The Postman Always Rings Twice (CRIME MASTERWORKS)
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Product Description
Book Description
'Nobody has ever quite pulled it off the way Cain does, not Hemingway, and not even Raymond Chandler' Tom Wolfe
Product Description
First published in 1934, THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE caused a scandal with its explosive mix of violence and sex, and immediately became a bestseller. The torrid story of Frank Chambers, the amoral drifter, Cora, the sullen and brooding wife, and Nick Papadakis, the amiable but inconvenient husband, has become a classic of its kind, and established Cain as a major novelist with a spare and vital prose style and a bleak vision of America. THE AUTHOR James M. Cain was born in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1892. Having served in the US Army in World War 1, he became a journalist in Baltimore and New York in the 1920s. He later worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood. Cain died in 1977.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book, James M. Cain's debut novel, is arguable the finest of its genre and certainly of its period. Whereas previous first person narrative crime novels were seen from the eyes of the law, "The Postman Always Rings Twice" describes the crimes committed from the perpetrator's point of view. The novella moves along at a fast speed and can be read in one sitting. I was gripped by the narrative from the classic opening, through the tumultuous plot right up until the magnificent twist ending. The characters are as realistic and believable as their actions and it becomes easier for the reader to relate to them as the tale progresses. Highly recommended to fans of great crime literature. If only all debuts were this good!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book, opened it to have a look at the first few pages and was still reading two hours later. Cain immerses you in the plot and builds up tension with minimal use of words and detail. A brilliant thriller by a master of writing. I can't remember the last time a book absorbed me this much.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is brilliant. It's a work of genius. And it is also an unputdownable read of stark simplicity. Cain achieves his breathtaking prose by avoiding adjectives, adverbs, dialogue tags and beats, parenthetical clauses, semicolons and anything that might slow the intravenous injection of the plot. This thing is only 115 pages, but you'll want to keep it forever and read it again and again. Wow! What a book! (Double Indemnity is also good, but not as good as this.)
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
So simple..
This is one of the most stunning books of the last century. It concerns a drifter, Frank, who accidentally ends up at a roadside sandwich bar on his travels. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Craig Hall
Disappointing
I can imagine that when it was first published, this book must have caused a storm, but so many versions if it exist now on film, and in other stories that have pinched the idea... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. K. A. Wheatley
This may well be the most perfect short novel ever written.
I urge anyone interested in character driven, fast paced and spare writing, read this perfect novel, even if you have seen the film and think you know the story there is plenty to... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Rachel Moody
Brutal and efficient
I read this book on the recommendation of a friend. The story is based around three characters, Frank Chambers - a petty crook, Nick Papakadis - a Greek bar owner whom he goes to... Read more
Published 12 months ago by J. S. Dixon
a classic
It seems no accident that the victim of the crime in this story is a Greek, for the plot seems to have much in common with a Greek tragedy: the protagonists are subject to their... Read more
Published 14 months ago by moby-dick
Excellent, short, compelling
I read this book inspired by the film. The book's starkness means that unlike most adaptations there is more texture on screen than on the page. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Calum Davey
Beware the hell-cat
Hard bolied crime novel set in Depression California. Frank Chambers drifts into Cora Papadakis' life via her 'greasy' husband's roadside grill. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Officer Dibble
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Crime thrillers are not what I would usually read but I found a copy of this book in a charity shop and decided to give it a go as I had nothing to lose. Read more
Published 23 months ago by N. A. Spencer
James M. Cain and Film Noir (May contain spoilers)
James M. Cain's novels The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity (amoung others) were made into Films during the 1940s. Read more
Published on 13 Feb 2010 by Joanne
You are in for a treat I envy you
I saw the film for the first time recently. It was the classic 1946 version with Lana tuner. She exuded sex. Read more
Published on 28 Feb 2009 by Peter Wade
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