Sunday, March 24, 2013

Paperback 624: Men Working / John Faulkner (Bantam 1023)

Paperback 624: Bantam 1023 (1st ptg, 1952)

Title: Men Working
Author: John Faulkner
Cover artist: Harry Schaare

Yours for: $16

Bant1023

Best things about this cover:

  • After "The Wizard of Oz," Bert Lahr fell on hard times.
  • Apparently the word "Working" has undergone a major redefinition.
  • "You want my hat? 'Cause I ain't gots no use fer it no more. Here. You take it."
  • John Faulkner continues to plow his little corner of the fictional world—Slovenly Sexpots and the Yokels Who Gawk at Them.
  • Guess the ink was wet at some point. I'm never seen title-streaking like that before.
  • Best part about this cover: Yellow. And Red. Even in that shapeless dress, she explodes off the page.
  • "Blunt": "Frank"'s ugly cousin.


Bant1023bc

Best things about this back cover:

  • Oh yeah. Blunt Frankness! That's the stuff.
  • "We're under attack from critical applause. The last salvo hit Jerry. Jerry? You OK? JERRY!?"
  • In case you missed it the first time: blunt frankness. None of that round-about, elliptical, evasive frankness for John Faulkner. Nosiree.

Page 123~

"Good God," said the Board of Health again. Then, "Do you mind if we look at your toilet room?"

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

5 comments:

DemetriosX said...

Man, all of these John Faulkner covers are terrific. Personally, I love the juxtaposition of the title and the art in which the men are most definitely not working.

I would guess that the streaking is the result of somebody spilling red ink on the book and doing a poor job of cleaning it off. There's even a fingerprint there on the left at the end of the fence.

The best thing about the back has to be the footnote that basically says, "We can sell this cheap because the hardback made a ton of money."

Pete said...

Make fun of these hicks all you want, but even the depression era ditch diggers show up for work dressed in a proper pair of slacks, an oxford shirt, and a pair of leather, laced shoes. I only wear such apparel when I have a client presentation to make.

NomadUK said...

I suppose it could also be a deep novel of the stricken south in the deep 30s ...

NomadUK said...

argh. that would be a deep novel of the stricken south in the blunt 30s ... meh ... never mind. sounded better than it turned out ...

Karl said...

It looks to me like only one of the characters on that cover is "working," and I'm pretty sure she isn't a man.