I was reading this last night and pameladean asked me which one it was, since the title didn't ring a bell. I said "it's the one where Wolfe is a dick," which cracked her up because of course that doesn't really narrow it down much. But blackmailing Hewitt out of his prized orchids always stuck in my mind as one of Wolfe's worst moments. (If he'd settled for one plant, it would have been easier to take.) I'd forgotten that he also kills a guy, in part to make sure he can keep the orchids. I'm not nearly as sure as Wolfe is that no jury would convict him.
I'm not sure if this one is especially sexist, or if the sexism just struck me more because it's the first Rex Stout I've reread in a long time. What got to me most was the treatment of Rose Lasher, especially the bit about how "one of the nicest things about Fritz [is] that to him anything in a skirt is a lady." Because if he weren't such a prince among men he would of course have treated her like crap, apparently.
On the other hand, I did enjoy Archie trying to convince Wolfe he's going to leave him and get married, knowing perfectly well Wolfe won't buy it. The Archie-Wolfe values are generally good in this one. I love how Archie worries when Wolfe is gone ("He'll fall in a hole. He'll catch cold.") and then easily figures out where Wolfe has gone because he knows him so well. It's interesting how Stout brings in Johnny Keems, the Archie wannabe who totally fails to predict what Wolfe wants, as a contrast. Also: "No one on earth can badger me except Mr. Goodwin"!
Also, my copy of this book, a Pyramid edition from the 70s, has particularly awful back cover copy: "Picture Nero Wolfe maddened by lust—Fatso would do anything to get those orchids." Ugh.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-14 09:52 pm (UTC)I'm not sure if this one is especially sexist, or if the sexism just struck me more because it's the first Rex Stout I've reread in a long time. What got to me most was the treatment of Rose Lasher, especially the bit about how "one of the nicest things about Fritz [is] that to him anything in a skirt is a lady." Because if he weren't such a prince among men he would of course have treated her like crap, apparently.
On the other hand, I did enjoy Archie trying to convince Wolfe he's going to leave him and get married, knowing perfectly well Wolfe won't buy it. The Archie-Wolfe values are generally good in this one. I love how Archie worries when Wolfe is gone ("He'll fall in a hole. He'll catch cold.") and then easily figures out where Wolfe has gone because he knows him so well. It's interesting how Stout brings in Johnny Keems, the Archie wannabe who totally fails to predict what Wolfe wants, as a contrast. Also: "No one on earth can badger me except Mr. Goodwin"!
Randomly -- the name Rose Lasher amuses me because it sounds like the name of one of the orchid monsters in World of Warcraft.
Also, my copy of this book, a Pyramid edition from the 70s, has particularly awful back cover copy: "Picture Nero Wolfe maddened by lust—Fatso would do anything to get those orchids." Ugh.