James M. Cain’s Followers (867)

James M. Cain

Born

in Annapolis, Maryland, The United States

July 01, 1892

Died

October 27, 1977

Genre

Mystery & Thrillers, Literature & Fiction

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James Mallahan Cain (July 1, 1892–October 27, 1977) was an American journalist and novelist. Although Cain himself vehemently opposed labeling, he is usually associated with the hard-boiled school of American crime fiction and seen as one of the creators of the "roman noir."

He was born into an Irish Catholic family in Annapolis, Maryland, the son of a prominent educator and an opera singer. He inherited his love for music from his mother, but his high hopes of starting a career as a singer himself were thwarted when she told him that his voice was not good enough.

After graduating from Washington College where his father, James W. Cain served as president, in 1910, he began working as a journalist for The Baltimore Sun.

He was drafted into th ...more

Combine Editions
James M. Cain’s books

Average rating: 3.87 · 96,375 ratings · 8,659 reviews · 175 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Postman Always Rings Twice 3.76 avg rating — 47,497 ratings — published 1934 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Double Indemnity 4.06 avg rating — 27,919 ratings — published 1936 — 146 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Mildred Pierce 3.93 avg rating — 10,609 ratings — published 1941 — 129 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Cocktail Waitress 3.56 avg rating — 2,797 ratings — published 2012 — 32 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Postman Always Rings Twice / Double Indemnity / Mildred Pierce / Selected Stories by James M. Cain, Robert Polito (Editor) 4.20 avg rating — 1,301 ratings — published 1934 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Serenade 3.55 avg rating — 891 ratings — published 1937 — 75 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Butterfly 3.35 avg rating — 525 ratings — published 1947 — 34 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Baby in the Icebox and Other Short Fiction 3.71 avg rating — 267 ratings — published 1961 — 21 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Three by Cain: Serenade/Love's Lovely Counterfeit/The Butterfly 3.94 avg rating — 239 ratings — published 1989 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Love's Lovely Counterfeit 3.36 avg rating — 228 ratings — published 1942 — 43 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Quotes by James M. Cain (?)

“If your writing doesn't keep you up at night, it won't keep anyone else up either”
― James M. Cain

tags: james-m-cain, writing-craft

1473 likes

“Love, when you get fear in it, it's not love any more. It's hate.”
― James M. Cain, The Postman Always Rings Twice

tags: fear, hate, love

123 likes

“You have to wait for your mind to catch up with whatever it is it’s working on; then you can write a novel.”
― James M. Cain

tags: advice, mind, novel, writting

75 likes

See all James M. Cain's quotes »

Polls

January 2019 Short Story Poll

The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain, 116 pages, 1934

98 votes, 33.6%

A Good Man Is Hard To Find by Flannery O'Connor, 24 pages, 1953

97 votes, 33.2%

Chess Story by Stefan Zweig, 104 pages, 1941

59 votes, 20.2%

Dusklands by J.M. Coetzee, 125 pages, 1974

21 votes, 7.2%

Watchers of the Sky by Alfred Noyes, 120 pages, 1922

17 votes, 5.8%

292 total votes

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James M. Cain’s Followers (867)

James M. Cain

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Combine Editions
James M. Cain’s books