I have just finished re-reading Some Buried Caesar, book 6 in the Nero Wolfe series by Rex Stout. After it ended there was, on the Kindle version, a 1969 letter from P.G. Wodehouse to Rex Stout upon reading this book for the second time. The letter is actually a copy of the typewritten one. Be still my reader's heart - to think of two of my most favorite writers actually being friends, and respecting one another's work.
"What a good story Buried Caesar is. I had read it before, of course, but had completely forgotten what happened after the adventure with the bull. I find I can re-read Rex Stout indefinitely, which shows the importance of atmosphere."
Atmosphere is what I recall when I think of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. The house, "the old brownstone on West 35th Street", I feel I know as well as my own. When I walk through the door, it is a bit like coming home. And the places visited when Wolfe has to leave, which he abhors doing! I, too, had forgotten all the details in Some Buried Caesar, but the bull in the field was as clear in my mind as could be.
Rex Stout
P.G. Wodehouse
I'm familiar with Nero Wolfe through old time radio series I've heard. Checked if there were books to download on Libby or Hoopla but they're all audio versions.
ReplyDeleteI love these books.
DeleteI love the Nero Wolfe novels and read most of them back when I was in my thirties...long, long time ago. I'm kind of tickled to see that even someone with a mind like Wodehouse's couldn't remember plot details for all that long after finishing a novel, even one he loved. Makes me feel a little bit better about my own inability to remember them.
ReplyDeleteI think I was in my late 40s - early 50s, when I used to be on mystery lists. DorothyL - have you heard of it. I learned so much from the people on that list. And I was tickled about the forgetting, too!
DeleteI don't know of DorothyL, Nan. There were some interesting groups all around the early net when it all happened a lot slower that were really helpful. I ended up making some longterm friends that way from a list of "real country music" fans. I miss those informal clubs and the way they would just spontaneously spring up on the internet in those days.
DeleteI've read a great deal of Wodehouse but nothing by Rex Stout - I must see if I can rectify that!
ReplyDeleteCompletely different, but each one so excellent.
DeleteNow I want to revisit Nero Wolfe. I admit to forgetting the bull. That's great your favorites were friends
ReplyDeleteI think you will enjoy the re-visit.
DeleteMy husband was a great fan and had every paperback. I enjoyed the stories too. But, if you haven't seen them, please check out the 2001-02 A&E tv series with Timothy Hutton as Archie and Maury Chavin (spelling?) as Nero. The ensemble cast was absolutely fabulous - the man playing Fritz,the Saul Panzer in all but the first episode...just as you would imagine them. My husband, very particular about this kind of thing, loved it. There were 20 episodes and I think you can catch some on YouTube. We were so sad when A&E cancelled this very high quality series. The brownstone was just perfect.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting about Rex Stout!
Mary (littlemancat)
Mary
I watched them when they were first on, and I want to try seeing them on youtube. I love it that you and your husband shared that interest.
DeleteI loved the Rex Stout books too! Enjoyed the television series so much. I recently began listening to audiobooks on Libby as I'm having some eye problems and I have the first Rex Stout book on hold as the sample reading seemed quite good. I haven't read Wodehouse in many decades and can't remember if they were my cup of tea or not. I love it when I find out that two favorite authors are friends!
ReplyDeleteLeaving my name here, Nan, as sometimes I show up as anonymous here! Dewena
I am sorry to hear about your eyes. Are you treating them? Will they get better?
DeleteThank you, Nan, and yes, two kinds of eye drops and have to see the doctor every six months now for elevated eye pressure. I'm just thankful they have something that helps now. My doctor didn't even suggest diet as a help but I googled it and started including things like avocados and dark chocolate, black beans, etc. more often and my eye pressure had improved next time I saw him. But of course it could have simply been the new eye drops, who knows.
DeleteI am so glad the pressure was improved, whatever the reason!
DeleteI did not know there were so many readers who love Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe series as much as I do. I have read them all multiple times, but I need to get back to rereading them.
ReplyDeleteI am thoroughly enjoying my rereads and there are still some I haven't read! Lucky me haha
DeleteI've read some Nero Wolfe -- a long time ago, but as his good fans (you and Wodehouse))) say, any of them could well be read again and enjoyed as much. I find that true of Agatha Christie as well. Wodehouse , back in the days when we used to haunt library sales and used book stores I had a mission to collect all I could find by PG. But I know I didn't complete my collection before it was given away when we downsized.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Agatha, and recently read a quote that she was a fan of Wolfe as well!
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