American writer Darin Strauss is renowned for his open and reflective prose. He revealed in one of his interviews that he had a deep affinity for trains that came from an unexpected place: the renowned filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock was well-known for his tense films, and he was particularly drawn to using trains as the backdrop for many of them.

According to Strauss, Hitchcock's fascination with trains was ingrained long before he ever saw any of his train-related films. It's like falling in love with someone based on stories you've heard about them instead of actually meeting them. It emphasizes how potent and significant the media can be in influencing our passions and areas of interest.

Beyond merely igniting Strauss's interest in trains, Hitchcock's influence reflects a larger idea of how storytelling and the arts can have a significant impact on us, frequently in unexpected ways. Strauss uses this allusion to show how Hitchcock's work was able to speak to him on such a personal level, much as Hitchcock used the train setting to increase tension and emotion in his stories.

In a lighthearted manner, the analogy to "love at negative-one sight" conveys the idea that emotions can come before experiences. Strauss's fascination with trains predates any firsthand knowledge or visual encounter, much like falling in love based on someone else's description. This metaphor effectively conveys the idea that stories and media can arouse feelings and foster connections long before we interact with the content they portray.

All things considered, this quotation highlights the impact Hitchcock had on influencing not only his own tales but also the passions and interests of people who saw his work.