NINETOES VS. CAPE FEAR

Ninetoes goes back to the source material for Cape Fear, John D. McDonald’s The Executioners.

TITLE: Cape Fear

AUTHOR: John D. MacDonald

GENRE: Noir Thriller

PAGES: 166

FORMAT: Ebook

PRICE: $12.99

Hey there, book lovers! It’s your old pal, Ninetoes, coming to you from Ninetoes Loves Books Headquarters. Today, I am looking at John D. MacDonald’s classic novel, Cape Fear. I have coffee in my system and my thinking cap on, so let’s get to it!

I have to get this out of the way before I go further: if you go into this book thinking you are going to read the 1991 movie or the 2026 Apple TV+ television series by the same title, get that thought out of your head. The only thing the book and the movie/show have in common is the fact that the Bowden family is being terrorized by Max Cady.

This novel was published in 1957 and was originally titled The Executioners. In 1962, it was turned into a movie titled Cape Fear starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum.

The Bowden Family is your typical, all-American family. Sam is a lawyer and has his lovely wife, Carol, and three kids. His life is great. He has everything a man could want, and some things a man could do without. Namely, an ex-con (Max Cady) whom he has a hand in putting behind bars for the rape of a teenage girl. Does Cady bear a grudge? You betcha! Does Cady want revenge for the years he spent in prison? Hell yes! Will he make Sam’s life a living hell? Most certainly!

This is a revenge tale, pure and simple. With the character Max Cady, John D. MacDonald has given us evil on two legs who has a long time to plan his revenge and will go to any lengths to get it. He wants to take away Sam Bowden’s life apart, piece by piece, until all that is left is an empty husk of a man. It is not enough that Sam Bowden dies. That would be too simple. Cady wants Sam to suffer as much as he has suffered in prison.

A lot of time was spent describing the Bowdens’ idyllic life and how Sam can protect it. In terms of tearing a life apart, there isn’t much time spent on that aspect. There is the fear that something is coming, and that tension does mount a bit, but not enough to really push the story to its conclusion. I definitely got the sense that something was coming, but too much time was wasted on what Sam could do to protect himself and his family, and not enough on what he was protecting them from. The ending also felt a bit anti-climactic. Yes, there is a definite resolution, but it kind of falls flat, and in that the book has not aged well. Remember, the book was written in a more innocent time, and back then it would have been scandalous, but now? Not so much.

That is not to say it is not well written. MacDonald has some serious chops in writing. I think the problem is that a modern audience may not be as enthusiastic, especially since the book was adapted in 1991 and 2026, and so much more was added to the adaptations about the evil that is Max Cady than what was originally in the source material.

This book is perfect for anyone looking for a classic noir tale of revenge.

I give this book 3.5 bookmarks out of 5!

Until the next time, I bid you happy reading!

Darren “Ninetoes” Perdue is a book and media reviewer. When he is not reading, he is watching true crime shows, cooking for his family, or working on a plan for universal domination. If you see him on his porch, say hi. He does not bite…much.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.