James M Cain : 4 Complete Novels

Condition : Good.

Avenel Books, 1982, Hardback with removable protective plastic wrap - Crime Fiction - 649pp. ISBN 051736249X.

"'No one has ever stopped in the middle of one of Jim Cain's books,' said the Saturday Review of Literature. 

From the fast-breathing opening of The Postman Always Rings Twice, pregnant with the passion and violence to come, you will want to keep going. 

Here are four stories by the acknowledged master of the hard-boiled yet tender novel. A.C. Spectorsky described James M. Cain's style as 'grit, gore, and gutsy lustiness,' but his work is more than that: he was ahead of his time in writing honestly and perceptively about relations between the sexes, and amidst the fast-paced action there are moments of poetry. All these novels have been made into successful movies, and it is easy to see why: there is cinematic vividness and energy in his writing. 

But reading the novels can be even more satisfying than seeing the films. Cain draws you into his world, his characters compel your attention, and their lives become yours. 

The Postman Always Rings Twice was an immediate sensation on publication. It is the story of a young drifter and the American wife of a Greek restaurant owner. Their instantaneous and explosive passion leads them to plot to murder her husband. Originally banned in Canada and Boston, it has since become an American classic. 

Mildred Pierce is the story of a divorcée, the men with whom she is involved, and her daughter, who becomes monstrous. Although the physical violence is minimal here, the emotional violence is staggering. 

In Double Indemnity, an insurance salesman uses his expertise to plan the perfect murder. Here, Cain captures the drama of a middle-class man driven to crime. 

Serenade is the story of a voluptuous Mexican-Indian sex-worker, a famous opera singer, and a younger conductor. In this chilling tale, Cain demonstrates his considerable knowledge and feeling for the musical world. 

Portraying vital characters in unique situations, James M. Cain's hard-hitting but economical prose will carry you in its grip to the end of this volume. You will come away thrilled and enriched

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