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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

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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: 3.86 · 103,029 ratings · 9,441 reviews · 163 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Postman Always Rings Twice 3.75 avg rating — 51,260 ratings — published 1934 — 255 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 4.05 avg rating — 29,615 ratings — published 1936 — 152 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 — 11,175 ratings — published 1941 — 19 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 3.55 avg rating — 3,029 ratings — published 2012 — 31 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) 4.18 avg rating — 1,346 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 3.54 avg rating — 940 ratings — published 1937 — 26 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 3.34 avg rating — 554 ratings — published 1947 — 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
	The Baby in the Icebox and Other Short Fiction 3.71 avg rating — 283 ratings — published 1932 — 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
	Three by Cain: Serenade/Love's Lovely Counterfeit/The Butterfly 3.93 avg rating — 244 ratings — published 1989 — 7 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 3.35 avg rating — 242 ratings — published 1942 — 52 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

1463 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

126 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

76 likes

See all James M. Cain's quotes »

Polls

January 2016 Short Story Read

1943, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 98 pages

27 votes, 20.0%

1945, Animal Farm by George Orwell, 102 pages

22 votes, 16.3%

1952, Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, 109 pages

19 votes, 14.1%

1886, The Death of Ivan Ilych by Leo Tolstoy, 86 pages

17 votes, 12.6%

1945, The Pearl by John Steinbeck, 87 pages

12 votes, 8.9%

1924, The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb: A Short Story by Agatha Christie, 32 pages

10 votes, 7.4%

1884, Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott, 96 pages

9 votes, 6.7%

1936, Double Indemnity by James M. Cain, 115 pages

7 votes, 5.2%

1865, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Nikolai Leskov, 88 pages

3 votes, 2.2%

1836, The Minister's Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 37 pages

3 votes, 2.2%

1924, The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell, 48 pages

2 votes, 1.5%

1903, To Build A Fire by Jack London, 32 pages

2 votes, 1.5%

1886, Kholstomer by Leo Tolstoy, 56 pages

2 votes, 1.5%

1914, Painful Case by James Joyce

0 votes, 0.0%

135 total votes

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James M. Cain’s Followers (907)

James M. Cain

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James M. Cain’s books