Monday, August 22, 2011

Paperback 452: A Man of Parts / Vivian Connell (Gold Medal 130)

Paperback 452: Gold Medal 130 (PBO, 1950)

Title: A Man of Parts
Author: Vivian Connell
Cover artist: Uncredited (though I can see a signature in lower left ... very elongated ... looks like "drip")

Yours for: $11

Sorry for the week-long publication drought. I've been away for a week at the Minnesota State Fair and other Midwestern attractions (friends, mostly). Plus, I prepared a slide show of covers from this blog for Huffington Post Books, so it *felt* like I was writing. Anyway, back on a 3 book/week schedule now, for the most part, I think. So let's get back to it:

GM130.ManParts

Best things about this cover:
  • A Man of Parts ... and the best part, Tracy knew, was the thigh.
  • "Well, your leg sounds just fine, so I have no idea what's ailing you. I'll go get my leeches."
  • I've never actually heard anyone utter the phrase "How gauche!" but pencil-mustache sure has the face for it.
  • "I say, do you know how to work one of these iPod minis...?"

GM130bc.ManParts

Best things about this back cover:

  • For some reason I'm imagining the first two lines here being spoken in the voice of Darth Vader.
  • "... and all her womanhood pushed out to him in her warm full breasts": so it's a lactation fetish novel. Cool.
  • "... and the women caught in the tempest ... of the tempestuous novel ... that I mentioned at the beginning of this sentence ... what? I like the word 'tempest.' Get off my back."

Page 123~

God, it was good to be alive, in the country, on a night like this. He began to sing gaily. Suddenly he realized what he was singing:

"Then we snuggle in the corner,
An' there's no fire any warmer
Than your mouth all sweet and rosy . . ."

He pulled up with a jerk.

Those are odd lyrics to masturbate to, but ... whatever floats your boat, Man of Parts.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

8 comments:

borky said...

Welcome back, (since we can all go read you over at Huffington it didn't just FEEL like you were writing - you WERE!).

My first impression's he looks like Lady Gaga's male alter ego Jo Calderone eating a chunk of spam.

infoqueen said...

William Powell looks like he's thinking, "Please, woman, a little dignity..."

borky said...

Ah, I've got it, now: it IS Lady Gaga's male alter ego Jo Calderone - scrubbed up a bit for us Limeys - which is why the girl clinging to Jo's leg is wistfully thinking, Oh 'man' of parts, if only you were a true man - and not really Lady Gaga - then you'd have a REAL part and we could have sex.

And Lady Gaga/Jo Calderone's thinking, I bet I could fool her with this chunk of pink PLAY-DOH - in fact, she might even mistake me for a real Englishman!

Lisa in Oz said...

Just looked at the slideshow and aaaaah! The Ed Wood book! I knew I was forgetting something in my list of Covers I Love. Although in this case, it's more Horrifying Books By Film Legends I Want To Read.

DemetriosX said...

Infoqueen beat me to it. That is totally William Powell.

Pete said...

Ladies out there - When it's time to 'become a woman', do not, I repeat, do not choose a man who tweezes his eyebrows and wears a mauve smoking jacket. Disapointment, rejection and that awful sneer as watches you beg awaits.

Doug Brunell said...

I always masturbate to those lyrics. I thought I was the only one...

Michael5000 said...

Funny! Even more so than usual!