Saturday, January 18, 2014

Paperback 734: Fire, Burn / John Dickson Carr (Bantam A1847)

Paperback 734: Bantam A1847 (1st ptg, 1959)

Title: Fire, Burn
Author: John Dickson Carr
Cover artist: Uncredited

Yours for: $9

Bant1847

Best things about this cover:
  • So, uh, title: are you giving instructions to the fire (which I doubt it needs), or … are you Frankenstein's monster remarking up on what fire does, or …?
  • "Oh, hi there, I was just fixing my hair and … my boobs? … oh yes, there they are. Whoops, how careless of me."
  • Giant pink bookmark.
  • Cape/cane frame.
  • God, 19th-century interior decorating was dreadful.

Bant1847bc

Best things about this back cover:
  • Least flattering author pic of all time.
  • Amateurish bats are oddly charming.
  • I hope that Lady Flora is either a rapper or has a sister named Lady Fauna.

Page 123~

If anyone had seen the pistol fall from Flora's muff, or seen him hide it under the hollow-based lamp, they might both stand in the dock on a charge of murder.

~RP

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Tumblr]

4 comments:

DemetriosX said...

I suppose "Fire, Burn" is quoting Shakespeare, but it rather lacking out of context. Properly, the title should also have an exclamation point.

The painting just doesn't fit with a Carr novel. It looks like it's trying to imply the book is a lot racier than it almost certainly is.

Although, if you interpret "muff" as a euphemism in the 123 quote...

Random White Guy said...

DemetriosX: what have you done? Now I'm imagining a gun falling out of a woman's... "muff"

[lrf] said...

It's been known to happen.

capewood said...

Sounds like the plot of the "Life on Mars".