The Postman Always Rings Twice

Murder murder murder. Did he do it or didn't he? Does it matter?

By the end of the book I can't tell if you can trust the narrator, and I'm pretty sure that's the point.

Cain's novels are so logically paced and careful to establish only the bare minimum required plot elements to edge the story to its conclusion the result is as excellent a lesson in the power of concision as any. This novel is no exception. The dialogue crackles. The morality gets real gray. The racism and violence against women is... sigh... also here. A product of its un-woke time. If those aspects aren't too annoying for you this novel is a great way to spend a few hours.

This is the perfect example of what James M. Cain is capable of, gritty, minimalistic and fast paced. I’ve read this book before and it was nice to reread. The Postman Always Rings Twice is liked watching a car wreck about to happen; you know that things will get bad, but you may not know what exactly happens. I’m a big fan of Cain; he really is the master of the Noir genre. I remember the movie and it worked really well as a movie; even if there are a few differences the feel of the book translated perfectly. Cain is considered the father of writing some great books like Mildred Pierce and Double Indemnity; but The Postman Always Rings Twice is the best example of what his work.

Cain really does like stories about death and insurance...

I enjoyed reading this. I liked that it's quite a short story, but it did seem a bit rushed at times. A lot of stuff happened, so there were quite a few jumps from one place to another.

I found that the speech in this was much like that of an old movie. People say a lot without any regard for a response. I enjoyed it more when I read it with a 1950s voice in my head. :)