An amoral young tramp. A beautiful, sullen woman with an inconvenient husband. A problem that has only one grisly solution–a solution that only creates other problems that no one can ever solve.First published in 1934 and banned in Boston for its explosive mixture of violence and eroticism, The Postman Always Rings Twice is a classic of the roman noir. It established James M. Cain as a major … James M. Cain as a major novelist with an unsparing vision of America’s bleak underside, and was acknowledged by Albert Camus as the model for The Stranger.
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I must confess, this was one of those books (films?) of which I had heard, but when pressed I had no idea what to expect.
It is something of a Bonnie and Clyde affair – and, written contemporaneously with the deadly duo’s real-life reign of terror, I did wonder if here was an influence. Certainly, I lost count of the number of times the characters slipped seamlessly from frying pan to fire.
Such escapades find the protagonists – handsome drifter Frank and beautiful married Cora – frequently out of their depth, floundering unsynchronised amidst opposing tides of love and hate that threaten to divide them.
It feels like a full-length novel, yet at around 35,000 words it is a mere novella. Listening time on Audible is just 2 hours and 49 minutes – I guess it was almost a ready-made screenplay.
Quite a skill to write with such economy. And doubly so when you find yourself rooting for the bad guys.
It might be short, but it punches above its weight. Bigly.
Cain and Himes are my favorites. With Cain, so much story packed into so few pages. A master of economy.
This is not just one of the greatest noir novels it is one of the best novels ever written in the first person. The spare beauty to its prose and its realism inspired Albert Camus’s The Stranger. Though Cain’s other famous short novel Double Indemnity was made into one of the greatest films of all time The Postman Always Rings Twice is the better novel. Its twists, the one in the middle and especially the one at its incredible end, will give you whiplash. A masterfully written classic.
I’m more of a true story person (crimes, biographies, war stories), but this was a nice departure from the norm for me. I like books that are easy to follow, without unnecessary diversions, that moves at a decent pace. This book fits that to a T.
I highly recommend this book for someone looking for an easy summer read.
This is so terse it almost reads like a screenplay. Loved it. And even though it reads like a screenplay, it’s so much better than the movies that have been made from this book.
THIS IS ONE BOOK THAT IS NOT AS GOOD AS THE MOVIE.
One great fun read..
Book was ok and I am sure in1934 it created a sensation. I was curious and found that this type writing is not for me.
An entertaining quick read.
This book is GREAT and has been for 80 years. If you haven’t done so or even if you have….READ IT (again)
Classic of the noir genre.
Having seen the movie back in the 50’s I was curious as to how the story weathered time, and found that it did very well.
It took me a while to enjoy it. The end surprised me. I recommend it.
A drifter meets a married woman and the story twists and turns like a drunken snake. The drifter soon learns that he has something in common with the woman–the two crave animalistic violence and sex, the woman demanding both at the same time. But what makes The Postman Always Rings Twice a page turner is the mystery and suspense, and not characters you’d love to meet.
Like Cain’s other famous work, this book displays lust and desire taking complete control and its outcome.