Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Paperback 936: The Black Rose / Thomas B. Costain (Perma Books M-7501)

Paperback 936: Perma Books M-7501 (1st ptg, 1961)

Title: The Black Rose
Author: Thomas B. Costain
Cover artist: Uncredited

Estimated value: a few bucks

[Part of the Laura R. Braunstein Collection]

Perma7501
Best things about this cover:
  • Shirtless Barbers of Medieval England!
  • This dude is totally thinking "m'lady."
  • "Cut this lock. The one I'm pointing to. With my pointy digits that give my arm the appearance of an angry swan ... yes, that one."

Perma7501bc
Best things about this back cover:
  • Ooh, side by side! That's the hottest kind of lying!
  • Engaine, LOL. "Oh, are you having 'Engaine' trouble? Here, I can help you start your motor..."
  • "Their love was as wrong as this putrid green color you're looking at right now!"

Page 123~

"And now, John-Put-Upon, will you be good enough to run downstairs and ask your grandfather and my friend to come up?"

Medieval bordellos could get a little freaky.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

2 comments:

DemetriosX said...

You sure wouldn't know it from any of the cover material here, but this is actually a pretty decent book. I'm surprised the artist didn't try to make them look at least a little bit like Tyrone Power and Cecile Aubry. Sure, it had been a decade since the movie (which is fantastic: Orson Welles, Jack Hawkins, Michael Rennie, 16-year old Robert Blake!), but I would think enough people would have remembered it for it to help sales.

Thalia said...

The back cover image reminds me of Alex feeling shagged and fagged and fashed after some old in-and-out.