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cami19's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
b0hemian_graham's review against another edition
5.0
Worst. Daughter. Ever.
I loved the novel, as I haven't hated a literary character this much since Dolores Umbridge, and not only that, I love hating Veda Pierce. James M. Cain is quickly becoming a favourite author of mine, as his prose and characters are highly fascinating and memorable.
I loved the novel, as I haven't hated a literary character this much since Dolores Umbridge, and not only that, I love hating Veda Pierce. James M. Cain is quickly becoming a favourite author of mine, as his prose and characters are highly fascinating and memorable.
willbefunorelse's review against another edition
4.0
The relationship between Mildred and Veda is the most toxic I've ever read -- in terms of their manipulation of their parental figures, I think Veda would give Dolores Haze a run for her money.
Found in the used book shelves of the Harvard bookstore, Alaina purchased "Mildred Pierce" by James M. Cain and quickly read it, giving it 4 stars. For the full review -- including a slight spoiler alert regarding the differences between the book and the movie -- follow the link to That's What She Read.
Found in the used book shelves of the Harvard bookstore, Alaina purchased "Mildred Pierce" by James M. Cain and quickly read it, giving it 4 stars. For the full review -- including a slight spoiler alert regarding the differences between the book and the movie -- follow the link to That's What She Read.
badseedgirl's review against another edition
4.0
Veda is a horrible person in this book, but here is what I would say to Mildred if she was in front of me. "If you lay on the floor in front of someone like a rug, don't be surprised if they wipe their feet all over you."
ir_sharp2's review against another edition
4.0
I finished it before book club!!! I thought this one was going to be stodgy and boring, but I was pleasantly surprised. You were thrown into the meat of the story immediately, and it just kept you along for the ride. I was irritated with Mildred for being so gaga over the bratty Veda, but she was still a very real, very in-depth character. I really liked the story. If I could change one thing, I'd make the elapsed time breaks less choppy. This wasn't a major issue, though. Good choice!
pbraue13's review against another edition
4.0
What a revolutionary thing for this king of noir fiction to write a noir about a working mom who builds a wonderful career for herself, against an awful daughter who made me want to strangle her as much as her mother did ( )!
Spoiler
and does in the end when she finds her with her boyfriend Monty - woof!labunnywtf's review against another edition
3.0
Watched the Joan Crawford version, then a few years ago, the miniseries with Kate Winslet. A part of me knew there was a book, but didn't really pay attention, so color me shocked when I was going through my bookshelves last month and realized I owned it.
I have no idea where I got it from, and it looks to have been printed in 1946. The spine is cracked, and the dust jacket is gone, but it's in really good shape.
Hopefully I enjoy it.
----
Children make you do crazy things. Especially teenagers. Crazy things like fling them through closed windows. Though I have yet to do so, the day will come. Oh, how the day will come. But also, you love them so much, and you want the best for them. You're willing to overlook faults and make sacrifices to ensure their well being, and their happiness. They're your children, and you love them more than anything.
So, a part of me REALLY understands why Mildred puts up with what she does. I get it. She's your kid. She's the goddamn cunt of Satan himself, but she's yours.
All of that being said, I hated her a lot through this book. I didn't hate her when watching the original movie, or the miniseries. And starting out the book, I was really into how strong she was. She kicks out her philandering lay about husband, yet maintains a decent relationship with him for her children (CHILDREN, MILDRED. TWO OF 'EM), and even manages to double cross him to get her much needed car.
Fuck yeah, Mildred Pierce!!
I also texted the best friend, who is a professional cake decorator, the description of the gorgeous cake she makes at the beginning of the book, and asked her to tell me how much the cost would be for it, keeping in mind the book was set in the 30's.
"Uh, back then? $40?"
She about fell over when I told her three dollars. And that of that three dollars, only a small portion was going to buy good lamb chops for dinner. That's 99% of the fun of reading these books is seeing the prices of things then.
I was irked by her Veda-esque high falutin' ways when it came to getting a job. I was proud of her for turning down the awful servant job, but when it came to her holier than thou routine regarding being a waitress, I was just annoyed. I get it, because the idea of losing my job and going to work for McDonald's makes my lunch want to revisit me, but I'm not actually supporting the teenager I want to put through a closed window.
You got two kids, Mildred. (THAT'S TWO, MILDRED. TWO KIDS. COUNT 'EM.) Put on the uniform and suck it the fuck up.
But she does it, and she gets good. And I adored everything involving opening up her restaurant. I was even thrilled reading the descriptions of her opening her chains, after we'd well and good gotten into the parts where I started to despise her.
Here's the problem. She's a strong woman. She's a strong woman who opens her own restaurant, and leaves early to run off with a man she barely knows. She's spontaneous and having fun because life is about to start.
And then she turns into the biggest damn wet blanket needy clingy doormat of a woman. Every time she bit her tongue when Monty mocked her, openly and loudly, I'm like, "What? What? What? Where is the woman who kicked her husband out of the house when she barely had two dimes to rub together?!"
THEN, for fuck's sake, she starts giving him money! Constantly! On top of that, she's mad at him for the money she is giving to him! What the FUCK, if you don't want to give him money, DON'T GIVE HIM MONEY. HIS DICK CAN'T BE THAT GOOD.
Your legs are so fantastic, GO GET ANOTHER ONE.
Ugh, I don't even want to talk about it anymore.
What is there to say about Veda? The worst child ever to be written about in literature? I would've liked the last chapter to be, "And then she fell down a well and broke her neck."
But then I'd have had to read about how heartbroken Mildred was, and how she tried to fix it with glue, or something.
Seriously, the adoration showered on that righteous bitch was too much for me. Every time Mildred swooned over her, I had to close the book and walk away for a minute.
It may sound like I hated this book, I really didn't. But I did. I'm torn. It helped that I finished the last half while sitting on the water at the beach. It was very soothing.
I have no idea where I got it from, and it looks to have been printed in 1946. The spine is cracked, and the dust jacket is gone, but it's in really good shape.
Hopefully I enjoy it.
----
Children make you do crazy things. Especially teenagers. Crazy things like fling them through closed windows. Though I have yet to do so, the day will come. Oh, how the day will come. But also, you love them so much, and you want the best for them. You're willing to overlook faults and make sacrifices to ensure their well being, and their happiness. They're your children, and you love them more than anything.
So, a part of me REALLY understands why Mildred puts up with what she does. I get it. She's your kid. She's the goddamn cunt of Satan himself, but she's yours.
All of that being said, I hated her a lot through this book. I didn't hate her when watching the original movie, or the miniseries. And starting out the book, I was really into how strong she was. She kicks out her philandering lay about husband, yet maintains a decent relationship with him for her children (CHILDREN, MILDRED. TWO OF 'EM), and even manages to double cross him to get her much needed car.
Fuck yeah, Mildred Pierce!!
I also texted the best friend, who is a professional cake decorator, the description of the gorgeous cake she makes at the beginning of the book, and asked her to tell me how much the cost would be for it, keeping in mind the book was set in the 30's.
"Uh, back then? $40?"
She about fell over when I told her three dollars. And that of that three dollars, only a small portion was going to buy good lamb chops for dinner. That's 99% of the fun of reading these books is seeing the prices of things then.
I was irked by her Veda-esque high falutin' ways when it came to getting a job. I was proud of her for turning down the awful servant job, but when it came to her holier than thou routine regarding being a waitress, I was just annoyed. I get it, because the idea of losing my job and going to work for McDonald's makes my lunch want to revisit me, but I'm not actually supporting the teenager I want to put through a closed window.
You got two kids, Mildred. (THAT'S TWO, MILDRED. TWO KIDS. COUNT 'EM.) Put on the uniform and suck it the fuck up.
But she does it, and she gets good. And I adored everything involving opening up her restaurant. I was even thrilled reading the descriptions of her opening her chains, after we'd well and good gotten into the parts where I started to despise her.
Here's the problem. She's a strong woman. She's a strong woman who opens her own restaurant, and leaves early to run off with a man she barely knows. She's spontaneous and having fun because life is about to start.
And then she turns into the biggest damn wet blanket needy clingy doormat of a woman. Every time she bit her tongue when Monty mocked her, openly and loudly, I'm like, "What? What? What? Where is the woman who kicked her husband out of the house when she barely had two dimes to rub together?!"
THEN, for fuck's sake, she starts giving him money! Constantly! On top of that, she's mad at him for the money she is giving to him! What the FUCK, if you don't want to give him money, DON'T GIVE HIM MONEY. HIS DICK CAN'T BE THAT GOOD.
Your legs are so fantastic, GO GET ANOTHER ONE.
Ugh, I don't even want to talk about it anymore.
What is there to say about Veda? The worst child ever to be written about in literature? I would've liked the last chapter to be, "And then she fell down a well and broke her neck."
But then I'd have had to read about how heartbroken Mildred was, and how she tried to fix it with glue, or something.
Seriously, the adoration showered on that righteous bitch was too much for me. Every time Mildred swooned over her, I had to close the book and walk away for a minute.
It may sound like I hated this book, I really didn't. But I did. I'm torn. It helped that I finished the last half while sitting on the water at the beach. It was very soothing.
abbeyhar103's review against another edition
5.0
Very different than I thought it would be, but still very Cain. Ive read both "the postman always rings twice" and "double indemnity" and this had the same no hold barred exploration into the seediness of human behavior, but without a murder. It was hard to put down as I rooted for Mildred pierce's success as a single woman during the depression, but was also very aware of the inevitable fall.