Sunday, August 24, 2008

Paperback 130: You Kill Me / John D. MacDonald (Popular Library - Eagle Books G507)

Paperback 130: Popular Library - Eagle Books G507 (2nd ptg??, 1961)
Title: You Kill Me
Author: John D. MacDonald
Cover artist: uncredited

Yours for: $12


Best things about this cover:

  • The former title - which tells you everything about the difference between selling hardbacks and paperbacks. "You Live Once" = subject intransitive verb adverb = "zzzzzzz," whereas "You Kill Me" = subject transitive verb object = entire lurid plot in three words = sales gold
  • She has a wasp waist and is wearing vaguely waspish colors
  • "I am crazy for the salsa dance!"
  • She has that ambiguous look of reckless abandon / sadistic glee
  • John O'Hara is straight-up awesome - many paperbacks by him in my collection, some we've already seen.

Best things about this back cover:

  • Well, not much. Another image retread.
  • For once, the copy writers got it right: "a go-to-hell" look. Nice.

Page 123~

"I put my shoes on and stood by the car in the darkness. Soon I heard the sounds of his dying."


~RP

5 comments:

justjack said...

See, the thing is, that incredibly awesome lowcut top draws all your attention, leaving you to almost think this woman has some of that Ava Gardner thing going on--until you decide to look at the face. Ouch!

Don't be fooled by the body. I once dated a woman with a figure like this. Smokin' top half, wasp waist, but then it all sticks out the back. Just a huge bubble butt, and not in a sexy way. Here's the giveaway: check out that meaty thigh. NFL fullbacks wish they had thighs like that.

G said...

She's the executive-only slutty flamenco dancer of death!

Anonymous said...

Her skirt is at least 5 different shades of yellow.

....that is all.

Michael5000 said...

Awesome analysis of the title change. I feel ensmartened.

Also, I'm a sucker for an ambiguous look of reckless abandon / sadistic glee.

Victoria said...

As a woman, I want to inform justjack that we women just adore having the different parts of our bodies picked apart and rated by men. Keep up the good work.