The Novel~Tea Book Club discussion
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FEBRUARY 2010: The Postman Always Rings Twice by James Cain
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The Postman Always Rings Twice
by James Cain
Overall, our group enjoyed The Postman Always Rings Twice by James Cain immensely.
We found that the novel had a clear and to the point language that made it an easy, fast paced read. The style was very journalistic, but still had a gritty emotional style that was a welcome relief from the overly flowery and analyzed writing of other novels.
The characters of Frank and Cora caused much discussion within our group. We found them very raw and realistic feeling. Their sadomasochistic tendencies were shocking within the novel and we were floored that The Postman Always Rings Twice was published in 1934.
The authour’s descriptions of the settings were outstanding. The writing made us feel as if we were very much there in California at that road side diner.
Only one person in our group completely disliked the book and found it to be predictable, boring, and unsatisfying. Our only overall group criticism was that the legal and insurance sections were confusing and badly explained.
We would definitely recommend this book to individuals and book groups.
Our rating: 4/5 stars.
Synopsis:
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.