Magician's Wife [Paperback]

James M. Cain (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Carnegie Mellon Univ Pr (February 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887480187
• ISBN-13: 978-0887480188
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,539,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > United States > 20th Century

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Far-fetched rework of Cain's Classics, June 15, 2001

By 

T. Mingus (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Magician's Wife (Paperback)

The Magician's Wife is a mediocre rendition of some of Cain's classic novels such as The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity. Although it starts off slowly, it does build up a head of steam and if you ignore some of the unbelievable actions of the protagonist, the charismatic meat-magnate, Clay Lockwood, it is a hard book to put down. More or less the plot is a fellow (this time a successful executive) has an affair with a married woman and after much arm-twisting chooses to help her murder her husband for money. The magician's wife is clearly not someone worth murdering for and at the same time Clay carries on an affair with her mother, Grace, which is one of the absurd elements of this novel. Like a magician, Cain works out interesting plot twists around these incongruencies and somehow makes it a compelling read. Nonetheless he is not in great form, for a key scene where Clay scopes out the magician whom he is plotting to kill and sees him performing tricks for some kids in his neighborhood would by Cain's standards be rendered in grand fashion as the potential killer feels remorse and anguish in discovering that his victim is a regular and decent guy. Somehow in The Magician's Wife this scene is barely sketched out leaving out, so to speak, The Mark of Cain.

3.0 out of 5 stars A lesser entry in the James M. Cain canon., September 2, 2009

By 

Michael G. "mikefromrochester" (Rochester, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Magician's Wife (Paperback)

The plot to this latter day James M. Cain novel is similar to that of two of his early classics, Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice. All three are tales of illicit love and murder. Except this time around, the raw, noirish feel of the earlier works is largely missing. In its place, unfortunately, is a "soap opera-like" tone wherein complexity of storyline replaces emotional truth.
As lovers, Clay Lockwood and Sally Alexis are not only ill-fated, they are completely mismatched. Sally is an unstable, selfish girl while Clay is a level headed businessman. Despite his realization that Sally's mother, not Sally, is his true soulmate, Clay inexplicably goes over to the dark side to do Sally's bidding. Needless to say, the result is disaster for all concerned.
The Magician's Wife has many passages that are skillfully written including a few which contain insightful takes on human behavior. But overall, this James M. Cain work is a very average read due to its rather contrived, noncredible storyline. A disappointing effort from an author capable of much better.

2.0 out of 5 stars Not That Great, August 25, 2004

By 

TawnTawn (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Magician's Wife (Paperback)

As another reviewer stated, sort of a blend of The Postman Always Rings Twice/Double Indemnity type story - hero immediately falls in love with and wants to marry murderous woman. Does her bidding, regrets it, ridiculous ending. I mean, do people really abandon their moral code that quickly and easily? I don't believe so, therefore the whole premise seemed outlandish.