The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934) by James M.Cain & Film Adaptations

The Postman Always Rings Twice is a 1934 crime novel by American writer James M. Cain. It is one of the earliest examples of noir and a book that was both successful and notorious upon publication.
It is considered one of the most outstanding crime novels of the 20th century. (It is one of the two crime novels to be included in Modern Library's list of 100 best novels; the other one is The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett).

For crime novel critics, Caine was a champion of featuring the perpetrator of the crime, rather than law enforcement. In a way, most crime novels - other than procedurals and private detective stories - owe a nod to him. In Thomas Brown words, "this classic novel is full of flawed people, violence, lurid sex, bad choices and doomed people. Despite its age, The Postman... still holds up and is something that any fan of this edgier type of crime fiction should read."

The novel has been adapted for film seven times.

This online meetup group is set to discuss Cain's crime novel seperately and in relation to some of its successful film adaptations. These are:
1. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) , starring Lana Turner and John Garfield. Directed by Tay Garnett.
2. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. Directed by Bob Rafelson; Written by David Mamet.

Details:
- Read Cain's novel. (116 pages).
- Rent the films using one of the available streaming services and watch them in your own time.
- At 8.00pm EET time the online meeting will start to discuss book & adaptations.