The perfect murder? (Double Indemnity - James M. Cain)

Name: sunmeilan

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Product:	Double Indemnity - James M. Cain
Date:	10/05/06 (306 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Uncomplicated, but excellent story

Disadvantages: Not quite as good as The Postman Always Rings Twice

Introduction
I seem to be in a bit of a 'noir' phase at the moment. I recently read The Postman Always Rings Twice by the same author and have just started reading Raymond Chandler, both of whom have had films made of their books that have helped define the 'film noir' genre. I can see why Cain's work also belongs to this genre, but there are major differences between his work and Chandler's; primarily that Cain's books are not quite so depressing. There is a disadvantage to reading this book after The Postman - for me, that was one of the best novels I have read in a long time - and this was bound to not quite meet the same standards. Still, it was an excellent book and one that I can thoroughly recommend.

The author
James M Cain was born in Maryland in 1892 and served in the First World War. He then became journalist in the 1920s. His writing career began in the 1930s and 1940s, during which time he was also a screenwriter. Double Indemnity, written in 1936, and The Postman Always Rings Twice are two of his most famous books.

The plot
Walter Huff, an insurance investigator, falls under the spell of Phyllis Nirdlinger when trying to sell insurance to her husband and together they plan a way to kill Mr Nirdlinger once he has bought accident insurance. Huff's knowledge of the insurance system enables him to work out a way to kill Nirdlinger in such a way that there is no doubt that his death was accidental.

Once the crime has been carried out, Huff and Phyllis avoid contact with each other to avoid suspicion. Huff becomes involved with the Nirdlinger's daughter, Lola, with whom he falls in love. He slowly realises that Phyllis has the power to report his role in her husband's murder, particularly when Huff's colleagues begin to investigate the 'accident' and believe that it might have been murder. Can Huff get rid of Phyllis before it is too late?

The characters
Cain has a way of painting vivid characters with the minimum of words and fuss. Walter Huff is an unassuming man, certainly not someone that would normally commit murder, but he is intrigued by Phyllis Nirdlinger and her money and falls into the plan without really thinking it through. Thinking about it afterwards, this doesn't seem very believable, but somehow Cain manages to write in such a way that it seems very realistic. Huff's realisation that he has taken a huge risk for a woman that is not trustworthy and that he needs to fight for his survival is well-drawn out and described, and I found myself feeling really sorry for him and hoping that he escapes justice.

Phyllis Nirdlinger is less well portrayed - in fact, very little is given away about her and her reasons for wanting her husband to die. This, however, is not really a criticism of Cain's descriptive skills - her shadowy character adds to the mystery - I was really unsure of how the book was going to end, which kept me reading.

Conclusion
Reading this just after Raymond Chandler's The Long Goodbye, which is an excellent book, but so very complicated, it was refreshing to read a book that was simply written and was short and to the point. As with The Postman Always Rings Twice, we know exactly what happens and how the crime is committed from the beginning - the interest comes in finding out how, if at all, the couple are found out. It takes great skill to write a novel this way and Cain manages to pull it off spectacularly. Although it is classed in the same genre as Chandler's work, Cain's books are not anywhere near as depressing. It can hardly be classed as a fun read, but I finished it feeling satisfied that I had read a good book, with an excellent plot and strong ending. There is much less of Chandler's cynicism, which I found so depressing. It is not quite as excellent as The Postman Always Rings Twice, but that would be virtually impossible to achieve, and as such, I am giving this book five stars. Highly recommended.

The book is available from Amazon for £5.59. Published by Orion, it has just 144 pages. ISBN: 0752864270

Summary: Excellent 'noir' literature