Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: Hammet and Cain

From: Stephen Burridge ( stephen.burridge@gmail.com)
Date: 01 Oct 2007


I've been wondering about this. I just read "The Postman Always Rings Twice" for the first time last week. It was readable enough but I was most struck by its apparent originality. It seemed like a more direct ancestor to the kind of "noir" fiction often discussed on this list than the detective stories of Hammett and Chandler. However, I don't know the work of Cain's contemporaries particularly well, so I was wondering if it was as original as it seemed.

Stephen

On 10/1/07, Richard Moore < moorich@aol.com> wrote:
>
> --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com <rara-avis-l%40yahoogroups.com>,
> "Channing" <filmtroll@...> wrote:
>
> >
> > Comparing Cain to Hammett is like comparing noir to
> > hard-boiled. They're the grandfathers of the modern
> > crime novel and their names have become examples of
> > greatness in their respective oeuvre.
> >
> > --Chan
> >
>
> I agree with this statement. At his best, Cain is one of my
> favorite writers. THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE is an original
> that has not been surpassed--not even by Cain, although with DOUBLE
> INDEMNITY was a worthy attempt. I'm still looking for my copy of
> MIGNON and THE INSTITUTE and the one about the boxing trainer who
> helps the femme fatale lose about 75 pounds before they trip down
> that POSTMAN trail. They are around here somewhere but the Cain box
> has gone missing again.
>
> By the way, somewhere I read that Cain's working title for THE
> POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE was BAR-B-QUE.
>
> Richard Moore
>
>
>

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