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The Postman Always Rings Twice
by Cain, James M
- Used
- very good
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Very Good/Very Good
- Seller
-
Beverly Hills, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Knopf, 1934. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1934. First edition of Cains most significant title. Octavo (7 3/8 x 5 inches; 188 x 127 mm). [viii], 187, [1], [1, blank], [1, colophon] pp. Publishers orange cloth with blue-stamped spine outlining the lettering and blue lettering and designs on the front, top edge stained blue. Covers soiled. First edition stated on the copyright page. In dust jacket with the $2.00 price. Overall a good to very good minus copy in an unrestored dust jacket. Previous owner's bookplate attached to front free end paper. See photos. "Cain was one of the masters of American hard-boiled fiction. His first novel, The Postman Always Rings Twice, is a story of a young hobo who has an affair with the wife of a roadside stand owner and plots with her to murder her husband and collect his insurance. In taut, sparse prose, Cain depicts a bleak, amoral society of desperate characters driven by their need for love, however twisted, as well as money." (Benét's Reader's Encyclopedia, 160). Bookplate of Hume Cronyn on the front free endpaper. Cronyn played the role of the lawyer in the first movie version of the book. Glare in photos is from plastic brodart cover. Comes in a custom-made collector's slipcase.
Synopsis
The Postman Always Rings Twice , the first novel written by James M. Cain, was published in 1934 by Alfred A. Knopf. This book tells a dramatic story of murder and passion. Frank and Cora become lovers and conspire to murder Cora's husband, take over his diner, and live happily ever after. Things go wrong, and the novel is narrated by Frank from his prison cell on death row. The writing style epitomizes and in many ways pioneered hard-boiled crime drama, despite the author's distaste for the term. This book caused a sensation upon publication due to both the violence and sexual content.
Read More: Identifying first editions of The Postman Always Rings Twice
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Details
- Bookseller
- Bookbid Rare Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 106930
- Title
- The Postman Always Rings Twice
- Author
- Cain, James M
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Jacket Condition
- Very Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- 1st Edition
- Publisher
- Knopf
- Date Published
- 1934
Terms of Sale
Bookbid Rare Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Bookbid Rare Books
Biblio member since 2009
Beverly Hills, California
About Bookbid Rare Books
Bookbid Rare Books is a rare book dealer located in Beverly Hills, California. The family run company has sold modern literary first editions and children's books for over 20 years. Member of ABAA, ILAB.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Soiled
- Generally refers to minor discoloration or staining.
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- Octavo
- Another of the terms referring to page or book size, octavo refers to a standard printer's sheet folded four times, producing...
- Copyright page
- The page in a book that describes the lineage of that book, typically including the book's author, publisher, date of...
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Brodart
- Generally used to refer to a clear plastic cover that is sometimes added to the dustjacket or outside covering of a book. The...
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