There is quiet desperation written all over that image. A $3 novel now going for 35¢ – an author who needs blurbed as part of his byline – a vague, totally meaningless come-on and a cover picture out of the Comics Code… Clearly this publisher was on the ropes.
Pitigrilli (alias Dino Segre) was quite a famous novelist in the 1920s’ Italy. Then he worked as a spy for the fascists and had to flee to Argentina where he had a huge success as a journalist and publisher. But your feeling is right, despite his sort of brilliant first writings, he was a sad man with no friends.
There is quiet desperation written all over that image. A $3 novel now going for 35¢ – an author who needs blurbed as part of his byline – a vague, totally meaningless come-on and a cover picture out of the Comics Code… Clearly this publisher was on the ropes.
I wonder how bad the writing was.
Pitigrilli (alias Dino Segre) was quite a famous novelist in the 1920s’ Italy. Then he worked as a spy for the fascists and had to flee to Argentina where he had a huge success as a journalist and publisher. But your feeling is right, despite his sort of brilliant first writings, he was a sad man with no friends.