Paperback 1138: Woman Trap / John Davidson (Uptown Books 705)

Paperback 1138: Uptown Books 705 (PBO, 1962)

Title: Woman Trap

Author: John Davidson (pseud. of Thomas Nuetzel)

Cover artist: photo cover

Condition: 6/10

Value: $8-10

[Newest addition to the Doug Peterson Collection]

Best things about this cover: 

• "She was the kind of creature that convulsed into a sea of rippling heated waves..." Oh that kind of creature. I thought she might be one of those creatures that hibernates, or maybe comes crawling out of my basement every once in a while. Thanks for clarifying.
• When my main thought about a sleaze paperback cover is, "hey, that's a pretty nice quilt," then I'd say it's lacking ... something.
• "OK, we're gonna cover you with this tarp and then you just ... do weird things with your hand ... OK, now try to look happy ... no, not hungry, happy ... eh, good enough"

Best things about this back cover: 

• All the women *I*'ve had??? What do you know? Is this some kind of Candid Camera / This is Your Life deal? If so, pass.
• The use of the second person here ("you") is so weird, not least because it drops out halfway through the blurb. ("'Waiting for his touch'?? Whose touch? Who the hell is this guy?")
• I won't bore you by recounting the grammatical atrocities in this blurb. I'll just say that somehow the most dispiriting of these, to me, is "laying there" (it's lying!!! lying lying lying!)

Page 123~

    Without knowing that he had done it, Carlton found himself walking up the pathway toward the house which Wanda Stevens was staying in. He didn't want to see her, really, but his feet had moved in the direction and he found himself standing before the door, almost afraid to open it.

    Then sighing, deeply, he reaching [sic!] out his hand and rang the bell.

Then sighing, deeply, I wondering how anything so poorly proofread ever made it to print. Also, why is he "almost afraid to open" the door when in fact, he can't open it, as it's clearly not his house. If it were, he wouldn't need to ring the bell in the very next sentence. He's not afraid to open the door—he's afraid to ring the bell. Just say that. Why Can't You Just Say That!?!?

~RP

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Paperback 754: Passionate Trio / John Davidson (Epic Book 120)

Paperback 754: Epic Book Original No. 120 (PBO, 1961)

Title: Passionate Trio
Author: John Davidson
Cover artist: photo cover

Yours for: Not for Sale (part of the Doug Peterson Collection)


Best things about this cover:

• I can't believe this cover photo *ever* read as salacious. It could easily be the cover of a modern girl group's album Right Now. Adorable.
• "Half-female" raises the important question WHAT IS THE OTHER HALF!? IS IT RANCH DRESSING!?
• Seriously, this photo looks like it was taken yesterday. Fantastic swimsuits! This may be the only cover where my reasons for wanting to see more of the women's bodies are almost purely fashion-related.

Best things about this back cover:

• Wild Font! Love it.
• Wow, the tonal gulf between cover photo and cover copy just gets deeper and wider…
• "Bill Hayward" made me laugh out loud. "Here is the story of something racy … Here is the story of something salacious … Here is the story of some random guy's name."
• Next time I feel caught in the insane whirl of my existence, and people ask me how I'm feeling, I'll be like "not gonna lie, kinda Bill Hayward today."
• READ THIS STORY, NOW! = my kind of advertising come-on. No beating around the bush. JUST BUY IT, MOTHERFUCKER!

Page 123~

Even from where he stood he could see that she was drunk.

"Why aren't you at work?"

"Too drunk," she replied. "Aha," he exclaimed. "Just as I thought."

~RP

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