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The Golden Gizmo
by Thompson, Jim
- Used
- good
- Paperback
- Condition
- Good
- Seller
-
Portland, Oregon, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Lion Books, 1954. First Edition. Paperback. Good. First edition. Paperback original. 158 p. Good+ condition. Creased spine with slight lean, light edge wear. A crime novel from Thompson's golden period that is almost as strange as Savage Night, featuring a talking dog, a born-loser protagonist, and a well-crafted, suspenseful plot.
Synopsis
One of Thompson's most outrageous works of fiction, the Golden Gizmo incorporates elements of the classic American tall tale with descriptions of the particularly hardboiled criminal underclass of 1950's L.A.. Toddy Kent is a hustler, seeking out sources of easy money in the most unlikely places thanks to a sixth-sense he has, known as a 'gizmo,' after the G.I. term for something unidentifiable. He does not know how it works; if he did than maybe he could prevent the inconvenient inconsistencies that often leave him high and dry at the worst times. A transient life leaves Toddy with an extensive rap sheet and a runaround wife, eventually landing him on the gray side of legal in LA county. Then, his gizmo strikes with a hunch he cannot ignore, leading him to an unknown source of gold. Of course it comes at a price to Toddy. His wife turns up dead--murdered--and he finds himself stalked by a chinless man with a talking doberman that sings hymns before it kills. Thomspon's portrayal of the incurable criminal who has no control over his situation goes from hilarious to horrifying. Through Toddy's attempts to understand his situation, the reader is lead through the strip joints, brothels and seedy bars of a different era, when L.A. was capital of the world of illusion.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 151120002
- Title
- The Golden Gizmo
- Author
- Thompson, Jim
- Format/Binding
- Paperback
- Book Condition
- Used - Good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Edition
- Publisher
- Lion Books
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1954
- Keywords
- crime, noir, pulp
Terms of Sale
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Biblio member since 2010
Portland, Oregon
About Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Burnside Rare Books specializes in literary first editions and works of cultural and historic significance. We are located in Portland, Oregon and welcome visitors by appointment.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Good+
- A term used to denote a condition a slight grade better than Good.
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
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