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The Postman Always Rings Twice Audiobook
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(3.00) - 9,639 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
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.
Performed by Stanley Tucci
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"What a good story. I thought it would be a murder mystery, but it was more like Crime and Punishment. The culprits had their just desert in the end. I didn't see the plot twist in the end."
— A. (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A good, swift, violent story.”
— Dashiell Hammett -
“A poet of the tabloid murder.”
— Edmund Wilson -
“Every so often a writer turns up who forces us to revalue our notions of the realistic manner, for, no less than reality itself, it is relative and inconstant, depending on the period, the fashion, the point of view…[Cain’s] story is a third as long as most novels, and its success is due entirely to one quality: Cain can get down to the primary impulses of greed and sex in fewer words than any writer we know of. He has exorcised all the inhibitions.”
— New York Times -
“Moody, sexy, dark, and criminal, this noir classic takes on new life as Stanley Tucci embodies drifter Frank Chambers and the rest of the sordid cast of Cain’s famed novel…Preserve a place on your bookshelf for this audiobook—you’ll want to listen to it more than once.”
— AudioFile
Awards
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Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
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Named one of the Modern Library‘s 100 Best English-Language Novels of the Twentieth Century
The Postman Always Rings Twice Listener Reviews
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" Excellent. Suspenseful. A psychological masterpiece. And a very quick read. "
— james, 2/9/2014 -
" I've got loads of classic books on my Kobo, so I find myself reading somewhat random things, including this title. "
— Lisa, 1/23/2014 -
" Short, easy and a little crazy. "
— Christine, 1/15/2014 -
" A book that leaves a rather unpleasant taste. No one to like. Well done, but not for everyone. "
— Debbie, 1/14/2014 -
" A noir book, well written, blunt, with tragic characters, and a fitting ending. It's short but, there's a lot to it. Quite a book for it's day! "
— Anders, 1/2/2014 -
" Old school good. "
— Linda, 12/21/2013 -
" A sleazy murder noir that masks its nihilistic heart with the slick, well crafted James M Cain prose. A really solid look into dark criminal matters. "
— Wilson, 11/24/2013 -
" deeply, deeply similar to double indemnity but more explicit. "
— Emily, 6/19/2013 -
" reads like a screen play/ play, interesting twists and turns, great use of irony "
— Kim, 5/24/2013 -
" good but different "
— Wendi, 3/25/2013 -
" Not as good as Mildred Pierce. "
— Jennifer, 1/19/2013 -
" Classic that I'm glad I finally read. Still looking for the postman ... "
— Melissa, 3/7/2012 -
" Frank, a drifter, stops at a local diner for a meal, ends up working for Nick, "the Greek". Wife Cora gets Frank to help her kill Nick. A psychological thriller. "
— Sandra, 2/1/2012 -
" I envy Cain's economy of style. The characters of this short shocker of a book are morally vacuous and yet deeply fascinating. "
— David, 8/7/2011 -
" Like getting kicked in the gut. In a good way. "
— Joe, 6/6/2011 -
" This novel reads like a play. It didn't quite seem real and the dialogue was a little hard to follow at times. I recognize this was probably intentional, meant to give the narrator a distinctive voice. Still not my cup of tea. "
— Meredith, 5/23/2011 -
" I've got loads of classic books on my Kobo, so I find myself reading somewhat random things, including this title. "
— Lisa, 5/12/2011 -
" A brilliant little book (96 pages or so) that packs a powerful punch. Love, sex, murder all you would want in noir. Cain's a master and this book shows it. Well worth the read. "
— Barry, 5/10/2011 -
" This book was ok. It was short & simple. Found it at the library and thought I try something a little bit different. "
— Patrica, 4/11/2011 -
" 3rd Readathon book!<br/><br/>It's okay, and definitely a quick read. But I felt that it could have been better, there just wasn't enough character depth. "
— Kate, 3/4/2011
About James M. Cain
James Mallahan Cain (1892–1977) worked as a reporter during World War I and was managing editor at the New Yorker before going to Hollywood to become a screenwriter. His novels, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Mildred Pierce, and Double Indemnity, became film noir classics. In 1974, he was awarded the Grand Master Award by the Mystery Writers of America.
About Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci is an actor, writer, director, and producer. He has directed five films and appeared in over seventy films, countless television shows, and a dozen plays on and off Broadway. He has been nominated for an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and a spoken word Grammy; is a winner of two Golden Globes and two Emmys; and has received numerous other critical and professional awards and accolades. He is also author of two cookbooks, The Tucci Table and The Tucci Cookbook.