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Description edit
Cain's first novel, banned in Boston, was an instant sensation and established him as a master of the mystery/suspense genre.
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Summary edit
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... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
Characters/People edit
- Frank Chambers: drifter who works at Nick's shop for a short time, impulsive, violent
- Nick Papdakis: Frank's boss and owner of filling station/diner, Cora's husband, naive
- Cora Papdakis: Nick's wife and cook for the diner, from Iowa, married for adventure
- Sackett: District Attorney
- Katz: lawyer, greedy, unethical
- Kennedy: works for Katz, blackmail
- Madge Allen: friend of Frank
Setting & Locations edit
- Twin Oaks Tavern: Nick & cora's business
- Los Angeles
- Glendale
- San Bernardino
- Santa Barbara
- Caliente
- Ensenada
First Sentence edit
They threw me off the hay truck at noon.
Table of Contents edit
Chapters 1-16
Series & Lists edit
This is book 98 of 93 in Modern Library's 100 Best Novels: The Board's List. (authoritative list)
Preceded by The Sheltering Sky, and followed by The Ginger Man.
This is book 635 of 1271 in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. (authoritative list)
Preceded by Novel with Cocaine, and followed by Tropic of Cancer.
This is book 30 of 98 in The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time (Crime Writers' Association, 1990). (authoritative list)
Preceded by A Dark-Adapted Eye, and followed by The Glass Key.
This is book 14 of 100 in Top 100 Mysteries of All Time (Mystery Writers of America, 1995). (authoritative list)
Preceded by The Long Goodbye, and followed by The Godfather.
This is book 194 of 214 in Best English-Language Fiction of the 20th Century. (authoritative list)
Preceded by The Sheltering Sky, and followed by Corelli's Mandolin.
This is book 201103 of 28 in The Bibliophile Club - Monthly Selected Reads. (community list)
Preceded by The Alchemist, and followed by Black Water.
This is book 3 of 11 in The Bibliophile Club - Selected Reads of 2011. (community list)
Preceded by The Alchemist, and followed by Black Water.
This book is in Guardian 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read. (authoritative list)
This book is in Bloomsbury Film Classics. (edition-based publisher list)
Authors & Contributors edit
- James M. Cain (Author)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Add the publisher.
Country: United States
Publication Date: 1934
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 188
Publisher: Add the publisher.
Country: United States
Publication Date: 1934
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 188
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
- Dewey: 813.52
Subjects edit
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