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James M. Cain

James M. Cain’s Followers (876)

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James M. Cain


Born
in Annapolis, Maryland, The United States
July 01, 1892

Died
October 27, 1977

Genre
Mystery & Thrillers, Literature & Fiction


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

Average rating: 3.86 · 97,936 ratings · 8,825 reviews · 143 distinct works • Similar authors
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Mildred Pierce
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The Cocktail Waitress
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The Postman Always Rings Tw...
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3.55 avg rating — 903 ratings — published 1937 — 78 editions
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3.72 avg rating — 274 ratings — published 1932
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Three by Cain: Serenade/Lov...
3.94 avg rating — 239 ratings — published 1989 — 5 editions
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3.36 avg rating — 235 ratings — published 1942 — 49 editions
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More books by James M. Cain…
Quotes by James M. Cain  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“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
1470 likes
Like

“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
124 likes
Like

“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
Like

Polls

December 2013/January 2014 Group Read

 
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278 total votes
More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

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Glens Falls (NY) ...: Were you an avid reader as a child? 61 43 Apr 01, 2010 09:08PM  
The Book Challenge: Inna's 200 in 2010 67 768 Apr 09, 2010 05:52AM  
The Seasonal Read...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Fall Challenge 2010 Completed Tasks (do NOT delete any posts in this thread) 2785 1208 Nov 30, 2010 09:03PM  
Reading with Style: This topic has been closed to new comments. FA10 RwS Completed Tasks 923 431 Dec 01, 2010 06:41AM  
The Next Best Boo...: Stacey - Frequent Flyer 15 56 Dec 14, 2010 07:06AM  
Cover to Cover Ch...: Ellen's 200+ in 2011 2 50 Jan 02, 2011 01:24PM  
The Seasonal Read...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Winter Challenge 2010-2011 Completed Tasks (do not delete any posts) 2578 1107 Feb 28, 2011 09:05PM