Double Indemnity by James Cain (1943)
A morally ambiguous and compelling story that perfectly encapsulates the noir genre.
Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Plot: Insurance salesman Walter Huff gets in over his head with his client’s wife, Phyllis Nirdlinger, who wants to buy an accident policy on her husband.
Analysis: This story was first published in serial form in Liberty Magazine in 1936 and later republished in the collection Three of a Kind.
This is a classic noir story, with flawed characters, themes of greed and lust, and a femme fatale. Walter Huff is relatable enough, although certainly imperfect and Phyllis is alluring and mysterious. There’s a tension throughout the novel that reminded me a bit of Strangers on a Train (plus there’s also a train). The first half of the story was compelling, but the charms wore away by the second act for me.
I enjoyed this novel better than other James Cain stories, but by nature of the genre, the story leaves the reader somewhat unsatisfied. Still, if you’re a fan of noir writing, Double Indemnity will have everything you’re looking for.
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