The Postman Always Rings Twice Discussion

[Tien]

Readerboard: Karen Oz

Well, I really wasn't expecting that ending!

I like the fact that it was such a quick read with a real wallop. There was so much packed into a little volume - it was violent, sexual, and passionate.

I'm still not sure whether I like Frank or Cora at all... I think I do like them but I don't trust them, and can you blame me? ha ha ha.

I think I need to read something a little more happy now ;p

[Kathy G.]

Kathy G.

I have a love/hate feeling about this book. The writing was vintage, and I loved that. These characters were not very likable. They deserved each other. It reminded me of an old black and white movie where the bad guys turn on each other. I would read more like this though. I love "old" books.

[Melanie]

@Ms Anderson & Donna Jo
That's so interesting! And yes, it's awesome to figure out the connections between books:)

[Valorie]

I thought the book was ok, nothing great though. I really didn't like Frank or Cora. I thought The Maltese Falcon and The Black Dahlia were better "noir" reads in my opinion.

[Marie-Anne]

I can not say I liked it much. It was OK. I remember seeing the movie a long time ago, and I did not like it much either. I am a big fan of mysteries, but I really don't like it when the lead characters have so few redeeming qualities. I could not identify with either of them or the lawyer, or the lawyer's assistant, etc. I liked the Greek, even if he did seem rather dim at not understanding what was going on.

[Alexis]

I haven't read too many "noir" novels. The writing style (severe, staccato, succinct) took some getting used to, but it fit the tone of the book. I enjoyed it (gave it three stars) and decided, like Ms. Anderson, to read Camus's The Stranger as a result.

The book seems pretty racy for the 1930's (casual sex and eroticized violence - the lip-biting, clothes-tearing, etc.), and I found out that it was subject of an obscenity trial in Boston.

ps can't believe i didn't see the final twist coming - should've been expecting that second ring

[Bluemoon]

I don't read alot of noir. I thought that this was well written but did not like the main characters at all. I wish there was more backround on them to see why they did what they did. I also did not like that it was so violent.

[D.G.]

This is my first noir book and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I read a lot of mysteries from this time period (Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers among others) so I can see why it was groundbreaking.

The title gave me the idea that Cora was going to kill Frank too (sort of like...if you try one thing once, you try it a second time.) But I liked the way it ended better.

I also wondered why Nick couldn't keep other workers. I really thought Cora had been coming up to them and Frank had been the first to bite the bullet.

[Ty]

What a shocking little book for its time. I enjoyed the story and while noir is not my cup of tea, I appreciate a splash of something different every now and then. A few words that drifted through my head while reading: gritty, spare, cold, emotionless. One prevalent thought was this: pre-CSI, pre-profiling, pre-computers, this story showcases crime and crime-solving at its basic, nitty-gritty core. The reader is shown the means, motive, and opportunity, with a side of eroticism as a chaser. I greatly enjoyed Sackett's diorama speech of What He Knows Happened. It truly was a picture in words. Rated 3 stars.

[Coralie]

I didn't like the beginning when they jumped into violent sex although they had barely met, then declared themselves in love.

In the middle I thought 'These guys obviously have never watched CSI!' Even without modern methods in crime detecting, I found their murder plans too unlikely.

I loved the ending.

[Shawn]

Shawn H.

I read this entire book today. I found the book to be enjoyable, however I wouldn't rate it as anything more than average. I absolutely loved the ending of the book and sort of wish the rest of the book lived up to the ending. I did think it was interesting how quickly the book moves along. It felt as if the book covered a lot of ground in a very short number of pages. All in all, not quite what I expected, but I did find it enjoyable, especially the ending.

[JoLene]

The noir genre is one that I seem to like better in film than in books. I do like mysteries, but from the beginning of this book, we know who did it, so not much mystery there :-). The style definitely took some getting used to ---- I found that I didn't really like it when I was reading snippets, but when I had longer stretches of time, it was easier to adjust to the terse style.

Like many, I don't always like books where I don't like the characters --- especially if there is not enough background to explain why they are so despicable. However, I did enjoy the brief descriptions of the 1930's setting. I rated it 3 stars --- although I do thinking to a classic example of noir so from that perspective it would be a 5.

[Brian]

I enjoyed this book, was a quick, fun read. How I have not read any 'noir' before? Stuff is right up my alley. Really pleased with the ending, everyone got what they deserved, except for the Greek I suppose. I see a lot of people commenting on their dislike of the characters, but I think that was the point. These are evil, unlikable people. Better they are unlikable on purpose rather unlikable because they are just poorly built characters.

[Kristina Simon]

Brian wrote: "These are evil, unlikable people. Better they are unlikable on purpose rather unlikable because they are just poorly built characters."

Absolutely.

[Deanna]

Like several of the others here, I enjoy noir in films more than in books. Maybe it is because in film, you have music, lighting, sets, etc to help set the scene and mood. I prefer a more descriptive writing style than this book had, such as Ellery Queen or even Chandler. Cain is just a bit too terse for my tastes.

[Vi]

Totally agree on the completely unlikeable characters. Seriously unlikable. And I loved the ending as well. This is my first intro to noir genre and it was good. But, I'm not rushing into picking another book. I actually need to find more info about this genre (Sadly, I didn't before reading this book.)

[Diane L]

I have recently read Chandler's The Big Sleep and was hoping for something along those lines. I think it reminded me more of Steinbeck's Cannery Row or Of Mice and Men. This novella was very different and frustrating to me. Well written, but I find I don't enjoy books with amoral protagonists. I was afraid they would get away with it and was actually glad Cora had left the incriminating note back at their business. I found the telling of the story through so much dialogue interesting and would look for more books using this technique. It just kept the story moving along.