Sunday, January 17, 2010

57 Books from the University Book Sale: Book 39

Title: The Deadly Climate — Pocket Books 1077 (1st ptg, 1955)
Author: Ursula Curtiss
Cover artist: James Meese

Yours for: $5


  • "Dear god, no! That pillow's not hypoallergmmphrrrmmmph!"
  • This is some damn great cover art and design. Great action, great use of white space, and possibly the biggest eyeballs I've ever seen on a cover girl. Amazing.

  • "Two steps less?" Not "fewer?"
  • "Unbelieving eyes stared back at her. No one wanted to believe..." Yeah, that's generally what UNBELIEVING means, Shakespeare.
  • What the hell is "Shock — exposure" supposed to mean? Is that like "Stop! ... Hammertime!"?

Page 123~

Trunz took a sharp curve and inquired elaborately, "Want the siren?"


Does "elaborate" have a definition I'm not aware of? One that means The Exact Opposite of "elaborate," maybe?

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter]

12 comments:

cwogle said...

"I warned you not to take my pillow, sweetie. I told you there would be consequences. But you just wouldn't listen."

I have now worked my way through your entire archive. My wife sends venomous looks to you because absolutely nothing on her long weekend todo list got done. Er, long weekend, not long list. Well, actually, they're both long.

Keep 'em coming, Rex.

JamiSings said...

This is the creepiest cover I have seen in a long time. She knows she's about to die -

Plus rather realistic. Most suffocations I see depicted show the sleeper on their back, but I've never seen anyone sleep flat on their back, hands at their sides. She's actually on her side - almost rolled over on her belly.

Alix said...

Who wears red lipstick to bed?

"Carmichael of the local newspaper" -- is that supposed to be like "Rumpole of the Bailey"?

Alix said...

By the way, just how big is that freakin' pillow?

Ms Avery said...

Ugh, the last paragraph on the back cover is made of awkward.

capewood said...

"...brought back from behind the cobwebs of the past a strange answer". What was the question?

capewood said...

By the way "Cobwebs of the Past" is a A Chip N' Dale's Rescue Rangers story.

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute, Rex! You missed the important part: now you have to be INVITED to witness murder. It is much more formal nowadays, since it has gotten so common. And the punishment for party crashing....

Rex Parker said...

Hey, where have you guys been? Feels like I haven't see Alix, Avery, capewood, or Anonymous (?!) in Forever. Bringing Funny back in '010. Hurray.

rp

capewood said...

You're on my daily list. Glad to have made an impression.

Nicole "Gidget" Kalstein said...

This cover is marvelous.Her expression is awesome. Does anyone else think that the hand is not attached to an arm? Either that, or his sleeve is the exact color and texture of the wall behind them.

Wow, Alix, I didn't even pay attention to the lipstick! (I'm so used to seeing it on Rex's covers). But you're right...red lipstick to bed is a bad idea. Gets all over the pillowcases.

Oh, and one last thing: I love the oldschool blue-striped pillow. Although, it IS kind of abnormally huge.
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http://coverjunkie.blogspot.com/

Tulse said...

I tickles me no end that the "elaborately" asked question is only three words and has no explicit subject. I'm not sure it would be possible to create a less elaborate grammatical sentence.

Maybe we're missing all the hand gestures that went with it.