Books: Big Bad City

DIVERSEY—MacKinlay Kantor—Coward-McCann ($2.00).

The Story. Small town Marry Javlyn arrived at a Chicago rooming house off Diversey Street. He was absorbed immediately into the ways of the big city; tossed carelessly on the bathroom shelf was a wallet stuffed with bigger bills than he had ever seen, and the only identification was Cook County's check for $84.62. The owner, identified by the paunchy landlord, was Abe Wise. This Jew locked his bedroom door, touched his "gat" fondly, but offered Marry the hospitality of excellent bootleg, and introduced Josephine Ruska of the husky voice...

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