Waltz into Darkness (Crime, Penguin) [Paperback]

Cornell Woolrich (Author)

Book Description

Series: Crime, Penguin | Publication Date: June 1, 1995

In this thrilling tale of greed and deception, Cornell Woolrich tells of middle-aged Louis Durand, whose fiancee has died fifteen years ago on the eve of their wedding. Now Louis decides to take one more chance at love by marrying Julia Russell, a woman he knows only by correspondence. When she arrives on the day of their wedding, she is younger and more beautiful than he expected--and far more deadly. Louis soon comes to realize that Julia is not who she claims to be--and they both embark on a waltz into darkness.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140239731
• ISBN-13: 978-0140239737
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,546,215 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars twisted lives ruined by love..., October 9, 2001

By 

lazza (Fort Lauderdale, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Waltz into Darkness (Crime, Penguin) (Paperback)

Cornell Woolrich novels are perfect for those who want to discover the world of 'noir' crime novels of the mid-20th century. While most of these novels are long out-of-print, some of Woolrich's classics are still available. 'Waltz Into Darkness' is one of these classics.

'Waltz Into Darkness' is the story of a middle-aged bachelor who marries someone who he knows only through love letters. He winds up getting more than he bargained for. His wife, clear to all except himself, is no angel. Due to her cold-heartness and his warm-heartedness, he decends down to her level. While one can think of this as being a trite story, one which has been filmed under different titles, the story worked for me as a pure character study rather than a crime novel (..yes, crimes are commited). The ending is most painfully moving. The psychological elements of 'Waltz Into Darkness' reminds me of the wonderful novels by Patricia ('Talented Mr. Ripley') Highsmith.

My only complaint about this novel is Woolrich's tendency to concentrate on writing a great story and not "sweating the details" on descriptive details. This story is supposed to take place in New Orleans circa 1880. But Woolrich doesn't bother to make the reader feel he/she has been transported to such a time/place. Having recently read Kate Chopin's The Awakening, the setting being New Orleans circa 1900, I can plainly see how the superb 'Waltz Into Darkness' could have been better. Having said this, 'Waltz Into Darkness' has a richer literary feel than some of Woolrich's earlier works.

Bottom Line: terrific psychological crime novel. A great book for Woolrich fans and neophytes alike.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful study of and testament to the power of love, May 1, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Waltz into Darkness (Crime, Penguin) (Paperback)

Cornell Woolrich weaves a beautiful, terribly tragic tribute to the intricacies of human relationships and the depths that we are willing to sink to if we think worthy the person we make our descent with. This is, in essence, a romance novel under the guise of a noir crime tale.

Louis Durand is a man not accustomed to the ways of love and finds himself overwhelmed by the extreme emotional states that accompany it. He could be argued as a weakling and a coward, but any true romantic (a category under which I myself likely would fall) will be moved by his unchanged, unshakeable devotion to the woman that he has his heart set on. He compromises his own morals and safety and way of life to win her over.

The character of Julia Russell and her successor (that is the only way I can phrase it without revealing too much) is the true star of the novel. She is a woman hardened by the world that has turned its nose up at her and throughout the novel grows out of her cynical, loveless, deceitful shell and evolves into a woman that she before was so afraid to become.

The novel is one of the definitive dark love stories of literary history, richly written by a brilliant author who clearly has personal stakes in the story. The novel will bear a much greater signifigance to those well versed in the ways of love and its darker faces. Detractors of love, cynics, and the naive in the world of relationships should steer clear, but for those who don't fit those descriptions and those who are looking for a tale of truly moving love and lack thereof, pick up this novel immediately.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not a stellar Woolrich, but not a bad read, either, July 9, 1998

By 

Geoff Loker ([e-mail]) (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Waltz into Darkness (Crime, Penguin) (Paperback)

I find it difficult to decide whether to give this book 3 stars or 4. I consider this book one of the weakest of Woolrich's novels that have been reprinted since the 1960's (there are 5 other novels that are considered minor at best and that have not been reprinted), but I still found that I was caught up in it and found it hard to put down.

Louis Durand is pathetic in his loneliness and desire for love. He will do anything to avoid being alone and loveless, even following his new wife when it is clear that this is the path to destruction. It is painful to follow him along, and yet we need to see him through. Terrible though the thought is, it is not so difficult to understand how his desire for love can direct him into the extreme circumstances that it does.

Although I probably won't be re-reading this one as often as his other novels and short stories, it is a welcome addition to my library.