A review by latas
The Postman Always Rings Twice, by James M. Cain
5.0
A story about a messed up couple, and a messy murder. It is short and highly entertaining.
I was intrigued by the title and found this interesting information. McCain had named this debut novel as 'BAR - B-Q'.
His publisher, Alfred A. Knopf didn't like it. A lot of titles were thrown about, none of which the author liked.
“There is only one rule I know on a title,” Cain would later blare. “It must sound like the author and not like some sure-fire product of the title factory.”
Then during one of the brain storming sessions with his fellow playright Vincent Lawrence mentioned that when he was stuck at his house, nervously awaiting correspondence from producers, that he’d noticed that the postman, when he finally arrived, always rang…twice.
Cain hasd found his title, but the publisher rejected it. The author was adamant.
This debut author was telling him – the founder of one of New York’s most prestigious publishing houses – to scrap his title for something this bizarre? “I don’t think THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE anything like as good a title as FOR LOVE OR MONEY and I hope you will agree. For one thing, it’s awfully long.”
Finally the publisher relented and... The rest is history.
The title is a metaphor for the delayed justice served to the murderers in the end.
I was intrigued by the title and found this interesting information. McCain had named this debut novel as 'BAR - B-Q'.
His publisher, Alfred A. Knopf didn't like it. A lot of titles were thrown about, none of which the author liked.
“There is only one rule I know on a title,” Cain would later blare. “It must sound like the author and not like some sure-fire product of the title factory.”
Then during one of the brain storming sessions with his fellow playright Vincent Lawrence mentioned that when he was stuck at his house, nervously awaiting correspondence from producers, that he’d noticed that the postman, when he finally arrived, always rang…twice.
Cain hasd found his title, but the publisher rejected it. The author was adamant.
This debut author was telling him – the founder of one of New York’s most prestigious publishing houses – to scrap his title for something this bizarre? “I don’t think THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE anything like as good a title as FOR LOVE OR MONEY and I hope you will agree. For one thing, it’s awfully long.”
Finally the publisher relented and... The rest is history.
The title is a metaphor for the delayed justice served to the murderers in the end.