The Butterfly (novel)
Cover of the first edition | |
| Author | James M. Cain |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Incest literature |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
Publication date | 1947 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
| ISBN | 0-679-72323-4 |
The Butterfly is a hard-boiled novel by author James M. Cain published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1947. The story is set in rural West Virginia in the late 1930s and concerns a mystery surrounding an apparent case of father and daughter incest.
Though Cain was at the height of his literary success at the time of the novel's publication, the taboo subject of the tale precluded a Hollywood adaption. In 1982, the novel was adapted as a movie as Butterfly.
The Butterfly is among Cain's most commercially successful novels.