Monday, January 26, 2015

Paperback 854: Spring Riot / Jay Presson (Lion 42)

Paperback 854: Lion Books 42 (1st ptg, 1950)

Title: Spring Riot
Author: Jay Presson [Jay Presson Allen, screenwriter of some note; also, a woman] [h/t Bill Crider]
Cover artist: Alan Smithee (uncredited, actually)

Estimated value: $10-15

Lion42

Best things about this cover:

  • "I want MORE than your body, Susan … I want … I want your green sofa. I'll give you $20."
  • His face reminds me of the Jaime Sommers ("The Bionic Woman") beauty/styling head my sister got once as a gift and then left on the bricks in front of the fire and then her face did a slow horror-movie cave-in. It's a good thing we can't see the right side of his face, because I am convinced it is doing terrible things.
  • Art here is just terrible. Those hands! His are practically amphibious. Hyper-slim and not convincingly human.
  • I love her 1000-yard stare. "No, Steve. I'm meant for bigger, for much bigger things than this book cover."


Lion42bc

Best things about this back cover:

  • Ah, the '50s, when rape = "passion." Good times.
  • I keep seeing "Kipping Silk" and thinking "that sounds like fun … what is that?"
  • "His mouth closed down on hers…" For the CPR fetishist in all of us!
  • I love the idea of her palm "exploding" across his mouth. Exploding palms would be a cool superpower.
  • Oh, she's "evil," so it's OK. You can enjoy the rape scene with no guilt. Just don't your friends how it ends (!?!).


Page 123~

And wonder of wonders, the next day she did go docilely with him to the dentist.

I don't even want to touch that sentence. I'm gonna leave it there in all its perfect, crystalline glory.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

2 comments:

mybillcrider said...

The author was better known as Jay Presson Allen, whose screenwriting credits are extensive and impressive.

Marla said...

Silk is SO shrill.