Mildred Pierce

By James M. Cain

In Mildred Pierce, noir master James M. Cain creates a novel of acute social observation and devasting emotional violence, with a heroine whose ambitions and sufferings are never less than recognizable.

Mildred Pierce had gorgeous legs, a way with a skillet, and a bone-deep core of toughness. She used those attributes to survive a divorce and poverty and to claw her way out of the lower middle class. But Mildred also had two weaknesses: a yen for shiftless men, and an unreasoning devotion to a monstrous daughter.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Dec 29, 2010
• ISBN: 9780307772930

James M. Cain

James M. Cain (1892–1977) was one of the most important authors in the history of crime fiction. Born in Maryland, he became a journalist after giving up on a childhood dream of singing opera. After two decades writing for newspapers in Baltimore, New York, and the army—and a brief stint as the managing editor of the New Yorker—Cain moved to Hollywood in the early 1930s. While writing for the movies, he turned to fiction, penning the novella The Postman Always Rings Twice (1934). This tightly wound tale of passion, murder, and greed became one of the most controversial bestsellers of its day, and remains one of the foremost examples of American noir writing. It set the tone for Cain’s next few novels, including Serenade (1937), Mildred Pierce (1941), Double Indemnity (1943), and The Butterfly (1947). Several of his books became equally successful noir films, particularly the classic 1940s adaptations of Mildred Pierce and Double Indemnity. Cain moved back to Maryland in 1948. Though he wrote prolifically until his death, Cain remains most famous for his early work.     

Reviews for Mildred Pierce

[margaretfield · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

completely different than the movie. There is no murder in this. It's about the struggle of a woman with a difficult husband, little money, horrible daughter and more smarts and courage than the world around her

[sweetiegherkin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Young housewife Mildred separates from her husband Bert, forcing her to find way to support herself and her two young daughters. After some trial and error, she ends up starting her own business. Along the way, she also makes and loses friends and romantic partners. One of those things that was really great about this book was on the surface it doesn't sound like it's about much of anything. It's a fairly simple domestic fiction, concerned with women's work and everyday life during the recovery from the Great Depression. A lot of time and detail is spent on describing Mildred's clothes, how much money it costs for dinner, and so forth, yet it's done in a way that doesn't bog down the writing at all. Every word seems necessary as Cain spins his story.Mildred Pierce herself is an interesting character; she is not a "Mary Sue" as she definitely has flaws, but I like her on the whole and see her as both realistic and at times, relatable. Other characters are for the most part also realistic, although they vary in their likability. For instance, Mrs. Gessler is a real hoot; Monte, I despise. And, of course, there's Veda, Mildred's elder daughter who is a real snob and yet Mildred would do anything for her. She's a compelling force in Mildred's life and story.Although as I mentioned above, Cain's writing is very succinct, it is not perfect. Writing from a woman's perspective resulted in a couple of anomalies here and there for Cain. For instance, he occasionally chalked some things up to being "feminine intuition" (those weren't the exact words, but essentially), which I feel like is something male writers put in female characters' mouths but I never actually hear women say. There were also a few times when he referred to one of Mildred's children as either "it" or "the child," which seemed much more cold and impersonal than the character would be. Given the time period of the book though, I let this stuff slide.For the audiobook listerner, the reader (Christine Williams) was sort of "eh." She spoke very fast and breathless, which bothered me a lot in the beginning but I eventually got used to it. Some of her voices, like Mrs. Gessler, were great, while others, like Mr. Treviso, were awful. Of bigger issue was that she didn't have a large enough range of distinct voices; so for instance, Mildred and Bert sounded exactly the same and therefore it began a little more difficult to parse out dialogue when the two were engaged in a conversation. Audiobook issues aside, I quite enjoyed this book on the whole and would recommend it.

[coach_of_alva · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the saddest story of unrequited love I have ever read. This love is not romantic or erotic but maternal. A struggling divorced mother living in Glendale during the Depression, Mildred Pierce not only survives but thrives through hard work and determination, creating a restaurant empire. She spends her emotional and financial resources on her daughter Veda, who is selfish, manipulative, and ungrateful. She ends up once again remarried to her philandering husband, her livelihood gone, and her relationship with her daughter broken for good. She may or may not be at peace.I thought this was one of the liveliest realistic novels that I've read. I couldn't detect any false notes or exaggerated actions, save perhaps at the end. A minor American classic.

[eadieb-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a story about a mother's unhealthy relationship with her daughter and the mother's obsessive desire to do anything to gain love and acceptance from the daughter. Veda was a very self-centered and ungrateful daughter. She's the type of daughter who takes all the credit for her success but would blame her mother for her pitfalls. Her mother bent over backwards trying to please Veda but Veda was the daughter from hell. The book is a total family tragedy and a definite classic. James Cain is an excellent writer and I look forward to reading some of his other books.

[anissaannalise-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was in the mood for a modern classic & this had been on my TBR list for too long. So glad I read it & wish I hadn't waited so long. I'm still not sure what Vida's ultimate deal is (what an unsympathetic, nasty piece of work) but this is definitely a good look at a mother who has a child gone awry.

[jackmessenger-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Joan Crawford film is much better!

[vwriter-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this book. The writing was good and solid. Pity and yummy pies made Mildred Pierce's tragic character. After I read this book I made myself a strawberry rhubarb pie as the ice cream melted I thought of Mildred Pierce.4/5 stars

[abbeyhar · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very different than I thought it would be, but still very Cain. Ive read both "the postman always rings twice" and "double indemnity" and this had the same no hold barred exploration into the seediness of human behavior, but without a murder. It was hard to put down as I rooted for Mildred pierce's success as a single woman during the depression, but was also very aware of the inevitable fall.

[grandpahobo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very intense and a little gritty. The ending was as unsatisfying as I expected when I was half way through. About the best thing I can say is that I don't regret spending the time reading it.

[sriddell_8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A young wife, Mildred, faces life as a divorced, single mother during the depression. She takes the only work she can find as a waitress and slowly builds a restaurant empire.

As this is going on, both tragedy and triumph follows Mildred. The biggest tragedy of all is her awful oldest daughter. Self-involved and a complete snob, daughter Veda repeatedly betrays Mildred.

I found the book is a little different from the movie with Joan Crawford, but both the book and the movie are fantastic!

[danielstj · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This one really missed the mark for me. I didn't feel engaged with the story-line that Cain presented nor the characters. I even found myself skimming some of the book to hope that it would get to an interesting, good point- but that never came. Even if you interested in this author, it might be a disappointment. I feel that I garnished very little from this work and do not recommend it to others.1 star.

[bensdad00 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Creating vivid, moving, flawed charachters who invoke passion in the reader is a rare skill. To do so with such apparent ease as Cain does is downright magical.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mildred Pierce by James Cain is an in-depth portrait of a woman, the rise and fall of her life and her emotional dependency on her coldblooded, greedy, manipulative daughter. Although Cain is well known for his Noir thrillers, this book is quite different being more of a novel of social observations. Set during the years of the Great Depression this is a well crafted story peopled with excellent characters, some you love and some you hate. For me, Mildred was someone that I mostly pitied. No matter how well things were going in her life, her happiness rested solely with her daughter, Veda. As her marriage fails and new men enter her life and as she slowly builds up a good business from her humble beginnings as a waitress, all she can think about is how to please her demanding daughter. But Veda is impossible to fully please. She sees people as stepping stones to help her get where she wants to go, and she holds her mother responsible for everything that she sees as lacking in her life.Mildred Pierce is a dark portrayal of human weakness and greed. Mildred is a strong but flawed woman whose aspirations are not for herself but rather for her children. Unfortunately her daughter is an empty vessel that no amount of caring or love will every fully satisfy. I found myself compelled by the characters and their story and also intrigued by the economic upheavals of 1930s California.

[soraxtm-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lets get stinko

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

“Mildred Pierce” by James M. Cain is a 1941 publication. This month, "Turner Classic Movies' has been airing their “Thirty Days of Oscar” special collection of movies. As I scrolled through all those incredible movies, I was struck by how many of them I had never seen, which included “Mildred Pierce”. But, every time I considered watching the movie, I decided to wait and read the book first. So, I set my DVR to record the movie and then set out to find a copy of the book at the library… and so FINALLY- I have read a book I’d been meaning to read for ages. Okay- so my thoughts on the book: I love noir- and this book is labeled as classic noir- but it is not a detective novel or a piece of crime fiction, which is how I normally think of noir. The story is often bleak, dark and moody, and chock full of flawed, morally bankrupt people. It’s a look at a complicated mother/daughter relationship during the depression era, and a cautionary tale about the ugly side of ambition.Overall, the book is highly absorbing and thought-provoking. Although there are words that the author used, rather too frequently, that were offensive, and some violent scenes made me uncomfortable (which is something that is going to pop up in anything categorized as “noir” or hard-boiled that was written during the 1940s), this is yet another novel I wish I had read a lot sooner. The characterizations are incredible and will stick with me for a long while. 4.5 stars*I FINALLY watched the classic movie starring Joan Crawford, as well. The movie is very good- but while some parts were close to the book, there were many changes to the story that gave it an entirely different slant- but that's par for the course in Hollywood. I liked the book better- but the I understand why the movie received such high praise. I recommend enjoying both the book and the movie, if you haven't already.

[carmenmilligan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First of all, if you have seen the movie, you have NOT experienced the book. Among other things, the book is a straight character study, and the movie is more action packed. Characters are removed and downplayed, and Veda is not quite the viper that she is in the book. But, most importantly, Monte does not die in the novel, and Veda never goes to jail. That portion of the story was invented by the filmmakers because the censorship code of the time required that evildoers be punished for their misdeeds. HBO recently redid the story, starring Kate Winslet, and it is said to be much truer to the novel.

With that being said, this was a doozy of a book. Mildred is a complex character. She doesn't take much off of her husband Bert, divorcing him quite early in the story, but will go back time and again to lesser men who care for nothing but a piece of her tail and some of her money. Yet she opens herself repeatedly to her eldest daughter Veda after numerous heinous verbal attacks. It is quite clear that Veda despises her mother through and through, evident to Mildred, but that makes Mildred only try harder to meet her expectations.

Veda is a viper of a daughter. She reminded me very much of Sarah Jane, a character in Imitation of Life. The difference is that Sarah Jane had some redemption at the end, although it was too late. Veda is a viper all the way through. She has firm respect for the one person who insults her to the core by letting her know that she has no talent at the piano. Everyone is furious with this man, but Veda inwardly admires him.

A very interesting character study, to be sure. But I have to wonder: what kind of characters are these? What is Cain trying to get across? That Mildred could survive, thrive and reinvent herself during and after the depression and Prohibition, only to crumble at the hands of her daughter? That mothers are gluttons for punishment? Did Ray stand for wholesomeness, which was crushed; while Veda stood for evil, which prospered?

And the men in their lives. Bert, who Mildred tossed away in favor of Wally, and later Monty, was the one stalwart presence in her life, and she continued to go to him when she really needed advice. She had no respect for him, and yet he was the only one she respected.

I will ruminate on this one for months, I am sure. It was a very interesting book, and one that I recommend. If you read it, give me a call. We'll discuss it!

[gbelik_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had read a bunch of James M. Cain novels years ago and loved them. Now I listened to this as an audio book and it definitely holds up, although the narrator was not great.

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a damn fine book! Mildred, a lady with great legs and maker of amazing pies, has a hard, hard life. Marriage problems, little Ray, and severe financial hardships. And - the nastiest daughter I've ever read about - Veda! Oooh, I hated that girl! That ungrateful, traitorous, little creep! And I really hated Monty too! Err... Time to "get stinko"! And then head out on the Pie Wagon!

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought I knew the story of this from the Joan Crawford movie, but either I mis-remembered it (totally possible) or it was changed. I have a vague memory of a murder, but there was no murder in the book. It was just a straight-forward relationship piece. The characters were so human, I could see them (but not as Joan Crawford). Mildred Pierce was much more vulnerable than Crawford could ever project. I really liked this book. The ending was so good; it made so much sense. A good all-around read.

[pennsylady · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Paperback I would call Mildred Pierce vintage or at least a period piece.The author is James Cain (1892-1977)My choice of delivery was narration by Christine Williams.Written in 1941,our story opens in the spring of 1931 in Glendale California.Mildred will survive a divorce and poverty and work her way from waitressing to opening three successful restaurants.She will cope with the death of her younger daughter, Ray.The flaw which will prove fatal is an obsessive love/need for acceptance by her older daughter,VedaEvery achievement and every failure in this book somehow has the same focal point...a .twisted mother-daughter relationship.It's a psychological study that is heartbreaking and incredibly frustrating to the reader.In it's simplest form, Mildred is unable to face the reality of Veda and Veda thrives on demeaning, embarrassing, and condemning her mother at every opportunity.The story is emotionally violent but it did compel me to keep going, to sort through the ruins and see what remained.You need to read it to believe the volatility of characters and situations.★ ★ ★ ★------The movie, a film noir classic (1945) differs from the book

[brendanpmyers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I remember early on while reading this book, talking to my sister and raving about it, telling her about the strong female lead character, who after her milquetoast husband leaves her, sets about starting a new life for herself and her daughters using only her hands and her chutzpah.

Then, after finishing the book, I remember talking to my sister again and telling her to forget about it, that Mildred was a putz who let the people in her life walk all over her.

In hindsight, I still think both are true. I also think this book is a beautifully written James Cain masterpiece.

[misses_london · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. This book was a surprise. It sat on my list of books "to read" for quite some time, so long that I couldn't even remember anymore how it got there. I suspect it was the 2011 remake starring Kate Winslett, which I refused to watch before I'd read the book, which I started a few years ago but put down out of lack of interest after only the first few pages. I finally revisited it and doggedly made my way this time beyond where I'd stopped before and am so glad I did.From what I've read, it sounds like the original film on which it's based, is now a cult classic but veers dramatically from the book. There is no mysterious murder in the book itself. The 2011 remake, however, is very faithful to the story line.The premise might not sound appealing on the surface, which is that a woman named Mildred Pearce (of course) finds herself in a financial bind as a result of the depression. With an unfaithful husband who seemingly couldn't be bothered to improve their circumstances, she decides to go it alone but without any marketable skills beyond her talents as a homemaker and cooking. That isn't a plot that inspires, but the book is really about much more. It is about a class system that in America at that time many people were forced to confront as families were thrown into circumstances that often dropped them from upper middle class to middle class to working class or even poverty. For some this transition was accepted with a pragmatic approach and did what had to be done without suffering significant sentimental regrets while others either refused to accept it and failed or begrudgingly but doggedly fought to retain their position or even beat the odds and improve their standing. Mildred Pearce fell into the latter category. She has a great deal of pride that she painfully must overcome by initially working as a waitress, a job she considers is beneath her. However, does it she does. Ultimately she is motivated most by her haughty eldest daughter, who refuses to compromise her fanciful notion that she belongs with the upper crust. I must say that I cannot recall having encountered a more contemptible fictional character than her daughter, who not only places unreasonable demands on her mother, but cruelly taunts her for taking on the roles that she must in order to maintain the lifestyle that she demands.Mildred quickly thrives by learning enough at the restaurant working as a waitress that she becomes an entrepreneur and opens several successful restaurants of her own. Along the way she becomes romantically involved in someone who ironically cannot accept that his own privileged status in the upper class is no more and that he must either sink or swim to survive. He sinks, and Mildred supports him.Mildred remains unreasonably devoted to a daughter who is nothing short of abusive so this is also story about the devotion that a mother feels for her offspring and the lengths that she will go to give her children a better life.I fell in love with this book once I made it past the first few pages, and I recommend it to anyone interested in what life was like in America during the great depression. The author is splendid in the details in making you feel as if you're actually experiencing it yourself. I would also recommend it to those who enjoy books that tell a story about overcoming the odds. And, if you enjoy the book, I highly recommend afterwards watching the very good 2011 adaptation.

[ken1952 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is one of Cain's big three along with The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity. I really enjoyed it: who wouldn't especially those scratch-your-eyes-out scenes between Mildred and her cold calculating daughter Veda. And Mildred's rise from waitress to restaurateur during Prohibition was fascinating. Obviously Mildred Pierce is screen gold...Joan Crawford won an Oscar for her portrayal in the 1945 film version and Kate Winslet won an Emmy for the 2011 HBO mini-series. Give the book a chance. (I dare you not to begin craving one of Mildred's homemade pies or a piece of her delicious fried chicken. But don't let Veda too close to the banquet table, or she'll eat you out of house and home and men.)

[mthelibrarian_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's coming out as an HBO miniseries this month, so I thought I would try it. It turned out to be set in Glendale, Los Angeles, Pasadena and Laguna, California, so the settings alone were fun for me. Written in 1941 and set starting in the depression, it's the stoy of a woman who kicks her husband out of the house and then attempts to make a go of it herself. She works her way up, first as a waitress and then as a restaurant owner. The story also details her relationship with her daughters and other men in her life. A lot is packed into 260 pages; I definitely would read more by this author.

[barbarahouston · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love melodrama ,.. and this is a good one. The Joan Crawford movie was okay but the novel is better. Recommended for those who want a good weep,

[pinkyslippers · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As other reviewers have noted, this book is not really like the movie starring Joan Crawford (especially the ending). This book was placed in the 'Crime' section of my local library but I don't really think it belongs there. The book is a tightly-paced thriller revolving around a mother and daughter's obsessive and unhealthy relationship. The suspence woven through the book keeps you going and I read this in a couple of days. What I found fascinating is that I didn't like any of the characters yet I still wanted to know what happened to them... The book ends on a much less sensational note than the film but somehow the book's ending of a severed relationship between the obsessive mother (Mildred) and the psychopathic compulsive-liar daughter (Veda) is more grim. A very good read.

[astroantiquity · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Taut and incredibly written. It's not really that hard hitting nor that action-packed, but the emotional impact that it has will last for a long time.