Friday, February 26, 2010

2 books handed to me at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament: Book 1

Doug Peterson handed me two books during the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament last weekend. He's a crossword constructor, and a regular reader of this blog. As you'll see, he has a good eye for quality paperback product. To wit:

Title: The Scrambled Yeggs (GM 770, 2nd ptg, '59)
Author: Richard S. Prather
Cover artist: Barye Phillips, I think

Yours for: Not For Sale


There are two things and two things only to say about this cover:
  1. YEGGS!
  2. SPANKING!
Hot on two counts.


  • I'm with him 'til "plastic surgery," where the metaphor (simile, I guess) goes south for me. One of the things I like about vintage women (by which I mean the kinds of women that vintage paperbacks tend to showcase) is that they come from a time before plastic surgery started making (some) women look like scary clowns.
  • "I'm broad-minded" = gold.
  • Always good to close with a Whitesnake lyric

Page 123~

In the car, I put the gun on the seat to my right and pulled away from the curb. And I was hoping that the same guys who got Kelly would come after me. Those boys needed killing bad and right then I felt ready, willing and able — and maybe even a little eager.

Shell Scott, doing his best Mike Hammer impression (Scott is funnier and less frightening)

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

7 comments:

Frank said...

So Shell is Santa Claus's younger, thinner, kinkier brother?

"Maybe I should have started with her face, but if I had, I'd have missed all the fun of getting to it" really is a fantastic line.

RodeoToad said...

That one looks pretty good. One of my favorite Chandler lines: "From thirty feet away she looked like a lot of class. From ten feet away she looked like something made up to be seen from thirty feet away."

Marla said...

The eyebrows are making me cry.

capewood said...

"Private as a town hall clock". What is that supposed to mean? Aren't town hall clocks out there for everyone to see?

Lisa in Oz said...

"A spanking, a spanking!"

Random White Guy said...

I find it strange that the artist couldn't be bothered to color in Shell Scott's legs. They just seem to fade away into a mist while his upper half stays solid.

Elaine said...

@L
Shell Scott's legs are pale because their circulation is cut off. That is one hefty baby he's spankin'!