--- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, harry.lerner@...
wrote:
>
> In an effort (perhaps a feeble one) to tie this
thread into another
> recent one, it seems fair to say that Woolrich was
hardly formulaic.
> But, did his work tend to have a specific kind of
form? Was his
> penchant for risk-taking his way of staying true to
his own form?
>
I would say that the did have more than one formula, and his
formulas allowed for many variations. One writer who took
after Woolrich in his early career was John D. Macdonald, a
great experimenter who eventually straightened out and
settled into McGee's world. The difference is that John D.,
unlike Woolrich, doesn't strike me as unstable. The effect of
Woolrich's authorial voice can be chilling.
Best,
mrt
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 03 Feb 2008 EST