Friday, September 19, 2014

Paperback 816: The Outward Room / Millen Brand (Lion 26)

Paperback 816: Lion Books 26 (1st ptg, 1950)

Title: The Outward Room
Author: Millen Brand
Cover artist: Harry Schaare

Yours for: $14

Lion26

Best things about this cover:

  • Can an insane woman heat her lukewarm coffee with just the sustained gaze of her eyeballs?
  • Joe blamed Harriet for their second-place finish in the Shiniest Hair Pageant of 1949.
  • I have no idea what this book's about and don't really care because I'm *obsessed* with all the authentic '50s diner details. Napkin dispenser! Sugar dispenser! Ketchup bottle! Uniformed dude in front of the "25c" special sign next to the giant urn! Salt shaker, ribbed, for my pleasure! One of the few cover paintings where the people are far, far less interesting than their surroundings.
  • OK, her bumblebee/pirate top is pretty boss.


Lion26bc

Best things about this back cover:

  • "No", she said. She felt no hunger. Which is why she said "no." Just to be clear.
  • This back cover came out during the brief Xtreme Font Smallness craze of 1950.
  • Insane girls are easy.
  • Harriet found Joe slightly more interesting than staring at ketchup, so she thought "Sure, why not?"


Page 123~
The clock moved, the dresses knew no sweat, set their loveliness against their bodies. Hospital, forget—she cut with the scissors, but thread, but memory until the present burned alone in the threads falling. 
"Hospital, Forget" would've made a much more interesting title.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

1 comment:

DemetriosX said...

What a terrific cover. All of the details you mentioned hit me even before I read your comments. Great stuff.

She has kind of a young Bette Davis thing going on. He, on the other hand, appears to be stealing her purse.