RARA-AVIS: Re: Evan Hunter sex book

From: bobav1 ( rav7@COLUMBIA.EDU)
Date: 18 Oct 2007


Dear Curt:

Great website, and intriguing reviews. I have lots of these types of books, mostly for the covers, and it's been years since I read it, but I remember thinking that Fletcher Bennett's Vice Row (published by Playtime) was way better than average. (I moved this summer, so I have no idea where my copy is.)

There's some decent writing in the early books (pre-1963? 1964? 1965?)) of Nightstand/Midnight Reader/etc., Beacon, Monarch, and Newsstand Library. Maybe not so surprising, given that some of that stuff was being written by Block, Westlake, Evan Hunter, John Jakes, Robert Silverberg, Harlan Ellison, Marion Zimmer Bradley, etc., etc., not to mention Willeford under his own name, and Orrie Hitt, and some of those other unsung, unrepublished writers like Clyde Allison. My sense is that the skill and talent of good writing and storytelling went to hell when sleaze became actual porn (1966? 1967? when the Nightstand books got regular-sized).

All best,

Bob V in NJ, who's got a Midwood signed by Block and Westlake

--- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, "Curt Purcell" <curtpurcell@...> wrote:
>
> Here's the text of a review I just wrote of two sleaze paperbacks, one
> of which was probably by Evan Hunter. To see the covers (which I
> highly recommend, though be warned that they are NSFW) and get the
> benefit of embedded links, check out the original review on my blog:
>
>
http://groovyageofhorror.blogspot.com/2007/10/nightstand-sleaze-double-feature.html
>



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