The Postman Always Rings Twice

The Postman Always Rings Twice

American depression-era writers like Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and James M. Cain crafted a type of hard-boiled, violent melodrama that represented a new fusion of the traditional detective genre, European naturalism, and the “tough guy” thriller. Appearing in 1934, Cain’s The Postman Always Rings Twice, his first novel, was a classic dissection of the dark side of the American dream. The characters Frank and Cora craved not only sex and freedom but also respectability and property—even if they must commit murder in the process. Cain’s use of ironies, spare exposition, and swift dialogue rhythms was a model of taut, modern storytelling.

Writing on the eve of his execution, Frank Chambers reflects back on the chain of lust, murder, and betrayal that led him to the Death House. Frank is a 24-year-old vagrant who stopped at a roadside tavern and service station outside Los Angeles, stayed on to work for the owner, Nick Papadakis, had an affair with Nick’s voluptuous wife Cora, and then conspired with her to kill him. All of that in the first 23 pages! Their first murder attempt failed, and the lovers ran away together. But Cora was afraid of losing Nick’s money and the two lovers returned to make another attempt. Frank got Nick drunk while driving along the dangerous coastline of Santa Barbara, hit him on the head with a bottle, and drove the car off a cliff to finish the job. But Frank was injured in the process and soon fell under the suspicion of Sackett, the local D.A. Although neither Frank nor Cora (who is now pregnant) was convicted of murder, they suffered a different kind of punishment: Their relationship turned sour, fraught with bickering and recriminations. But after an apparent reconciliation during a beach outing on the Santa Monica coastline, Frank collides with a truck while driving home and Cora is killed. The police found a note she had written earlier in which she acknowledged their complicity in the murder of Nick. Frank was now suspected of having engineered the wreck to get Nick’s insurance money. Because he could not be tried twice for Nick’s death, he was convicted and now awaits execution for murdering Cora.