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Title: Nero Wolfe of West Thirty-Fifth Street: The Life and Times of America's Largest Private Detective by William S. Baring-Gould ISBN: 0-14-006194-0 Publisher: Penguin USA (Paper) Pub. Date: June, 1982 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: "Nothing corrupts a man as deeply as writing a book"
Comment: The title of this review is the lead quote from chapter 27, "The Philosophy of Nero Wolfe." :)
Originally published in 1969, the bibliography, though not the internal chronology, are complete up to _The Father Hunt_ (i.e., the last 4 novels and _Death Times Three_ had not been published as yet), and naturally Rex Stout's own name graces the top of the dedication list. Both Stout and Baring-Gould were noted Baker Street Irregulars; Baring-Gould gave the world his excellent Annotated Sherlock Holmes, while Stout authored the infamous "Watson Was a Woman" theory.
It's a pity that Baring-Gould couldn't give Wolfe the full annotation treatment that he gave Holmes; apart from the problem of copyrights, Wolfe has a far larger canon than Holmes did. Part Two of this volume devotes chapters 12 - 26 to Wolfe's cases in chronological order, up to _Death of a Doxy_. Each case's salient points are briefly outlined without giving too much away; those which weren't explicitly dated are analyzed to place them in time. I personally found this of less interest than the rest of the book; some extra material giving the flavour of the time in which the stories were set would have seasoned it more to my taste.
The rest of the book, though, gives Baring-Gould more scope. Chapter 1, "The Private Detective", lovingly analyzes the quirks that make Wolfe fun to watch (e.g. "Contact is not a verb under this roof"; as you may recall, a client once paid an extra $1000, though he never knew it, for using it that way in the office). This is followed, of course, by "The Man of Action" (analyzing Archie), "An Old Brownstone House" (hey, it's practically a character itself, and a floorplan is provided at the end of the book), and "The Major Domo" (Fritz, of course; we also get "Wining and Dining with Nero Wolfe" later on).
Theodore never got enough time on stage to provide enough material for a chapter of his own, but we do get "A Wolfean Guide to the Orchidaceae" (I wish the publisher had sprung for colour illustrations). Zeck, however, does get a chapter, as do the homicide squad and the irregulars (Saul, Fred, Orrie, et al.)
Chapters 9 - 11 - Baring-Gould's theories about how Wolfe might be a blood relative of Holmes, Wolfe and Marko might be brothers, and Archie might be Wolfe's nephew - can be best appreciated if you think about them as poetic justice for that "Watson Was a Woman" business Stout pestered the Baker Street Irregulars with; I don't take them seriously, myself.
All in all, good stuff, as any serious treatment of Wolfe should be. The final case-by-case chronology (starting with Wolfe's probable birthdate, and including cases mentioned by Archie but never published) is *very* nice.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Must For Any Wolfe Fan
Comment: Baring-Gould has written the essential reference book for any and all fans of Rex Stout's wonderful creation. Not only does he provide a superb career summary of Wolfe's adventures, he gives a plan of the first floor of the famous Brownstone on West 35th Street, a summary of each of the mysteries and a chronological sequence for the mysteries. This book tells you everything you want to know about the great detective, his assistant (and gadfly) Archie Goodwin, and all of Stout's wonderful cast of characters.
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Title: BLACK MOUNTAIN, THE by Rex Stout ISBN: 0553272918 Publisher: Crime Line Pub. Date: 01 July, 1988 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
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Title: Prisoner's Base by Rex Stout ISBN: 0553242695 Publisher: Crime Line Pub. Date: 01 October, 1992 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Trio for Blunt Instruments by Rex Stout ISBN: 0553241915 Publisher: Crime Line Pub. Date: 01 January, 1997 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: RED THREADS by Rex Stout ISBN: 0553225308 Publisher: Crime Line Pub. Date: 01 October, 1995 List Price(USD): $4.99 |
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Title: Double for Death by Rex Stout ISBN: 0553763008 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 April, 1995 List Price(USD): $19.00 |
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