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Set against the background of Depression-era California, this novel accounts the rise and downfall of a divorced woman, a mother who is overly doted on her daughter. Mildred is generally a good, hardworking woman but she‘s also shrewd and I was somewhat confused with her blind devotion/love for her daughter. At the heart of the story, I think it‘s ⬇️

“In the spring of 1931, on a lawn in Glendale, California, a man was bracing trees.”

My third James M. Cain after Double Indemnity and The Postman Always Rings Twice.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

I‘m a huge fan of the 2011 HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce. I decided it was high time I read the book since I‘m on a James M. Cain kick at the moment. I decided on the 10-hour #audiobook — and I devoured it in 2 days! This is the most faithful book-to-movie adaptation I‘ve ever seen, besides Rosemary‘s Baby. He paints such a vivid picture of 1930s California in the middle of the depression. And it has great dialogue. I‘d highly recommend both ⬇️

Pretty good.

A good read. Can see how it became a good film and mini- series. I was not blown away but am glad to now know what kind of author he is. Shout out to LA residents- this book is set amongst streets and locations you know. Fun to drive around the city as it appeared in the 1940s. The take on Glendale will keep you laughing.

Keeping my pledge to read what is on my shelf.

This was really good. I wish there were more books by this author. 💖📚

#bookclub

Mildred Pierce had gorgeous legs, a way with a skillet, and a bone-deep core of toughness. She survives a divorce, poverty and claws 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. Cain creates a novel of acute social observation and devastating emotional violence, with a heroine whose ambitions and sufferings are never less than recognizable.

#mamamia instantly made me think of Mildred Pierce and her bitch of a daughter. 😂 I did a project in high school on the movie adaption with Joan Crawford, which led me to finally reading the book last year and discovering how much I love James Cain! #abbainaugust

5⭐️
Mildred Pierce is fearless. She‘s not afraid to get a divorce; to make big plans; to take charge of her future; to enjoy her body; and she‘s not afraid to walk away from what doesn‘t suit her. Her hard work & loyalty earn her success & friends. And in 1941, she would have been a role model to many women.
Yet Mildred Pierce is an early warning to women that no, in fact, you cannot have it all, at least not all at the same time.
Read it!

Some movies are so close to the book that you almost don‘t have to read it, but you should! James M. Cain is a wonderful author who knows how to develop a character with some serious flaws. His other works include The Postman Always Rings Twice and Double Indemnity. My favorite by far is Mildred Pierce — I‘m a sucker for a story in which a downtrodden woman rises to the top. Read the book! Watch the series! You won‘t regret either!

This is such a great classic about family tragedy. Cain wrote and developed dislikable and despicable characters well. Mildred is a single mother trying to make ends meet in the 30‘s and must take a job that she and her nasty daughter feel is beneath her. Mildred becomes a success but spends much of her time with loser men or trying to win the love of her hateful daughter Veda who is one of my least favorite characters ever!
#fighter #getmovin

As Mildred struggles to be an independent, single mother in the 1930‘s, she must deal with her vile, hateful, manipulative daughter, Veda. There are #noexcuses for her behavior. #getmovin

Ps. Hidden in this photo is one of my many pet stinkbugs 🙊

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. She was the daughter from hell. A family tragedy, a classic.

Mildred, it‘s one thing to appreciate your daughter‘s intelligence, but Veda is a manipulative snot-nosed brat! Ooh this girl is mean! She‘s going to make me throw the book 😆

#shelfie :)

Very good. Even though most of the characters were unlikable the storyline of how they became this way was just perfect because it showed that all humans are flawed and that we would do anything to survive. Recommend.

#Phoenix
#OrionBooks
4/20 #MountTBRChallenge

@DivaDiane

I climbed into bed to finish the last five pages of MP. This will go down as one of my top books of 2017 and probably all time. From the beginning I was drawn in by Cain‘s spare, matter-of-fact writing. I am determined to read more of his books now. Every single character irritated me and made me wring my hands, but not in an annoying way. And Veda . . . what a bitch! “To hell with her.” And now I can finally call bingo!! #tbrbingo

I just cleaned off my night stand so that I can have a fresh #decembertbr. My only must read this month is Mildred Pierce so I can finally get a bingo for #tbrbingo. 🤣🤣 I will also be adding my #BOTM selections to the stack when they arrive. Another goal is to read as many BOTM books as possible so I can wrap up #botmchallenge. And lastly, I have two buddy reads. #lonedove will be finished this month and #thepowerbuddyread next month.

Today's #bookhaul from my local library's spring book sale! I don't know about you, but I like the idea of eating a roasted red pepper and goat cheese tart while reading about the intrigues of a divorcee and her "monstrous" daughter or about the CIA during the Cold War.

#2017Book27
#LitsyAtoZ Part 1: TBR books by author
#BookC

#BookAndFaveSnack (I love anything that Brookside covers in dark chocolate.) #Page24OfCurrentRead #ReadJanuary

I've really fallen down on my #photoadaynov16 duty but woo-boy talk about a #dysfunctionalfamily.

I loved this novel for showing that a hard-boiled noir from the 40s didn't have to center on a detective and in fact could be about a WOMAN, and one who isn't a femme-fatale to boot. Mildred is hard-working and loyal, her daughter is a monster, & it all revolves deliciously around family drama.

Read 5 years ago, but still a standout.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️