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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
Why, oh why, don't I read these kinds of books more often?
James Cain is a master of the crime noir novel. Not a word is wasted as he suspensfully sets the scene -- smoky, dark bar; love triangle; a voluptuous young cocktail waitress who already has one dead husband and needs to find a way to get a lot of money -- quickly. The story is told in the first person from her point of view, which works so well -- as a reader can we trust her?
This was Cain's last book and he died before it was finished. Editors painstakingly went through his notes and drafts to come up with a final version. While many say it's not his finest work, this reader was pretty darn pleased.
James Cain is a master of the crime noir novel. Not a word is wasted as he suspensfully sets the scene -- smoky, dark bar; love triangle; a voluptuous young cocktail waitress who already has one dead husband and needs to find a way to get a lot of money -- quickly. The story is told in the first person from her point of view, which works so well -- as a reader can we trust her?
This was Cain's last book and he died before it was finished. Editors painstakingly went through his notes and drafts to come up with a final version. While many say it's not his finest work, this reader was pretty darn pleased.
I know we're all supposed to hate Ethel here, but come on, at least someone is watching Tad. I ended this book still unclear on why Joan had to marry the old guy instead of the young guy - if you basically just need a husband so you can stop cocktailing & get your kid back from your horrid sister-in-law, who cares if he has tons & tons of money as opposed to some money? We'd all like our kids to frolic on giant lawns & have maids & cooks & all that, but really, wouldn't we rather give up that big house so we can marry men who don't repulse us? Although this book is shockingly dated to the point where Joan takes Thalidomide as a tranquilizer (and during her second pregnancy, gasp!), it also illustrates that when you're waiting tables some things never change: $19.15 is still a good tip.
If you've mourned the loss of truly good pulp fiction, I've got good news for you: James M. Cain's previously lost final novel, The Cocktail Waitress, doesn't shortchange in atmosphere, story, or a sensual femme fatale. Joan Medford opens her novel - and indeed it is her story - with the recollection of her first husband's funeral. Abusive and alcoholic, Ron Medford pounded on his small son one last time before leaving and crashing his car into a culvert. A rookie cop has it in his head that Joan helped him on his way. Broke, scared, and desperate to tear her son from the clutches of her derisive sister-in-law, Joan takes a job as a cocktail waitress and meets two men - one, a broke idealist who tempts her; the other, wealthy but older, who is tempted by her. But is Joan looking for a better life for her son, or is she just spinning her web yet again? For those fans of Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice, Cain's final novel is an unexpected delight.
A few years ago, I found a list somewhere (in pre-blogging days, alas, so I can't share) with the top 100 noir films and novels. I joined Netflix and spent almost every afternoon immersing myself in noir. Two of my favorites were, of course, Mildred Pierce and The Postman Always Rings Twice - Cain's most famous novels. Yes, there are modern noir novels; in fact, my ESL students read a couple of contemporary noir novels, but it's just not the same.
The Cocktail Waitress is the real deal (though it is more pulp than noir), and with Joan as our vulnerable but ever-so-slightly unreliable narrator, the story is off and running. Money, lust, dead bodies, and smoke-filled bars are aplenty, and even as I turned the last page, I wondered about this woman and just how far she'd go to protect her son - and maybe more importantly - herself. That's the beauty of Cain's craft.
A few years ago, I found a list somewhere (in pre-blogging days, alas, so I can't share) with the top 100 noir films and novels. I joined Netflix and spent almost every afternoon immersing myself in noir. Two of my favorites were, of course, Mildred Pierce and The Postman Always Rings Twice - Cain's most famous novels. Yes, there are modern noir novels; in fact, my ESL students read a couple of contemporary noir novels, but it's just not the same.
The Cocktail Waitress is the real deal (though it is more pulp than noir), and with Joan as our vulnerable but ever-so-slightly unreliable narrator, the story is off and running. Money, lust, dead bodies, and smoke-filled bars are aplenty, and even as I turned the last page, I wondered about this woman and just how far she'd go to protect her son - and maybe more importantly - herself. That's the beauty of Cain's craft.
Joan Medford is a young beautiful woman in an unhealthy marriage, but when her husband dies in a suspicious car accident, does that mean her life will improve? No, she now has to take a job as a cocktail waitress to make ends meet and somehow make enough money to finally be able to take her son back from her mother in law. On the job, two men take a special interest in her, one really gets Joan’s blood racing and the other is a very wealthy older man who tips very generously if she gives him her attention.
It’s no secret that I’m a huge James M. Cain fan; The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity are two classic noir novels that I highly recommend but there is another side to this author. Cain wrote a very emotionally charged noir novel called Mildred Pierce which makes up the top three essential Cain novels. The Cocktail Waitress really reminds me of Mildred Pierce, you have all the noir elements plus the female protagonist not to mention the emotionally charged plot. This is a previously unfinished novel by Cain but don’t let that worry you, he did finish the novel but he had not finished the revisions before he died, but it took over thirty years for this book to finally come out. The editor, Charles Ardai used Cain’s notes to finish the revisions of this book and it still reads and feels very much what you expect from a book by this Noir master. He was even quoted in saying; “Together with Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain is universally considered one of the three greatest writers of noir crime fiction who ever lived, and for fans of the genre, The Cocktail Waitress is the Holy Grail. It’s like finding a lost manuscript by Hemingway or a lost score by Gershwin – that’s how big a deal this is.”
Joan is everything you want from the protagonist; strong, witty and beautiful. She knows what she want (her son back) and she is determined to make her life better on her own. But the drama of working in a cocktail lounge might be a little too much for her. Her mother in law is now convinced that cocktail waitress is just code from something more. Joan’s on a mission and won’t let anyone or anything stand in her way; which makes her a great femme fatale.
The Cocktail Waitress is a fast paced, hard hitting novel with complexity; a well-crafted book that was just a joy to read. I loved the sinister elements that transported this from just an emotional journey to a classic James M. Cain style noir novel. I’m so glad that Charles Ardai took the time and effort in finishing this book so we can all enjoy it. If you liked Mildred Piece then you are going to love reading The Cocktail Waitress.
The review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2012/10/28/book-review-the-cocktail-waitress/
It’s no secret that I’m a huge James M. Cain fan; The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity are two classic noir novels that I highly recommend but there is another side to this author. Cain wrote a very emotionally charged noir novel called Mildred Pierce which makes up the top three essential Cain novels. The Cocktail Waitress really reminds me of Mildred Pierce, you have all the noir elements plus the female protagonist not to mention the emotionally charged plot. This is a previously unfinished novel by Cain but don’t let that worry you, he did finish the novel but he had not finished the revisions before he died, but it took over thirty years for this book to finally come out. The editor, Charles Ardai used Cain’s notes to finish the revisions of this book and it still reads and feels very much what you expect from a book by this Noir master. He was even quoted in saying; “Together with Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain is universally considered one of the three greatest writers of noir crime fiction who ever lived, and for fans of the genre, The Cocktail Waitress is the Holy Grail. It’s like finding a lost manuscript by Hemingway or a lost score by Gershwin – that’s how big a deal this is.”
Joan is everything you want from the protagonist; strong, witty and beautiful. She knows what she want (her son back) and she is determined to make her life better on her own. But the drama of working in a cocktail lounge might be a little too much for her. Her mother in law is now convinced that cocktail waitress is just code from something more. Joan’s on a mission and won’t let anyone or anything stand in her way; which makes her a great femme fatale.
The Cocktail Waitress is a fast paced, hard hitting novel with complexity; a well-crafted book that was just a joy to read. I loved the sinister elements that transported this from just an emotional journey to a classic James M. Cain style noir novel. I’m so glad that Charles Ardai took the time and effort in finishing this book so we can all enjoy it. If you liked Mildred Piece then you are going to love reading The Cocktail Waitress.
The review originally appeared on my blog; http://literary-exploration.com/2012/10/28/book-review-the-cocktail-waitress/