Paperback 1120: Dell D300 (1st ptg., 1959)
Title: Long Shot
Author: David Mark
Cover artist: Bob McGinnis
Condition: 6.5 or 7/10
Value: $8-10
[from Stomping Grounds bookstore, Geneva, NY (6/24/25)]
- God bless my wife for discovering that the bookstore we were rummaging around last week in Geneva, NY had cabinets running the length of the floor (closed!) that contained $1 books. We both of us dropped to our knees and started combing over the inventory. We emerged with five good-to-great books, absolute steals at $1. This is one of them, maybe the best of them, where the cover is concerned. You can't go wrong with McGinnis. This is top-shelf GGA (Great Girl Art). Her smoky sideways glance and akimbo arm (not to mention her Fantastic green dress and orange coat) give this cover tremendous curb appeal.
- The contrast between her (foreground) and the shadowy dude at the betting window (background) creates great dynamic tension in the cover. Doubt it would work half so well if *he* were in the foreground.
- Who needs a silly thing like decency when you've got a rotten little tramp and the sick excitement of a gambling addiction!
- Long Shot is so much better than The Long Chance (the original title). Whoever was in charge of marketing at Dell really knew what they were doing here.
- Seriously, her ensemble is on fire.
Best things about this back cover:
- I'm sorry, is his name really "Loeser?" Kind of on-the-nose for a noir-style sap, don't you think?
- HUSBAND ... LOVER ... BELOVED? I think I get what's going on with Ruth and Katy, but Carol ... I have questions about Carol.
- I have this nagging feeling that things don't end well for Mr. Loeser. That description of what it feels like for him to be at the track is striking, and strikingly like the feelings associated with other addictions, notably alcoholism.
Page 123~
"Fight back!" roared the straight-backed man with the gray mustache (why did everyone have to roar?), "you have to learn to fight back."
"Yes, sir."
"You want to be a man, don't you?"
"I guess so."
"You want to be a good soldier, don't you?"
"I don't think so."
"Well, speak up, lad, what do you want to be?"
Rick tried again. "Alive," he said.
~RP
