There are all kinds of jobs you can pursue when you grow up, and that’s the theme of this week’s column. But if you’re expecting me to take the easy route with detectives and spies: What’s the fun in that? Instead, we have a illustrator, a dancer and a insurance salesman. Now that’s diversity, people.
SEX DANCER by Clayton Matthews – There’s a great photography book called CARNIVAL STRIPPERS, which – using just photos – does more to explain their stripper lives then this 1962 pile of melodramatic crap.
The basic – and I mean basic – plot is of Jean, a new dancer at the girlie show in the carnival. She’s the big star who does not have to do the dread “blow-off” portion of the show – take a wild guess what happens there. You get the bully manager of the show who sleeps with Jean; the other girls in the show who’ve been passed over for the fresh meat; and then Mace, a motorcycle operator whom Jean has fallen for.
I saw how this book was going to turn out at page 39. I knew exactly what was going to happen and to whom. The book cover promises a lurid tale of degradation. Too bad this third-rate pulp-like tale is completely muddled. Do yourself a favor and read PIMP by Iceberg Slim and look at the photos in CARNIVAL STRIPPERS. You’ll be better off.
BROOKS WILSON LTD. by J.M. Ryan – The life of a illustrator must be fascinating, according to this 1966 book. But I got another word for it: dated. I was warned early on this was a stinker, but I tried to plow through it all, anyway.
Our hero is a delusional mess, to say the least. It’s as if Walter Mitty was a pompous artist with a libido. It’s just so of its time that it’s no fun, even in a kitschy way. Here is pretty much what I got out of this ultra-repetitive novel: Brooks needs a job, he fantasizes about the women in his neighborhood, he drinks too much, repeat. Throw in the occasional affair with the other characters and there you have it.
Here’s a case of the best part of the book being its cover. It looks so cool, but whatever you do, don’t read it – it’s ridiculous and disappointing, to say the least.
DOUBLE INDEMNITY by James M. Cain – I read an awful lot of crap for this column. You know I know it, so I figured I would treat myself to something great. Being a huge fan of the 1944 movie – the great noir film, in my opinion – and having read other Cain novels, I figured it was about damn time.
For those who don’t know the 1936 novel’s basic plot, it’s like this: The life of Walter Huff – a normal, everyday insurance salesman – changes in a big way when he hooks up wit the new Mrs. Nirdlinger. They plan to kill her hubby and cash in on his insurance, hence the title.
For those who’ve only see the film, the book is much darker in tone, and the movie was pretty dark for its time. The ending is vastly different, but the plotting and scheming is all still there. It really comes down to whether Huff can trust this woman. This noir novel is probably in the Top 3 when it comes to pointing out examples. I needed this to recharge my batteries.
Next week, we pay respect to a local (to me, at least) author’s passing of 70 years ago. –Bruce Grossman
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