The Postman Always Rings Twice

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.

Cain had previously published a collection of satirical essays under the title Our Government in 1930. The Postman Always Rings Twice, his first novel, was instantly a best-seller, and launched his literary career, though he continued to work as a journalist for many years. The book was originally published in 1934 by Alfred A. Knopf. First editions of this work are highly sought after, and commonly command prices over $2,000 USD. The popularity of the film adaptions of the book have much to do with the continuing collectability of the novel. Common flaws to the first edition include minor damage to the spine and boards, foxing of the page edges, and page tanning. 

The UK edition published Jonathan Cape Ltd is also sought ofter by collectors, as are original copies of the screenplay for the classic 1946 film noir adaptation starring Lana Turner and John Garfield.