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Paperback 194: Gold Medal 122 (PBO, 1950)
[For Kathy P]
Title: One Wild Oat
Author: MacKinlay Kantor
Cover artist: Willard Downes
Best things about this cover:
- "I regret that I have but one wild oat to sow for my country."
- I looked up ENNUI in the dictionary and found this picture.
- "Whatsa matter, baby? Don't you like it here in my cave?"
- Neither liquor, nor cigarettes, nor, uh, whatever Native American bauble she's playing with there, could move Louise to give Rock Handsome the time of day.
- This painting went up for auction on-line a couple of years ago
- Don't you love it it when booksellers put price stickers directly onto the covers of vintage paperbacks covered in delicate, easily destroyed Perma-Gloss? I know I do. (Sticker is probably removable - I just never tried, as the Perma-Gloss on the cover is virtually undamaged)
Best things about this back cover:
- "My dear girl" ... "abide" ... was she abducted by a randy English butler?
- I'm guessing that "Middlefield" represents the Middle-class standards of Middle America
- Love how the last paragraph reads almost like a non sequitur. So casual. Like she was contemplating hanging new curtains.
Page 123~
The scent of mulled wine was in her nostrils, the ringing of Prokofiev in her ears, as - shaking, still reluctant - she awarded herself to LeRoy for that sacred moment, and touched her face against his.
I'm sorry, but "nostrils" pretty much sucked the sexy vibe right out of the room.
~RP
7 comments:
I prefer the Dr. Seuss version: "One Oat, Two Oat, Wild Oat, Domesticated Oat"
"awarded herself to". I think I love that. I'm going to use that phrase from now on.
Sounds like Scottish porn -- "Weel, I really canna' afford more than ONE ..."
My dad uses kerosene to dissolve price sticker glue without damaging the covers. After our family book shopping binges he'd always spend half an hour with a little bottle of the smelly stuff and a paintbrush. I've tried bath oil and it softens the glue but also makes it horrendously sticky.
"Maybe I shouldn't have come."
Er...without using protection?
"awarded herself to". Hilarious! Nearly fell off my chair laughing.
Gold Medal Books - The most exciting writing to be found anywhere!
One oat?
Go, tiny oat, go! SWIM! It's all on you, man!
Have you a halogen light in your home at all? Hold the sticker up to it and the warmth will soften the glue, letting you work it off gently. Old stage-hand trick.
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