James M. Cain - The Postman Always Rings Twice (starting Jun 27th, 2017) - Akanksha, Shalini, Sharadha, et al.

[Sharadha]

Blurb

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.

We start this today, June 27th. Interested others are most welcome to join.

[Ahtims]

Shalini would be a late entry. For atleast the next one week shr is deaf to the postman's knocks.

[Sharadha]

Haha no problemo, Col. Let him in next week :)

Aka, where are you in this? I'm done with the first three chapters and it's going fine so far. Well, I think they're building up towards the suspense anyway.

I like the pace of it, it's fast and easy to read. I think to come up with something like this (up until chapter 3 at least) would've been a bold move on Cain's part.

It reminds me of Leonard Elmore's 52 Pickup that I finished recently. The tone, the grimness, the MCs' quirks, etc. sweep me in nostalgia - and that was still published 40 years later.

Your thoughts?

[Sharadha]

On chapter 8 and it is gripping in a weird way. I cannot pinpoint what's keeping me going still, since not much has happened in terms of pushing the plot forward, but it is intriguing. I think it's the pace of the prose - it is optimal with important scenes included and any other drag-fest ones omitted.

I'm yet to like any character though.. Not sure if I like the main character himself.

[Akanksha]

Sherlock Holmes wouldn't let me go :( Will definitely pick it up tomorrow once he drops into Reichenbach!