Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Paperback 611: TCOT Perjured Parrot / Erle Stanley Gardner (Pocket Books 378)

Paperback 611: Pocket Books 378 (3rd ptg, 1947)

Title: The Case of the Perjured Parrot
Author: Erle Stanley Gardner
Cover artist: Uncredited

Yours for: $18

PB378

Best things about this cover:
  • Perjured Parrot is not lying when he says he will straight-up maul your face.
  • I will be seeing those eyes and that "hand" in my nightmares tonight, and every night.
  • This book is in near-perfect condition.

PB378bc

Best things about this back cover:
  • The oldest pun in the book.
  • "Exceedingly profane parrot" = best premise for a mystery I've ever heard. "I will #$%@ up your face and then #$%@ your wife, you #$@%ing #$@%-ass #$@%!"
  • "Like a mule-skinner" is a simile that has lost a bit of its cultural resonance. By "a bit" I mean "all."


Page 123~

Bolding pushed back his swivel chair, crossed over to a steel filing case, unlocked the catch and angrily jerked the steel drawer open. "Oh, all right," he said, "if you're going to act that way about it."

He then made a pouty face, stomped off, and locked himself in his room with a copy of "Tiger Beat."

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

4 comments:

Wade said...

There are ABRIDGED versions of Perry Mason?!

Zach said...

Is that avian fear hand?

Anonymous said...

"Bolding pushed back his swivel chair, crossed over to a steel filing case, unlocked the catch and angrily jerked the steel drawer open." is probably the longest sentence I've ever seen without a subject.

The parrot did all this?

Karl said...

Aw, how cute! The parrot is on the stand, taking the oath:

"Raise your right paw, Polly... no, no, your RIGHT paw!"

"Rawk! Screw you copper! What do I know from right and left? I'm a #$@%ing parrot!"