The 3 best books by James M. Cain

Some have fame and the others cartd the wool. Surely resorting to the Spanish proverb to talk about American literature, and more specifically still black genre, sounds a bit strange. But is that the case of James M Cain exemplifies all that of fame and recognition in the face of work and dedication.

I don't want to say that Chandler o Hammett They will not deserve the recognition that history gives them as great initiators of a genre that is already massive in literature today. But leaving James M. Cain third-party in genre noir genius is probably not entirely fair.

In fact, among the three, James M. Cain was the most prolific of all, with more than twenty novels published. And, why not say it, sometimes it seems as if the great work of his authorship, "The Postman Always Rings Twice" had been written alone or belonged to that famous "anonymous" who wrote, among others, "El Lazarillo de "Tormes."

Perhaps the recognition of this author's masterpiece ended up overshadowing the writer himself. The truth is that the correctness and suggestiveness of the title, its narrative proposal that was certainly transgressive for its day due to the explicitness of the sexual or violent scenes, and its subsequent filming, have ended up ignoring the genius capable of writing concisely, but efficient, with that adjustment of language capable of awakening the imagination in its best synthesis and at the same time capable of moving the plot in an agile way, to an open tomb.

So, in a small gesture on my part of recognition, here I go with my selection.

Top 3 Recommended Novels by James M. Cain

the postman Always calls two times

The crime novel has a part of intention to delve into the capital sins, in those great moral evils that go from beliefs to the social and ethical order.

And James M. Cain created in this novel an open display of that perversion of the soul that adorns the genre. But the worst and best of all is that it makes it close, possible. When a passion drives us as Frank Chambers and Cora Papadakis do, given over to physical love above their status, reason can relegate to second place.

It is then when lovers begin to look for their new space in which there are plenty of people who weigh them down to the past. The perfect murder appears in his imagination like a domestic plan. Little by little the end of the problems for lovers is emerging.

Almost all the elements are controlled to cover each other. Except for the postman ... Who counted on that postman determined to make a delivery?

The waitress

The last novel, published posthumously, which, for having been composed in his last days, still maintains the author's unmatched dynamic rhythm. And the leitmotif of sex continues to be a foundation on which a black plot is built.

A young widow, Joan Medford, dedicates herself to serving drinks so that she can continue to support her son. Around her a love triangle is established that is guessed fatal.

We are torn between the idea that the young man finally considers eliminating his opponent, a potentate older man who seems to be able to take the girl thanks to his invitation to economic security.

But the matter is not that simple nor do we really know the capacity of each of the characters involved. Thus, we are savoring one of those stories that lead to destruction and in which finally whoever has their clearest interests and is capable of swimming and putting away clothes, will be able to end up carving out the best of destiny in the struggle between fatality, greed, desire and future…

Mildred Pierce

One of those characters who, as in this case, deserve the title of the entire work for the universe they represent, for the balance between frustration, greed, despair and the intention to overcome everything when they paint coarse.

Because Mildred Pierce is unhappy in the harsh years of the Great Depression. While she is bent on escaping the shadow of misery that hangs over the American middle class, her daughter Veda insists on turning her youth over to unconsciousness, exploiting her mother and fooling everyone.

A familiar tension that is not far off at all and yet, in this case, it takes the paths of exceptionality, from the moment when disenchantment leads to the brink of despair.

In tough times life can be a crime novel without intending it. And the decisions of a woman with the world on her shoulders show her every new day into the abyss.