In the past I've talked about cheapo paperback houses making the most of France's reputation for literary naughtiness to spruik their shoddy wares. Nobody did this more thoroughly than 'France Books' in the 1960s.
'First American Printing' shouted each of their covers. What this really meant was 'only printing anywhere', but it was obviously hoped that this, plus the French flag logo, would make the poor suckers that made up their readership assume that they were getting some authentic Gallic filth somehow slipped past the American censors.
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As you can see, some of their covers were "exclusive" fold-outs. In this case you get to see more of 'Sherri', though she has the unfortunate, unerotic air of a puddingy Eastern European housewife who can't be bothered with this "look sexy for the camera" lark.
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Perhaps a historical novel is more your speed?
They also offered helpful sociological advice.
Here are some more, with inept cover art and nonsensical taglines ("Female and fatal... so just seduce me a little." What the fuck?)
Sadly, I can't find cover scans for their other books, which rejoice in titles like Prisoners of Lesbos, Big Mama, Passion Strip, and the bemusing Greeks Had a Sex for It.
I own "Silent Sex" ... and I'm pretty sure that's Stockard Channing on the cover of "Female and Fatal." The least explicable, oddest, and most disturbing cover here, for me, is "Twist Session." I think it's the hair. That, and the random, weirdly unsexy pantslessness.
ReplyDeleteBloody hell, that does look like Stockard Channing. How bizarre. I know exactly what you mean about 'Twist Session'--the way it aims so obviously for unbridled (and unpantsed) sexiness, yet falls so wide of the mark.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that Cleopatra's Sex Rival took me for a spin and tops all of these as just weird shit.
ReplyDeleteRegarding The ABC's of Sex..."buttocks"?? Z gets "zooerestia", but all B can scrounge up is "buttocks"?
ReplyDeleteI read this post at work in an open plan office. I turned round to find an interview candidate sitting a few yards behind me - they now probably think I spend my days looking at porn.
ReplyDeleteIan: They are truly mental, but the fact that she's Cleopatra's BLONDE Sex Rival is an important plot point, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteBill: 'Xenophon' seems another case of grasping at straws.
Steerforth: Sorry about that. Maybe you could say you were checking the auction value of some vintage French literature. Yes, that's what you were doing.