Noir read of the month #6: The Postman Always Rings Twice, by James M. Cain

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

I realize we've already read Cain's Double Indemnity but I am planning to read his The Postman Always Rings Twice this month so here he is again! Feel free to read with me & to leave comments about the book.

[Donna, Co-Moderator]

Amazing, I just downloaded this from the library! I'm in on the conversation.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

I'm so glad! We'll start discussing it around the 15th. I can't wait.

[Justin]

Read this one several months ago and loved it. I'll try to re-read this month or at least join the discussion. Excellent movie, too.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Justin wrote: "Read this one several months ago and loved it. I'll try to re-read this month or at least join the discussion. Excellent movie, too."

Very nice, Justin. We'll look forward to hearing your comments.

[Jan C]

I was able to get the audio version from Overdrive. Looking forward to it.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Jan C wrote: "I was able to get the audio version from Overdrive. Looking forward to it."

Lovely, Jan!

[Donna, Co-Moderator]

Jan, is your audio version read by Stanley Tucci? That's the version I got from Overdrive.

[Jan C]

Donna wrote: "Jan, is your audio version read by Stanley Tucci? That's the version I got from Overdrive."

Yes, it is Stanley Tucci. I read it some years ago.

[Jan C]

I just started listening this afternoon and the next thing I knew I was at Chapter 6. Saved the rest for another day.

[Math]

Yes, it's excellent. I haven't read it for sometime, so I'll gladly read it again, looking forward to it.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Math wrote: "Yes, it's excellent. I haven't read it for sometime, so I'll gladly read it again, looking forward to it."

I'll be starting it Monday -- I seem to have a lot of time on my hands again starting Sunday evening.

[Math]

Yes, I'll read it over the weekend. As far as I remember, it's only around 90 or so pages. No padding, not a word wasted.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Math wrote: "Yes, I'll read it over the weekend. As far as I remember, it's only around 90 or so pages. No padding, not a word wasted."

I absolutely love his work.

[Math]

Yes, me too. It still reads very contemporary. I know slang etc., dates but his writing still sounds quite modern, which is testament to how influential he was. I love the Butterfly, that's regional, small town noir at its best.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Math wrote: "Yes, me too. It still reads very contemporary. I know slang etc., dates but his writing still sounds quite modern, which is testament to how influential he was. I love the Butterfly, that's regiona..."

Now look what you've made me do -- I just had to go buy a copy of Three by Cain: Serenade/Love's Lovely Counterfeit/The Butterfly because now I want to read The Butterfly.

[Math]

:) BBC radio four dramatised it in 2013, did a really good job too.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Let's roll. I spent yesterday wrapped up in a horror novel so I'll be reading this book today. If you absolutely feel the need to talk about specifics early on in the discussion, please have the courtesy to use spoilers:

< spoiler > .... < /spoiler > (with no spaces before or after the brackets.)

[Math]

One thing that struck me from reading this again, is the literary quality of this novella. Blended seamlessly into a great plot is the notion of LA as the mythical land of opportunity conveyed as a place failed dreams. b
But he does it so smoothly without drawing attention to itself, he manages great depth at no expense to plot and the crime noir genre. Through dialogue such as Cora explained her failure to get into the movies. "They gave me a test. It was all right in the face. But they talk now. The pictures I mean. And when I began to talk up there on the screen they knew me for what I was, and so did I. A cheap Des Moires Trollop."

Brilliant

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

I'm on page 80/116 so I'll reserve comments until I've finished. But I have tons of promotional credit on Amazon, so I'm watching the movie tonight -- the original with Jihn Garfield and Lana Turner.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Okay. I finished the novel late yesterday, then made the fatal error of watching two versions of the film. Too much all at once. Oy!

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Math wrote: "One thing that struck me from reading this again, is the literary quality of this novella. Blended seamlessly into a great plot is the notion of LA as the mythical land of opportunity conveyed as a..."

I love the way he writes.

[Jan C]

I just finished the audio version. Excellent. I have seen the movies but won't be watching them - unless I come across them somewhere - as I don't own a copy. So no worry of overloads here.

[Donna, Co-Moderator]

About half way through and I'm having technical difficulties with my audio book! So far I'm really impressed with the writing. It isn't flowery and convoluted but clean and tight which is really adding to the tension. Stanly Tucci is also doing a very good job of reading.

[Stephen]

I find myself wondering why James M. Cain is not celebrated more for being such a wonderful writer. I myself was as guilty of this as it was nor until a few years ago that I found a used book that had all four of his most famous works. Serenade, Mildred Pierce, Double Indemnity and Postman I knew as movies, but finding out one writer was responsible blew me away.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Stephen wrote: "I find myself wondering why James M. Cain is not celebrated more for being such a wonderful writer. I myself was as guilty of this as it was nor until a few years ago that I found a ..."

I've read Mildred Pierce (with my real-world book group) and Double Indemnity. I still think Double Indemnity is the best of the three.

[Jan C]

I haven't read Mildred Pierce. But I don't like the movie very much. But that could just be my anti-Joan Crawford feelings.

Loved Double Indemnity.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Jan C wrote: "I haven't read Mildred Pierce. But I don't like the movie very much. But that could just be my anti-Joan Crawford feelings.

Loved Double Indemnity."

Well, the movie with Joan Crawford and the book have very little in common. HBO did a series that was way more true to the novel.

[Jan C]

Nancy wrote: "Jan C wrote: "I haven't read Mildred Pierce. But I don't like the movie very much. But that could just be my anti-Joan Crawford feelings.

Loved Double Indemnity."

Well, the movie with Joan Crawfo..."

I didn't watch the series because Joan Crawford turned me off of the movie.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

I'm at a really good place right now timewise and mentally, so I can finally devote more energy to this discussion.

.Question: is it me, or does anyone else think that in those first two short chapters that Frank and Cora recognize parts of themselves in each other from the start?

[Jan C]

It seems to come out in their early discussions - talking about where they came from and why.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

Cora reminds me so much of the femme fatale in Jonathan Latimer's hardboiled pulp novel Solomon's Vineyard when she says "bite me" to Frank.

[Nancy, Co-Moderator]

One of my favorite parts early on in this book, aside from the one Math mentioned above is when Frank says

"I'm talking about the road. It's fun, Cora. I know every twist and turn it's got. And I know how to work it too. Isn't that what we want? Just a pair of tramps, like we really are?"

The road itself seems to be a central motif in this novel.