Book Club: The League of Frightened Men
Apr. 17th, 2010 04:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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milk_and_orchidsSorry to be sliding this in at the last minute. There was a volcano. It erupted.
League of Frightened Men continues the trend of Archie acting like a five year old. In this case, a five year old with attention deficit disorder. The story opens with Wolfe and Archie in the office. Archie is in the middle of an I'm BORED, Pay Attention to Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee tantrum. I suspect that Archie Goodwin is every bit as high maintenance as Nero Wolfe himself.
While Archie throws pejoratives around like it is 1935, we are introduced to the antagonist, Paul Chapin, who became disabled during a hazing incident that took place at Harvard University. Paul Chapin is an Evil Cripple, with shades of Genius Cripple. I am really curious about how prevalent these tropes were when Rex Stout was writing this book. My familiarity with the Evil Cripple/Evil Wheelchair User comes mostly from Doctor Who; I'm not sure what sort of presence it had before that.
Anyway, enter Paul Chapin, psychopath. Enter the cowardly clients. Who exactly is intended to be the sympathetic character in this book? Evelyn Hibbard seemed like a good person, but she was only around for about five pages.
Which reminds me, although Wolfe is the character that is generally considered to be a misogynist I actually found Archie's attitude towards women the more offensive in this book. All his comments about women are along the lines of "…provided she's not just an item for the cleaners" or "nobody that knew merchandise would have put her on a bargain counter." It speaks volumes. Whereas Wolfe is "the only man I had ever met who used absolutely the same tone to a woman as to a man."
Archie's favorable opinion of other men seems to based on a combination of intelligence, competence, work ethic, nerve, and social class. He has a certain amount of contempt for college boys and the class privilege they represent. He obviously likes to think of himself as a working man. In Chapter 7 Archie refuses to let Fritz bring him his glass of milk in the evening, presumably because Archie doesn't like to think of himself as someone who needs to be waited on?
Wolfe's attitude towards Archie's intelligence is condescending, and who can blame him? Archie is more often in the role of man of action than man of intelligence. He claims that he has been working for Wolfe for seven years. This is easy to believe when they fight like an old married couple. At one point Archie is yelling at Wolfe when Orrie shows up with Paul Chapin's box, causing Archie to immediately break out the respectful tone and it's all, Honey, let's not fight in front of the company. *g*
But, seriously, what exactly has Archie been doing for seven years? Keeping orchid records? Body guarding? Nursing Wolfe through relapses?
Wolfe's agoraphobia and relapses are one of the most interesting features of the early books, and are something I like to keep track of.
In chapter 10:
Of course, we need to recognize the significance of Wolfe leaving the house to appreciate the scene where Archie has been drugged and is devastated at the thought that Wolfe might be murdered.
(Confession: every time I read it that scene makes me squeee so hard that I actually have to put the book down and pace around my flat enjoying it for a while before I can resume reading.)
In Chapter 11: "I have seen him, during a relapse, dispose completely of a ten-pound goose between eight o'clock and midnight."
That strikes me as a symptom of something other than eccentricity.
Thoughts? Opinions?
League of Frightened Men continues the trend of Archie acting like a five year old. In this case, a five year old with attention deficit disorder. The story opens with Wolfe and Archie in the office. Archie is in the middle of an I'm BORED, Pay Attention to Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee tantrum. I suspect that Archie Goodwin is every bit as high maintenance as Nero Wolfe himself.
While Archie throws pejoratives around like it is 1935, we are introduced to the antagonist, Paul Chapin, who became disabled during a hazing incident that took place at Harvard University. Paul Chapin is an Evil Cripple, with shades of Genius Cripple. I am really curious about how prevalent these tropes were when Rex Stout was writing this book. My familiarity with the Evil Cripple/Evil Wheelchair User comes mostly from Doctor Who; I'm not sure what sort of presence it had before that.
Anyway, enter Paul Chapin, psychopath. Enter the cowardly clients. Who exactly is intended to be the sympathetic character in this book? Evelyn Hibbard seemed like a good person, but she was only around for about five pages.
Which reminds me, although Wolfe is the character that is generally considered to be a misogynist I actually found Archie's attitude towards women the more offensive in this book. All his comments about women are along the lines of "…provided she's not just an item for the cleaners" or "nobody that knew merchandise would have put her on a bargain counter." It speaks volumes. Whereas Wolfe is "the only man I had ever met who used absolutely the same tone to a woman as to a man."
Archie's favorable opinion of other men seems to based on a combination of intelligence, competence, work ethic, nerve, and social class. He has a certain amount of contempt for college boys and the class privilege they represent. He obviously likes to think of himself as a working man. In Chapter 7 Archie refuses to let Fritz bring him his glass of milk in the evening, presumably because Archie doesn't like to think of himself as someone who needs to be waited on?
Wolfe's attitude towards Archie's intelligence is condescending, and who can blame him? Archie is more often in the role of man of action than man of intelligence. He claims that he has been working for Wolfe for seven years. This is easy to believe when they fight like an old married couple. At one point Archie is yelling at Wolfe when Orrie shows up with Paul Chapin's box, causing Archie to immediately break out the respectful tone and it's all, Honey, let's not fight in front of the company. *g*
But, seriously, what exactly has Archie been doing for seven years? Keeping orchid records? Body guarding? Nursing Wolfe through relapses?
Wolfe's agoraphobia and relapses are one of the most interesting features of the early books, and are something I like to keep track of.
In chapter 10:
"…but I was thinking of suggesting that you go out and look at him."
"Out?" Wolfe raised his head at me. "Out and down the stoop?"
"Yeah, just on the sidewalk, you wouldn't have to step off the curb. He's right there."
Wolfe shut his eyes. "I don't know, Archie. I don't know why you persist in trying to badger me into frantic sorties. Dismiss the notion entirely. It is not feasible."
Of course, we need to recognize the significance of Wolfe leaving the house to appreciate the scene where Archie has been drugged and is devastated at the thought that Wolfe might be murdered.
(Confession: every time I read it that scene makes me squeee so hard that I actually have to put the book down and pace around my flat enjoying it for a while before I can resume reading.)
In Chapter 11: "I have seen him, during a relapse, dispose completely of a ten-pound goose between eight o'clock and midnight."
That strikes me as a symptom of something other than eccentricity.
Thoughts? Opinions?
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-19 08:23 am (UTC)Oh and I wanted to add that the relapse stuff struck me similarly, as absolutely serious mental health stuff going on for Wolfe. What do you reckon Archie thinks of it? It seemed to me like Archie takes the relapses quite seriously; he's not like "and we got him assessed by a doctor" about it, but he never as far as I know/noticed made any "aaand Wolfe should just snap out of it the big baby" kind of comments either.
*nod nod* Something Archie says in FDL that I forgot to mention-- when he's talking about his job as a bodyguard, or the gong in the hallway, or something like that-- "Wolfe explained to me he wasn't a coward, he just didn't LIKE being touched or compelled to move quickly, so I was totally okay with that, even though I normally have only scorn for sissy cowards!!"
And it's like: Archie, c'mon, by pretty much every stereotypical definition, Wolfe is totally the kind of guy you would and in fact DO scorn. The pickiness about his clothes, the foodie thing, the books, the fancy talk, the laziness, the moodiness, the melodrama, the *flowers*, fact that he even HAS a live-in bodyguard on top of a gong alarm to keep people out of his room at night-- basically, if Archie met any other guy who was like this, he *would* be full of scorn and disdain-- he would have no time at all for a weak-sister kinda guy like that. But somehow it's okay because it's *Wolfe*.
It's the same with Fritz-- "Fritz is the only guy I know who can giggle without giving me Worrisome Thoughts about his masculinity." Well, why? If you would worry about any other guy, why not Fritz? Because he's so overbearingly manly and has chicks dripping off him all the time? Not that *I* can see... It's totally circular logic: I think Fritz is okay because I'm okay with Fritz! And the same with Wolfe. Archie just has this rock-solid respect for *something* in Wolfe and that makes all the rest of it okay-- it's just the eccentricity of a genius, or something! Geniuses have these kinds of fixations, who can tell with a genius!
It made me think that it would make total sense if one of the big reasons Archie first got hired was to assist during those relapses.
Awww man, totally like Lord Peter and Bunter! :D
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-19 10:19 pm (UTC)And omg, yes, totally, Wolfe does stuff all the time that Archie gets at least pseudo-judgey about. (I have my suspicions that he's not actually always all that judgey; some of it seems like whim, i.e. if he's already in a bad mood or whatever, and a bunch of it seems, like his professions of love for women, to be kind of... tacked on, either exaggerated or expressed differently than he actually feels for effect? It's interesting.)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-21 07:53 am (UTC)OK, Archie would never call himself anybody's *servant*, but that's exactly what Bunter does! He totally is Peter's rock while he's practically comatose with PTSD and can't get over his responsibility/guilt issues! Then Harriet comes along and meets him years later when he's mostly functional. Well, nearly always mostly functional. Hmm. I wonder if Fritz is more like Bunter in this scenario, actually-- he nurses Wolfe along until he's well enough to work, and then Archie comes along and helps bring him a little further along.
And omg, yes, totally, Wolfe does stuff all the time that Archie gets at least pseudo-judgey about. (I have my suspicions that he's not actually always all that judgey; some of it seems like whim, i.e. if he's already in a bad mood or whatever, and a bunch of it seems, like his professions of love for women, to be kind of... tacked on, either exaggerated or expressed differently than he actually feels for effect? It's interesting.)
Yeah, a lot of times the "Pffff, Wolfe is so ridiculous with his [insert sincerely ridiculous hobby/pet peeve/habit here]" feels a lot like the "omg NO CHAIR BIG ENOUGH" moments, in that it feels more like Archie is holding this stuff (Wolfe's supposedly annoying habits, Wolfe's supposedly unattractive physicality) up as a shield to keep himself from expressing what he really thinks/feels. "Well, of course I don't, you know, FEEL THINGS about Wolfe, except irritation because he's so annoying, and shock/awe because he's so ginormous! He's just a really annoying, picky boss, and now I will go punch someone in the face for disrespecting him! And dive in front of a bullet for him!! And stare at him until I have memorized every facial expression and every laugh and every smile and every motion of his hands!!! And pretty much plan on living with him forever!!!! And-- *cough, cough* Did I mention how annoying and huge he is? Because. Yes. That." And it's just like, *pat, pat*, Yes, Archie, we know. Keep on telling us how annoying and fat Wolfe is. You're not fond of him at all, we get it.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-21 02:07 pm (UTC)And it's just like, *pat, pat*, Yes, Archie, we know. Keep on telling us how annoying and fat Wolfe is. You're not fond of him at all, we get it.
It is really cute how true that is. :D :D
(no subject)
Date: 2010-04-22 06:28 am (UTC)Do we know much about how Fritz came to the household? I don't think we do, do we?
Nope. Fritz is almost more mysterious than Wolfe! All we know is that he was in WWI.
And Archie has a lot of the same issues with settling with Wolfe that Harriet does with Lord Peter, too...
Ahahahahhaaaaa... WOW. I hadn't ever thought about it *quite* like that, but. Wow. You're so right. (... At least Archie lets Wolfe buy him presents without fussing about it!)
Man, now I want a story where Lily Rowan and Harriet meet up and chat. I think they'd really get along!