Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
The Folio Society (2012), Edition: First Folio Edition, 136 pages. Pictorial grey boards blocked with a design by the illustrator, in a black slipcase. Set in Photina. Frontispiece and 6 colour illustrations by Patrick Leger. Book size: 9" × 5¾".
Description
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 novelist with an unsparing vision of America's bleak underside, and was acknowledged by Albert Camus as the model for The Stranger. Performed by Stanley Tucci
User reviews
LibraryThing member broke207
when i was in 10th grade, my heinous english teacher assigned a murder mystery book report. i chose this, and she chose to tell me that this was an unacceptable choice and that she'd never even heard of it. i read silence of the lambs instead. screw you mrs. sherman, this is a really great book.
LibraryThing member sturlington
A drifter becomes obsessed with his boss's wife, and together the two plot murder!
It's fun to read these early examples of a genre and see where all the tropes and cliches originated. This short, down-and-dirty story with hopeless, desperate characters no one would like launched the noir genre. Thewhen the woman is killed in a car accident; the visceral horror of that final image is hardly matched by contemporary writers.
It's fun to read these early examples of a genre and see where all the tropes and cliches originated. This short, down-and-dirty story with hopeless, desperate characters no one would like launched the noir genre. The
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whole thing has a gritty, greasy feel, which so many writers have tried to emulate since. Particularly memorable for me was the penultimate scene, Show Less
LibraryThing member varwenea
What a fast read! Even the sentences feel choppy and blunt. Don’t ask me why, but I had black & white in my head with mafia men-speak, hat tilted downwards, cigar dangling off the side of the mouth… (Maybe even bugs bunny with the short gangster wearing tall hat character.) Anyway…
Frank
- Frank’s first thought of Cora – “…her lips stuck out in a way that made me want to mash them in for her.”
- At their first embrace, Cora commands Frank, “’Bite me! Bite me!’ I bit her. I sunk my teeth into her lips so deep I could feel the blood spurt into my mouth. It was running down her neck when I carried her upstairs.”
- When faking a car accident, Cora yells “’Rip me! Rip me!’ I ripped her. I shoved my hand in her blouse and jerked. She was wide open, from her throat to her belly….I hauled off and hit her in the eye as hard as I could... She was right down at my feet, her eyes shining, her breasts trembling, drawn up in tight points, and pointing right up at me … ‘Yes! Yes, Frank, yes!’ … I had to have her, if I hung for it. I had her. ”
Apparently this book was quite a sensation when published in 1934 and was banned in Boston. I can’t say it feels sexy, but more of an “hmm… okay” without hitting the eww level. I can imagine Cora’s character would be considered a femme fatale even though Frank was the primary instigator. Plotting murders, insurance scheming, blackmail, and the closing scenes (let’s not spoil it) made this an innovative crime story when it was released. While the story isn’t fresh or complex by today’s standards, I nonetheless appreciated the brevity of the writing style which was fast-paced and to-the-point yet also told a full, rich tale.
Oh, and the title – nifty. If not the first time, the second time will...
As strange as it may sound, I didn’t watch either of the movies and didn’t know anything about the story when I bought the book, which was a $3 bargain of a 1945 edition. :)
Frank
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Chambers is a drifter who enters the life of Nick and Cora Papadakis, who owns a rural California diner and gas station. Frank and Cora quickly grew an attraction to each other and falls into a passionate affair with sadomasochistic tendencies. - Frank’s first thought of Cora – “…her lips stuck out in a way that made me want to mash them in for her.”
- At their first embrace, Cora commands Frank, “’Bite me! Bite me!’ I bit her. I sunk my teeth into her lips so deep I could feel the blood spurt into my mouth. It was running down her neck when I carried her upstairs.”
- When faking a car accident, Cora yells “’Rip me! Rip me!’ I ripped her. I shoved my hand in her blouse and jerked. She was wide open, from her throat to her belly….I hauled off and hit her in the eye as hard as I could... She was right down at my feet, her eyes shining, her breasts trembling, drawn up in tight points, and pointing right up at me … ‘Yes! Yes, Frank, yes!’ … I had to have her, if I hung for it. I had her. ”
Apparently this book was quite a sensation when published in 1934 and was banned in Boston. I can’t say it feels sexy, but more of an “hmm… okay” without hitting the eww level. I can imagine Cora’s character would be considered a femme fatale even though Frank was the primary instigator. Plotting murders, insurance scheming, blackmail, and the closing scenes (let’s not spoil it) made this an innovative crime story when it was released. While the story isn’t fresh or complex by today’s standards, I nonetheless appreciated the brevity of the writing style which was fast-paced and to-the-point yet also told a full, rich tale.
Oh, and the title – nifty. If not the first time, the second time will...
As strange as it may sound, I didn’t watch either of the movies and didn’t know anything about the story when I bought the book, which was a $3 bargain of a 1945 edition. :)
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Considered one of the most important crime novels of the 20th century, The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain is a masterpiece of noir. This story had such shock value that it was banned upon publication in some areas of the United States and Canada. And although the title is very well
Although slightly over 100 pages in length, this is a story that is intense and gripping. The inescapable fate of three people caught up in lust, greed and violence is told with such veracity that the author doesn’t need to embellish or extend his story. The reader is drawn into many emotions, including feeling somewhat sympathetic toward Frank and Cora, but underneath it all you know they have been corrupted by their desire and their willingness to take short-cuts to get what they want.
This classic piece of noir more than stands the test of time. Both Cain’s superb writing and the originality of the story ensures this tale of twisted love will continue to enthrall it’s readers. Definitely a 5 star read for me.
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known it has a mystique of it’s own as there are no postmen or doorbells in the book. Apparently Cain heard a screenwriter talk about how gut-wrenchingly anxious he was while waiting for the mail to bring him news on whether or not a script had been accepted. Cain thought this phrase captured the feeling of desperation that he wanted the book to portray. Although slightly over 100 pages in length, this is a story that is intense and gripping. The inescapable fate of three people caught up in lust, greed and violence is told with such veracity that the author doesn’t need to embellish or extend his story. The reader is drawn into many emotions, including feeling somewhat sympathetic toward Frank and Cora, but underneath it all you know they have been corrupted by their desire and their willingness to take short-cuts to get what they want.
This classic piece of noir more than stands the test of time. Both Cain’s superb writing and the originality of the story ensures this tale of twisted love will continue to enthrall it’s readers. Definitely a 5 star read for me.
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LibraryThing member TheAmpersand
I'll admit it: a collector and a completist by nature, I read this one because it made the Modern Library's list of the one hundred best English-language novels of the twentieth century. I'm not much for crime stories or noirs, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. One hundred years after it
Most of the shock here comes from the sex. Sex scenes are notoriously difficult to write: they trip up some of the best authors. But the encounters between Frank and Cora -- especially the ones that happen early on -- are unbelievably intense, and almost jarring. Cain is also subtle enough to depict Cora as an undeniably attractive woman without forgetting to give her a personality and a past. His frankness -- a willingness to show his characters' ugly sides -- extends to other aspects of his characters, too. Cora, a transplant product of the American Midwest -- is an unapologetic racist. Frank, on the other hand, often reads as charming, but has more than his share of personality flaws. A sometime hobo, he's a hedonist and the less respectable kind of free spirit. It's not just that he's a lecher, we also see him consistently resist opportunities to build something permanent, to, in other words, make something of himself. But this is California in the thirties: I'd hazard that Frank's character is meant to stand in the wild parts of the state still untouched by Anglo influence, most of which were about to be buried by an avalanche of development and internal migration. This book's about a lot more than three people in a love triangle who make a lot of disastrous choices.
I found that the problem with "The Postman Always Rings Twice" oddly enough, is that it's almost too good a noir. Or maybe that it has spawned too many imitators. Reading this one is like reading Poe: the prose still shines, but the plots have been redone so many times in so many mediums that it's difficult to be surprised by anything in the plot. I can't be sure, but it feels like this one served as a foundation for much of both film noir and the thriller genre in general. Which doesn't mean that it's prose is any less direct or efficient -- it is certainly both -- but it does mean that many readers are likely to sense the story's pulses well before they've finished reading, and perhaps even predict it's twists. There aren't many noirs or thrillers out there as good as "The Postman Always Rings Twice", but there are a lot of noirs and thrillers out there, and so whatever the novelty the book might have once held for its reader is mostly gone. Even so, even as we come up on its centennial, it's still easy to admire this book's uncompromising honesty and its almost punishing directness. Recommended, even if you're not much of a fan of the genres it helped spawn.
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was written, it's short, tightly written, and, in its way, sort of shocking.Most of the shock here comes from the sex. Sex scenes are notoriously difficult to write: they trip up some of the best authors. But the encounters between Frank and Cora -- especially the ones that happen early on -- are unbelievably intense, and almost jarring. Cain is also subtle enough to depict Cora as an undeniably attractive woman without forgetting to give her a personality and a past. His frankness -- a willingness to show his characters' ugly sides -- extends to other aspects of his characters, too. Cora, a transplant product of the American Midwest -- is an unapologetic racist. Frank, on the other hand, often reads as charming, but has more than his share of personality flaws. A sometime hobo, he's a hedonist and the less respectable kind of free spirit. It's not just that he's a lecher, we also see him consistently resist opportunities to build something permanent, to, in other words, make something of himself. But this is California in the thirties: I'd hazard that Frank's character is meant to stand in the wild parts of the state still untouched by Anglo influence, most of which were about to be buried by an avalanche of development and internal migration. This book's about a lot more than three people in a love triangle who make a lot of disastrous choices.
I found that the problem with "The Postman Always Rings Twice" oddly enough, is that it's almost too good a noir. Or maybe that it has spawned too many imitators. Reading this one is like reading Poe: the prose still shines, but the plots have been redone so many times in so many mediums that it's difficult to be surprised by anything in the plot. I can't be sure, but it feels like this one served as a foundation for much of both film noir and the thriller genre in general. Which doesn't mean that it's prose is any less direct or efficient -- it is certainly both -- but it does mean that many readers are likely to sense the story's pulses well before they've finished reading, and perhaps even predict it's twists. There aren't many noirs or thrillers out there as good as "The Postman Always Rings Twice", but there are a lot of noirs and thrillers out there, and so whatever the novelty the book might have once held for its reader is mostly gone. Even so, even as we come up on its centennial, it's still easy to admire this book's uncompromising honesty and its almost punishing directness. Recommended, even if you're not much of a fan of the genres it helped spawn.
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LibraryThing member uvula_fr_b4
James M. Cain's first novel is a short, fast thriller that was banned in Boston back when that phrase meant something, and a seminal work in the hard-boiled school of fiction. The story of an ex-convict-cum-knockaround guy in his early 20s named Frank Chambers who blows into a roadside diner/gas
Keep your eyes peeled for the racism and racial anxiety (particularly Cora's desire to be seen as "white," as she does not see her husband, a middle-aged Greek), the class aspirations (again with Cora, but also with her husband Nick), and the Depression-era signifiers. Cain would recycle some of these elements in what is perhaps his greatest work, Mildred Pierce (which has almost nothing in common with the 1945 movie starring Joan Crawford); one might make the case that Mildred is Cora with her passions redirected towards her kid, and with slightly less motives for murder.
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station/auto court (read: motel) in Glendale, California one day for a dine-'n'-dash meal but who stays on as a hired hand because he has the hots for the boss's wife, Cora, TPART is the seamy story of how Frank and Cora's animalistic lust for each other will stop at nothing, even murder. But no matter how bad Frank and Cora are, they're just babes in the woods next to the bounders, heels and grifters who wear suits....Keep your eyes peeled for the racism and racial anxiety (particularly Cora's desire to be seen as "white," as she does not see her husband, a middle-aged Greek), the class aspirations (again with Cora, but also with her husband Nick), and the Depression-era signifiers. Cain would recycle some of these elements in what is perhaps his greatest work, Mildred Pierce (which has almost nothing in common with the 1945 movie starring Joan Crawford); one might make the case that Mildred is Cora with her passions redirected towards her kid, and with slightly less motives for murder.
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LibraryThing member csweder
Here is a book about a man and a woman who have a love affair and keep attempting to kill her husband.
It's fun.
But something I didn't quite get was the title--there were no postmans? Thank you Wikipedia, which told me it could mean several things. The two most interesting being:
1--At the time
2--The postman is a symbol for god, and he rang twice because he originally gets away w/ a murder....but gets caught the 2nd time around.
Either way, fun stuff. Short book, definitely worth reading!
It's fun.
But something I didn't quite get was the title--there were no postmans? Thank you Wikipedia, which told me it could mean several things. The two most interesting being:
1--At the time
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Cain wrote the novel, there had been a case in the papers about a woman who wanted to kill her husband, and arranged that the husband wouldn't find out about the changes she made to his insurance policy by having the postman always give her mail--and rang twice to indicate a *special* package.2--The postman is a symbol for god, and he rang twice because he originally gets away w/ a murder....but gets caught the 2nd time around.
Either way, fun stuff. Short book, definitely worth reading!
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
Despite the fact the characters in this thriller are not at all appealing, I really enjoyed this! Cain pulls you in and the book is a fast & compelling read.
Of course, having seen the classic film with Lana Turner & John Garfield, I knew the basic plot. I think that the book is even better than the
Of course, having seen the classic film with Lana Turner & John Garfield, I knew the basic plot. I think that the book is even better than the
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film so I might end up increasing my rating... Show Less
LibraryThing member PiyushC
Wow! A superb thriller with a minimal of characters (and really weird ones at that!) and hardly the semblance of a plot. And yet, the story progresses, like a ticking time bomb, till everything comes to culmination. An interesting read, despite the lack of character development, Hitchcockish in a
4/5
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way (the movies), with the final twist being accidental, a point where it deviates from the creations of the brilliant filmmaker.4/5
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LibraryThing member Cecilturtle
I knew that this book was about a torrid passion, but I hadn't realized just how gritty it is! Frank is a greasy, unscrupulous coward who listens only to his impulses regardless of consequence, as for Cora, she is manipulative and conniving stopping at nothing to get her way: these are not likeable
I can see why the short direct sentences, the dark themes and the dénouement would appeal to Camus. However much man may want to control his existence, his life is actually beyond his grasp.
I must admit though: What's with the title?
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characters! Yet, their destiny is fascinating: how deep into squalor will they sink? Will they get away with their crimes? Is it really love or fear of betrayal that links them together? Quickly enough their fate careens out of their hands, it can only end badly!I can see why the short direct sentences, the dark themes and the dénouement would appeal to Camus. However much man may want to control his existence, his life is actually beyond his grasp.
I must admit though: What's with the title?
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LibraryThing member akfarrar
Some books are just straight disturbing – this is one of them.
I initially thought it was only a tacky thrill getter – bit of sex, bit of violence and a ‘tough talking dude’ – but once I broke through that (and it did take some breaking through) I realized this is quite a well written
It is about violence – it is about alienation – it is about deprivation and emotional screw-up: It is about justice and the perverseness of morality.
That is a pretty strong cocktail, and the language, of necessity, is harsh, unforgiving and downright brutal at points.
So too the plot – with an economy to be admired, there is an attempted murder, a successful murder and an accident resulting in another kind of murder … all in the space of around 120 pages.
Women get slapped around – and like it: Men get beaten-up - and don’t. It is the ‘film-noir’ world beloved of the gangster genre. But this is not a gangster book.
The chief character is a drifter – he bums around America - scratching a living here, stealing there, spending short periods in jail before moving on.
He drifts into a situation where his animal driven lusts and craftiness allow access to what I am tempted to say is a perfect partner for him. There is the problem of her husband – and their attempt to remove him forms the spine of the story.
But, ‘As flies to wanton boys … ‘
The God’s agents are the forces of law and order – who are playing a game with lesser mortals. Any sense of justice or basic human decency is soon swept away once we encounter the petty motives fuelling both defence and prosecution.
I have to admit, I am reminded of Tess, of Lear and Heathcliffe … pretty strong company for a pot-boiler to evoke.
I initially thought it was only a tacky thrill getter – bit of sex, bit of violence and a ‘tough talking dude’ – but once I broke through that (and it did take some breaking through) I realized this is quite a well written
Show More
book.It is about violence – it is about alienation – it is about deprivation and emotional screw-up: It is about justice and the perverseness of morality.
That is a pretty strong cocktail, and the language, of necessity, is harsh, unforgiving and downright brutal at points.
So too the plot – with an economy to be admired, there is an attempted murder, a successful murder and an accident resulting in another kind of murder … all in the space of around 120 pages.
Women get slapped around – and like it: Men get beaten-up - and don’t. It is the ‘film-noir’ world beloved of the gangster genre. But this is not a gangster book.
The chief character is a drifter – he bums around America - scratching a living here, stealing there, spending short periods in jail before moving on.
He drifts into a situation where his animal driven lusts and craftiness allow access to what I am tempted to say is a perfect partner for him. There is the problem of her husband – and their attempt to remove him forms the spine of the story.
But, ‘As flies to wanton boys … ‘
The God’s agents are the forces of law and order – who are playing a game with lesser mortals. Any sense of justice or basic human decency is soon swept away once we encounter the petty motives fuelling both defence and prosecution.
I have to admit, I am reminded of Tess, of Lear and Heathcliffe … pretty strong company for a pot-boiler to evoke.
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LibraryThing member kyragtopgirl
After reading Mildred Pierce, I wanted to read something else by James Cain. I picked "Postman" because it was an award winning movie. I actually enjoyed this story more than Mildred Pierce. Even though it takes place over 50 years ago, it is a timeless story of love, murder, and scandal. It is a
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short novel (a little over 100 pages) and well worth your time. Show Less
LibraryThing member .Monkey.
Short little noir novel that packs some nice punches. I wasn't really crazy about any of the characters, but I was invested in the story from the first line to the last. Good stuff.
LibraryThing member s.kaosar
I couldn't finish it. Neither the story nor the writing appealed to me. The characters were well developed but the dialogue threw me off – a lot. Also, the story, the plot, it wasn't strong enough to really grab my attention and hold it. So, in my opinion it was plain old blah. In fairness to the
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plot though, it was blah because unfortunately since the writing of the novel that particular murder mystery, sexually charged plot has been used and reused several times over. Show Less
LibraryThing member figre
I have never seen the movie, nor have I read much (if anything) of noir mystery from 30’s. However, what I can say is that this was an enjoyable read about cheating, lying, and murder.
A no-good goes to work in a restaurant where he begins an affair with the owner’s wife. The wife and the
This quick read is fascinating for the way that it, in so short a time, provides such insight into the characters. There are nice twists and great insight into the minds of the people involved, and, overall, a great little story worth exploring.
A no-good goes to work in a restaurant where he begins an affair with the owner’s wife. The wife and the
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no-good conspire to kill the owner. Things go bad, then good, then bad (all defined by who you are rooting for).This quick read is fascinating for the way that it, in so short a time, provides such insight into the characters. There are nice twists and great insight into the minds of the people involved, and, overall, a great little story worth exploring.
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LibraryThing member otterley
This is better known as a film - and no surprise, because the novel has the emotional impact and kick of a high quality film. The twists and turns of the plot and the visceral quality of the action match perfectly the sensual impact of a story of physical and emotional obsession. A page turner
LibraryThing member otterpopmusic
Nowhere near as good as Double Indemnity, and where Mildred Pierce has too much physical description, Postman has too little - except in the final crash scene, where the physical description is so disgusting that it takes away from the emotional impact. I am now recovering by reading a Laura
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Ingalls Wilder book (although that's gonna backfire on me once the grasshoppers show up). Postman gets three stars because I admire Cain's sheer balls-out approach, and I enjoyed browsing the various covers on LibraryThing. Show Less
LibraryThing member 391
I LOVED The Postman Always Rings Twice. It's hard, and fast, like a punch in the gut, and it definitely knocked the wind out of me. I love how in the moment it is - there's no motive, no explanation, just actions and consequences. And it's an absolute rush, especially since its short length means
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you can fly right through it and tumble out headfirst within an hour. Just a brilliant little piece of writing, I think. Show Less
LibraryThing member BruderBane
A modern tabloid story before the rise and ubiquity of the modern tabloid is how I would describe “The Postman Always Rings Twice” by James Cain. Mr. Cain grabs hold and violently yanks the short-hairs of seedy Americana and with such verve and pithiness that both Mr. Hammett and Mr. Chekov
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would be proud. The ending was a bit cliché but only so because it has been recycled by so many Hollywood writers and would be film makers that it seems hackneyed to the contemporary eye. Nevertheless, Mr. Cain writes a gripping tale in the noir vein and I will be looking out for another one of his titles the next time I hit the bookstore. Show Less
LibraryThing member jcmontgomery
I tried. I really tried to see the merit in this. I couldn't. I've read noir and liked it. But not this one. The writing, the characters just wouldn't connect in any way.
LibraryThing member theeclecticreview
A tragic love story where a drifter falls in love with a married woman, they plot to kill her husband, their lust gets in the way of common sense, and it ends in tragedy. A very lurid story of 1930's noir that holds you to the end.
LibraryThing member mstrust
So much evil- doing packed into a slender novel. A must for the fan of noir, though I liked Cain's others like Mildred Pierce and Double Indemnity a little more.
LibraryThing member andersonden
A kind of classic fiction work - a novel made into a film. I'd wanted to read this for a while. I could see why it would make a good film - there were a lot of moments that were quite visual in it. There were also some pretty decent plot twists but overall it wasn't as dense in character as I'd
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thought it might be. Show Less
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
Written in 1934 it tells the sexy, gritty tale of Frank Chambers, a drifter who finds himself grounded by Cora Papadakis, a married woman. Cora's beauty and instant mutual attraction leads to Frank's uncharacteristic staying put. Soon the adulterous couple is contemplating murder. The plot is
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timeless. Desire has led them to the devil's doorstep. Show Less
LibraryThing member Algybama
An ultimately weird book with a brilliant all-american workman narrator that's a pleasure to read. But also pretty heavy - like most of what I would call hardboiled. But unlike Chandler or Hammett it's truly depressing and morbid, and just generally more noir-ish. A great quick and grimy story.
Subjects
Awards
Haycraft Queen Cornerstones (1934)
Julian Symons' 100 Best Crime Stories (1934 — 1934)
Language
Original publication date
1934
Physical description
9.3 inches
Local notes
Frank and Cora become lovers and conspire to murder Cora's husband, take over his diner, and live happily ever after. Things go wrong, and the novel is narrated by Frank from his prison cell on death row.
Based on a real-life murder, it was an instant bestseller that inspired both fascination and outrage, and was banned in Boston for its plain-speaking portrayal of adultery and homicide.The folio edition has dramatic illustrations by Patrick Leger and a preface by novelist and film critic Steve Erickson.
Based on a real-life murder, it was an instant bestseller that inspired both fascination and outrage, and was banned in Boston for its plain-speaking portrayal of adultery and homicide.The folio edition has dramatic illustrations by Patrick Leger and a preface by novelist and film critic Steve Erickson.
Other editions
The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain (Paperback)