Rating: 
Summary: big crime, little book
Review: 'Double Indemnity' by James Cain is about a big time insurance fraud involving murder. The story takes place in 1920s Los Angeles with the criminals being an insurance agent and a beautiful, wealthy wife. Sounds trite? In a sense it is, but the actual crime is very clever. And James Cain milks the suspense wonderfully. Unfortunately the books is very short, with the author skipping out on the details (background) of the main characters and their motivation for the dirty deed. At times the book felt like a Reader's Digest version of a full novel.Yet 'Double Indemnity' is a fine read. Not on par with the author's best ('Mildred Pierce', 'The Postman Always Rings Twice') but still among the better in the genre.
Rating:
Summary: big crime, little book
Review: 'Double Indemnity' by James Cain is about a big time insurance fraud involving murder. The story takes place in 1920s Los Angeles with the criminals being an insurance agent and a beautiful, wealthy wife. Sounds trite? In a sense it is, but the actual crime is very clever. And James Cain milks the suspense wonderfully. Unfortunately the books is very short, with the author skipping out on the details (background) of the main characters and their motivation for the dirty deed. At times the book felt like a Reader's Digest version of a full novel. Yet 'Double Indemnity' is a fine read. Not on par with the author's best ('Mildred Pierce', 'The Postman Always Rings Twice') but still among the better in the genre.
Rating:
Summary: Not the best, but a quick, fun read
Review: Against better judgement, people fall in love for stupid reasons. Even worse, people try to work the system. . .tweak it for financial gain. The protagonist of this story does both. At the beginning, he lusts after Mrs. Nirdlinger and grows to regret it. yet, he is willing to meet his fate with her at the end, all after plotting with her to kill Mrs. Nirdlingers husband. There are good things about this book. For one, it depicts the insurance industry as corrupt -- they don't want to pay out on claims because they cost too much. There are bad things too. Mrs. Nirdlinger is only passingly shown as psychotic. James M. Cain could have spread out a few more subtle hints here and there. Plus, the main character seems too detached about everything with little emotion about his situation (his growing distaste for Mrs. Nirdlinger, however, is a notable exception.). Yet. No matter how old this work is, it still stands head and shoulders above a lot of genre fiction out there today.
Rating: 
Summary: love/murder/greed
Review: Cain did it again. Another lean crime masterpiece by the master of the hard boiled school. Moves along at a hard, solid clip.
This is L.A. Noir at its very best. Even better than the terrific Edward G. Robinson and Fred MacMurray film version.
Rating: 
Summary: mrs nirdlinger ...and mr huff her victim
Review: Double Imdemnity by James M.Cain
it is love at first sight Mrs nirdlinger is in love with Mr Huff.
Mrs Nirdlinger and Mr Huff the insurence agent plain to kill Mr Nirdlinger so they make up this big plain to kill him on a train but insted Mr Huff kills him in the car and they make it look like he fell off the train and commited suicide.
the part of the book that stood out to me was when we found out that Mrs Nirdlinger killed six people before Mr Nirdlinger.
when we first started reading the book i did not like it but then i got in to it and i liked it. the book made me want to read on. I would recomend this book to highschool kids and middle school kids.
Rating:
Summary: Historically Correct - Based on 1920's murder
Review: In many of the reviews for Double Indemnity, you will find it called a novel or a fiction piece. In reality, James Cain wrote Double Indemnity about the 1920's murder case of Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray, who together killed Snyder's wealthy husband. Billy Wilder made it into a film and a broadway play. Richard Schiekel also wrote a mystery based on the story. Snyder's trip to the electric chair was one of the most famous executions of the century, because a photographer strapped a camera to his ankle and photographed Ruth Snyder in the chair as the current surged through her body. It then was published on the front of The New York Daily News and became a most famous photo of the decade.
Rating:
Summary: The Postman Sometimes Rings Three Times
Review: In many ways, DOUBLE INDEMNITY is POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE redux -- the main exception being that POSTMAN's greasy spoon is replaced by a cozy upper middle class Spanish suburban house. In both books, a man is inspired by a sexy, discontented married woman into murdering hubby for gain. POSTMAN's drifter is now a cocky insurance salesman (Walter Huff) who thinks he can both beat the odds and get the girl (Phyllis Nirdlinger), and -- why not? -- her daughter Lola as well. If you know anything about Greek tragedy, you can bet that the hubris mechanism is ready to spring into action with jaws agape. James M Cain writes a tight novella that can easily be consumed in a single sitting. It's just that you feel you've been watching cockroaches mate from a great height. Few of Cain's novels show the least sign of sentiment, let alone liking, towards their characters. Raymond Chandler and Billy Wilder's script for the film is actually far superior because the character of Keyes is developed into a moral center around which the story unrolls. (It also helps that Cain's INDEMNITY has a really gonzo ending.) Nonetheless, Cain is what he is -- and his stories are always worth reading. But do see the Billy Wilder movie version!
Rating:
Summary: Murder will out every time
Review: James M. Cain's reputation as a master of the noir genre rests largely on his phenomenally grim 1934 story "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and this short tale, the 1935 classic "Double Indemnity." No other noir writer's reputation-whether Raymond Chandler, Dashell Hammett, or Cornell Woolrich-rests on only two stories. Well, you could throw in "Mildred Pierce" as another Cain classic, but that still leaves only three bleak yarns worth mentioning. How is it possible to sustain a literary legacy based on two, maybe three, stories that you could read in three single sittings? Think movies. You can thank Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler for Cain's enduring legacy. These two guys collaborated on the script for "Double Indemnity" the film, a film that has since become one of the classics of American cinema. And don't forget Joan Crawford won an Oscar for her work in the screen version of "Mildred Pierce." Too, if memory serves correctly, there are two film versions of "The Postman Always Rings Twice," one of them starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. If I were a writer, I wouldn't be too enthusiastic that my legacy rested on film versions of my stories. From what I've read of the noir masters, Cain isn't nearly as good of a storyteller as Chandler, Hammett, or Woolrich. He isn't as good as Jim Thompson or David Goodis either, for that matter. "Double Indemnity" tells the disastrous story of one Walter Huff. An insurance salesman working a route in California in the 1930s, Huff spends his days trying to get clients to increase their insurance holdings. His life changes for the worse when he calls on a household where he falls under the poisonous charms of Phyllis Nirdlinger, the wife of a wealthy oil executive. When this woman inquires about procuring an accident policy for her husband in case he "happens to have an accident" while inspecting oil wells, Huff knows something is up. In his business, no one approaches an agent about buying accident insurance unless there's a nefarious murder plot in the works. At first repelled by Phyllis's roundabout suggestions to dispatch her husband, he soon falls in line with the plot by insuring her husband with a double indemnity accident policy that will pay tens of thousands of dollars in case the poor chap expires in a railway mishap. What follows is noir carried to the nth degree, as both Huff and his new girlfriend hatch the plot in minute detail. The insurance agent plans his alibi with the sort of meticulous attention one would associate with a master criminal. He coaches Phyllis on the finer points of speaking to the police, dealing with inquests, and interacting with the insurance agency. She'll need all the help she can get because Huff knows that the head of the claims department, Keyes, is one tough bulldog when it comes to investigating scams. The actual crime, which involves Huff playing a central role in the murder, is a foul play masterpiece. No one should ever take a fall in this expertly carried out misdeed, but in James Cain's world murder will out every time. In no time at all, Keyes and the president of the insurance company balk at paying out a huge claim. After bandying around the idea that Nirdlinger took his own life, Keyes arrives at a suspicion of foul play. This conclusion sets in motion a whole host of maneuvers requiring Huff to take greater and greater measures to keep the whole thing under wraps. Complicating things are Lola, Phyllis's stepdaughter, and her boyfriend Nino Sachetti. Up until the explosive revelations preceding the conclusion, Huff still looks like he will get away with the wicked deed. The crime is brilliant with one huge exception: Walter Huff, insurance agent and murderer, forgot to investigate Phyllis Nirdlinger's background. If he had, Huff probably would never have jumped into this mess with both feet. Oops. "Double Indemnity" the book isn't nearly as good as "The Postman Always Rings Twice." I had several problems with the story, the biggest being Keyes's quick analysis of what really happened to Phyllis's husband. No one, neither the police nor an insurance claims investigator, could figure this crime out with the ease that Keyes does. Another difficulty with the story is the conclusion. Once everything shakes out, I simply didn't buy what happened to Phyllis and Huff. Too, it just isn't a satisfying conclusion for a noir story. I also had a problem with Walter's sudden change of heart after he removed Nirdlinger from the scene. Here's a guy who is cool and collected, a guy who delivers a lengthy speech about how to commit a coldhearted murder without getting caught and why he is willing to rip-off the insurance company, and then he turns into a nervous nelly after the crime. It is conceivable that this could happen, but it didn't work here. Despite these problems, noir fans will want to spend a few hours with "Double Indemnity." The book is exceedingly short, the story moves at a lightening fast clip, and the characters are interesting. After reading the book, make sure to check out the film versions of "Double Indemnity," "Mildred Pierce," and "The Postman Always Rings Twice." Then spend even more of your time reading Chandler, Woolrich (especially Woolrich), and Hammett. As someone who has read a fair share of noir novels, I think you will like these other three authors more than you will like Cain. I shall give "Double Indemnity" four stars because most of the book works, but it's definitely a lesser entry in the noir canon.
Rating:
Summary: Murder will out every time
Review: James M. Cain's reputation as a master of the noir genre rests largely on his phenomenally grim 1934 story "The Postman Always Rings Twice" and this short tale, the 1935 classic "Double Indemnity." No other noir writer's reputation-whether Raymond Chandler, Dashell Hammett, or Cornell Woolrich-rests on only two stories. Well, you could throw in "Mildred Pierce" as another Cain classic, but that still leaves only three bleak yarns worth mentioning. How is it possible to sustain a literary legacy based on two, maybe three, stories that you could read in three single sittings? Think movies. You can thank Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler for Cain's enduring legacy. These two guys collaborated on the script for "Double Indemnity" the film, a film that has since become one of the classics of American cinema. And don't forget Joan Crawford won an Oscar for her work in the screen version of "Mildred Pierce." Too, if memory serves correctly, there are two film versions of "The Postman Always Rings Twice," one of them starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. If I were a writer, I wouldn't be too enthusiastic that my legacy rested on film versions of my stories. From what I've read of the noir masters, Cain isn't nearly as good of a storyteller as Chandler, Hammett, or Woolrich. He isn't as good as Jim Thompson or David Goodis either, for that matter. "Double Indemnity" tells the disastrous story of one Walter Huff. An insurance salesman working a route in California in the 1930s, Huff spends his days trying to get clients to increase their insurance holdings. His life changes for the worse when he calls on a household where he falls under the poisonous charms of Phyllis Nirdlinger, the wife of a wealthy oil executive. When this woman inquires about procuring an accident policy for her husband in case he "happens to have an accident" while inspecting oil wells, Huff knows something is up. In his business, no one approaches an agent about buying accident insurance unless there's a nefarious murder plot in the works. At first repelled by Phyllis's roundabout suggestions to dispatch her husband, he soon falls in line with the plot by insuring her husband with a double indemnity accident policy that will pay tens of thousands of dollars in case the poor chap expires in a railway mishap. What follows is noir carried to the nth degree, as both Huff and his new girlfriend hatch the plot in minute detail. The insurance agent plans his alibi with the sort of meticulous attention one would associate with a master criminal. He coaches Phyllis on the finer points of speaking to the police, dealing with inquests, and interacting with the insurance agency. She'll need all the help she can get because Huff knows that the head of the claims department, Keyes, is one tough bulldog when it comes to investigating scams. The actual crime, which involves Huff playing a central role in the murder, is a foul play masterpiece. No one should ever take a fall in this expertly carried out misdeed, but in James Cain's world murder will out every time. In no time at all, Keyes and the president of the insurance company balk at paying out a huge claim. After bandying around the idea that Nirdlinger took his own life, Keyes arrives at a suspicion of foul play. This conclusion sets in motion a whole host of maneuvers requiring Huff to take greater and greater measures to keep the whole thing under wraps. Complicating things are Lola, Phyllis's stepdaughter, and her boyfriend Nino Sachetti. Up until the explosive revelations preceding the conclusion, Huff still looks like he will get away with the wicked deed. The crime is brilliant with one huge exception: Walter Huff, insurance agent and murderer, forgot to investigate Phyllis Nirdlinger's background. If he had, Huff probably would never have jumped into this mess with both feet. Oops. "Double Indemnity" the book isn't nearly as good as "The Postman Always Rings Twice." I had several problems with the story, the biggest being Keyes's quick analysis of what really happened to Phyllis's husband. No one, neither the police nor an insurance claims investigator, could figure this crime out with the ease that Keyes does. Another difficulty with the story is the conclusion. Once everything shakes out, I simply didn't buy what happened to Phyllis and Huff. Too, it just isn't a satisfying conclusion for a noir story. I also had a problem with Walter's sudden change of heart after he removed Nirdlinger from the scene. Here's a guy who is cool and collected, a guy who delivers a lengthy speech about how to commit a coldhearted murder without getting caught and why he is willing to rip-off the insurance company, and then he turns into a nervous nelly after the crime. It is conceivable that this could happen, but it didn't work here. Despite these problems, noir fans will want to spend a few hours with "Double Indemnity." The book is exceedingly short, the story moves at a lightening fast clip, and the characters are interesting. After reading the book, make sure to check out the film versions of "Double Indemnity," "Mildred Pierce," and "The Postman Always Rings Twice." Then spend even more of your time reading Chandler, Woolrich (especially Woolrich), and Hammett. As someone who has read a fair share of noir novels, I think you will like these other three authors more than you will like Cain. I shall give "Double Indemnity" four stars because most of the book works, but it's definitely a lesser entry in the noir canon.
Rating:
Summary: Early Trendsetter--How Often Imitated?
Review: James M. Cain, himself an obvious student of the Hemingway he-said, she-said school of short, clipped dialogue, was the trend-setter for the entire short, clipped novel. At only 128 pages, his Double Indemnity is a shining example of how much impact can be achieved with a sharp cutting knife. No needless, meandering flashbacks that fill no bill.Nothing aping colorization of black and white film.No superfluous, long-winded narrative. Without heavy-handed or preachy overtones, he simply tantalizes with a poignant piece of noir. Cain was one of the trend setters of the early 20th century thriller novel. (How often have you seen the basic theme--man meets Spider Woman type, married to a wealthy man--both fall for each other and together plan the demise of this threesome's lone obstructionist? Hundreds of times? Thousands?)>With Walter Huff it's a quick pop into the "situation," speedily conceived plan, faulty execution of plan, fitting consequences and conclusion. No adornments, embellishments, no exessive Christmas tree ornaments, horns, funny hats or whistles of any kind. >Jack Webb's Dragnet character, Joe Friday, said it best, "Just the facts, ma'm." That's exactly what we get here.
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