pornokitsch

Underground Reading: Rebel to Judgement by Anthony C. West

"Spring: I had been waiting for it since Christmas and that year it was late and hesitant, the wind avoiding the burgeoning south and lingering in the chilly houses of the north and east although the birds foretold the coming stature of the sun, larks singing day-long, the democratic rooks at parliament, but after the snowdrops and apart from winter grain learning to lean with the wind there were only celandines at flower in sheltered corners and along the feet of warm walls."

Thus begins Rebel to Judgement (1963) - with a paragraph-long opening sentence that skillfully avoids saying anything interesting.

Underground Reading: The Black Satin Jungle by Bart Frame

The Black Satin Jungle (1953) is a vaguely exotic behind-the-scenes expose of the fashion business. Originally titled "Indiscretions of a French Model", the book is heavy on the indiscretions and light on the modeling. 

Our heroine is Louise, a young, French woman who comes over the the US to marry her American soldier. Upon arrival, she discovers that the streets aren't paved with cheese - in fact, her husband is an ass and her in-laws are rude, drunk, smelly and perverted. The best of them - her brother-in-law - is a lazy blackmailer. 

Fortunately, Louise is a knockout. 

Classic Covers: Girls in Trouble

 

Unexpected Reviews: Gossip Girl (Season 1)

To lead with the conclusion: the 18-episode first season of Gossip Girl was fantastic - a shameless and mesmerizing look into the sleazy lives of New York's over-privileged teens. I have a hard time resisting more-ish teen soaps, and, in the case of this show, I'm glad I didn't.

The shows are introduced and - loosely - narrated by the enigmatic 'Gossip Girl'. She's an upper-crust blogger that keeps the plot moving by circulating tips. She's also voiced by the (uncredited) Kirsten Bell, who does the job in her snarkiest Veronica Mars 'I'm making fun of the rich people' accent, which is good fun. 

To get the criticism out of the way, Gossip Girl suffers from the same genre failings as virtually every other teen drama:

Classic Covers: The Company Girls by Mona Williams

Robert McGinnis? He was really, really good.

Classic Covers: Midwood Publishing

Finally got my paws on a couple books from the infamous sleaze publisher (check out this lovely site for a full cover gallery), thanks to a terrific shopping binge in Lyme Regis.

More pornokitsch treasures after the fold. Sex sex sex!

Classic Covers: How Not to Kill Your Husband by A Family Doctor

Underground Reading: The Conscripts by Walter Winward

The Conscripts (1968) is an early novel from action-adventure writer Walter Winward. The novel follows a half dozen boys as they join the British National Service. The boys come from a variety of backgrounds - including a blue-blooded student, a genial farmer, a sociopathic bouncer and even an East London Jew. 

Winward punctuates the book thoroughly with flashbacks, but the main action is sequential. The reader follows the young men through their training, then through their service in Cyprus and Egypt. Although they're only signed up for two years, it seems like a lifetime. Winward does his best to capture their growth and development, but due to the length of the novel (short), the passage of time seems awfully choppy.

Classic Covers: The Advertising Man by Jack Dillon

The Advertising Man by Jack Dillon

Classic Covers: Expense Account by Joe Morgan

Expense Account by Joe Morgan