I can't even put into words how much I loved this book. I am now a huge Woolrich fan... such a great writer.
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
On the eve of his wedding, Johnny Marr's fiancee is killed in a freak accident by a liquor bottle hurled out of the window of a small plane. Johnny snaps and goes on a psychopathic killing spree, tracking down the passengers of the plane and killing the most important woman in each man's world. Can Inspector Cameron stop Johnny before it's too late?
Rendezvous in Black has a lot in common with my favorite Woolrich book, The Bride Wore Black. Johnny systematically hunts down each man, figures out who the most important woman in his life is, and kills them in a variety of ways. Just like in The Bride Wore Black, the fun was trying to decide how he would do it. One thing that irked me was that all of his aliases had the initials JM. Way to camouflage yourself, you human chameleon!
Even though the plot was largely a retread of TBWB, it was still a good read. The cops kept getting closer but kept coming up short. A few of the male characters made stupid decisions right out of a bad movie. Woolrich's blatant misogyny was a little hard to ignore. Once again, the women were either bitches, whores, or doormats. Despite that, I did love the way Florence treated her husband, not to give anything away. Let's just saw she didn't go the Black Angel route when she found out he was cheating...
To sum it up, I liked Rendezvous in Black but I liked it better the first time Woolrich wrote it when it was called The Bride Wore Black.
Rendezvous in Black has a lot in common with my favorite Woolrich book, The Bride Wore Black. Johnny systematically hunts down each man, figures out who the most important woman in his life is, and kills them in a variety of ways. Just like in The Bride Wore Black, the fun was trying to decide how he would do it. One thing that irked me was that all of his aliases had the initials JM. Way to camouflage yourself, you human chameleon!
Even though the plot was largely a retread of TBWB, it was still a good read. The cops kept getting closer but kept coming up short. A few of the male characters made stupid decisions right out of a bad movie. Woolrich's blatant misogyny was a little hard to ignore. Once again, the women were either bitches, whores, or doormats. Despite that, I did love the way Florence treated her husband, not to give anything away. Let's just saw she didn't go the Black Angel route when she found out he was cheating...
To sum it up, I liked Rendezvous in Black but I liked it better the first time Woolrich wrote it when it was called The Bride Wore Black.
bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
4.0
My first Cornell Woolrich was a fun read. It's pure suspense with no pretensions to being more than that. A young man whose fiancée is killed in a freak accident takes an elaborate revenge on those he holds accountable. The plot hinges on the characters making stupid decisions, and the whole thing is rather far-fetched, but very entertaining.
paul_arzooman's review against another edition
3.0
The epitome of noir in that it was a very dark story. The author's theme here is the randomness and inevitability of death within a world that offers little in the way of real justice. There also is a reflection of the concept of Original Sin -- that there are no true "good" people in the world and that all are capable of doing some wrong out of selfishness.
I found portions of the plot too reliant on coincidence and the antagonist far too able to seemingly do anything without fail. I also found the ending a bit abrupt for my tastes and somewhat unsatisfying although the journey to it was most enjoyable*. Woolrich is able to create great scenes of foreboding and suspense -- it is during these passages that the book is at its best even if there is the need for a willing suspension of disbelief.
I would give it three and a half stars -- I more than liked it.
*This seems to be a feature of the Noir genre from all eras of it. Very little in the way of epilogues once the climax is reached.
I found portions of the plot too reliant on coincidence and the antagonist far too able to seemingly do anything without fail. I also found the ending a bit abrupt for my tastes and somewhat unsatisfying although the journey to it was most enjoyable*. Woolrich is able to create great scenes of foreboding and suspense -- it is during these passages that the book is at its best even if there is the need for a willing suspension of disbelief.
I would give it three and a half stars -- I more than liked it.
*This seems to be a feature of the Noir genre from all eras of it. Very little in the way of epilogues once the climax is reached.
rachelp's review against another edition
3.0
This was a fairly quick read at just over 200 pages. The characters weren't very well developed. I didn't really feel a connection with any one of them. The story itself was entertaining and I couldn't decide whether to give it three or four stars. Because even if I didn't feel much for the characters themselves, I was definitely connected to the story.
krash9924's review against another edition
4.0
Rendezvous in Black is not Woolrich's best work. But it is still really good. It still amazes me that this has never been attempted as a movie as it seems to be perfect for it.
psteve's review against another edition
4.0
In an unnamed midwestern town, Johnnie meets with his girlfriend every evening at 8 on the dot, in from of the drugstore. One evening he's a few minutes late, and discovers that she's been killed. Grief-stricken, he goes kind of nuts, and for months stands in front of that same store every evening, until one day a heartless cop drives him away. The story shifts to an unnamed character (but always with the same JM initials as Johnnie) who takes jobs at small airlines, gathering information, and then the revengeful murders start, always of young women, with cruel taunting. It's a fascinating novel, as you can always see its general outlines as it moves, but not the whys, until very near the end. A human novel, with empathy for all the characters, and Woolrich always writes vividly and pulls you through the story.
megj23's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Suicide
invertible_hulk's review against another edition
4.0
A fun noir novel from the 40s (I think) -- Woolrich is seen as the grandfather of the Noir genre.
The main character is named Johnny Marr.
Over the course of the story, he has a fight with man whose last name is Morrissey.
Spooky.
A must-read for any Smiths fan.
The main character is named Johnny Marr.
Over the course of the story, he has a fight with man whose last name is Morrissey.
Spooky.
A must-read for any Smiths fan.