Nero Wolfe

"Wolfe wiggled a finger at me..."

-- Archie Goodwin

Nero Wolfe, in more ways than one, is one of our biggest detectives.

In the literal sense, he weighs "a seventh of a ton," or over 280 pounds.

In the metaphysical sense, Nero Wolfe, and his "Watson," employee and legman Archie Goodwin, have been among the very top of their class -- those few fictional detectives who have dominated the field during the "Golden Age" of detective fiction.

Really, the books are quite remarkable. Otto Penzler has said that it is impossible for author Rex Stout to write a grammatically incorrect sentence.

Another remarkable feat -- the Wolfe household was whole and complete from the fist book. The household included, of course, the eccentric Nero Wolfe himself -- the famous armchair detective, who seldom left his brownstone at West 35th Street in New York City, who kept meticulously to his schedule, is a gourmet, drinks five to six quarts of beer a day, and likes women. (I find this ironic since most women I know who enjoy reading mysteries absolutely love the Nero Wolfe books!)

Nero Wolfe is not the first armchair detective in fiction. Poe, himself, began the tradition when he had the Chevalier C. Auguste Dupin solve "The Mystery of Marie Roget." Sherlock Holmes's brother Mycroft appeared in two short stories. And Baroness Orczy wrote a series about "The Old Man in the Corner." But Nero Wolfe appeared in well over 30 novels and a number short stories and novellas.

By introducing Archie Goodwin into the stories -- beginning in the first novel Fer-de-Lance -- Rex Stout successfully combined the Armchair Detective with the more recent Hard-Boiled school. It is Archie who narrates the stories but he is a much more fully developed character than most "Watsons."

Archie is central to the books. Trained by Wolfe, he does most of the legwork -- investigating and interviewing suspects, and often dragging (or at least coercing) them against their will to the brownstone so Wolfe can interrogate them directly himself.

Other members of the household include Fritz Brenner, who prepares and serves meals for Wolfe; and Theodore Horstmann, who helps Wolfe tend the orchids in the plant room (a greenhouse on the roof of the brownstone).

Outside the household, but relevant, are Saul Panzer (a private detective Wolfe often hires to help Archie or do other tasks); Fred Durkin is often hired by Wolfe to do surveillance and other mundane assignments; and of course Inspector Cramer.

Frequently the books end with the suspects being collected in the brownstone for a final interview by Wolfe -- then the denouement, where Wolfe explains all and identifies the murderer. This cliche is an earmark of classic detective technique during the "Golden Age" of detective, crime, and murder myster, and I love it, for here it becomes absolutely clear that Wolfe is in full command of the situation and has solved the puzzle. His masterful disclosure ties up loose ends and is very satisfying to readers like me who enjoy this convention.

Rex Stout

Rex Stout wanted to write novels. He built a business so he could retire early and write. (If you were a student in the United States, you may have participated in a school savings program where you contributed money through the school for a savings account of your own, and you kept a savings passbook. This was developed by Stout. I remember the savings program in the 1950s and 1960s.)

Rex Stout biographer John McAleer candidly reveals "Some Thoughts on Being a Literary Biographer."

The Nero Wolfe Brownstone -- Floor Plans

John Strother Clayton, Sr. has done some remarkable architectural drawings and floor plans of the Wolfe brownstone. His drawings are available here. (Just scroll to the bottom of Mr. Clayton's page and click on the links to various floors).

Books

Collections with novelettes and/or short stories appear with bulleted lists. (To purchase a book, just click on the title.)

Fer-de-Lance (1934)

The League of Frightened Men (1935)

The Rubber Band (1936)

The Red Box (1937)

Too Many Cooks (1938)

Some Buried Caesar (1939)

Over My Dead Body (1940)

Where There's a Will (1940)

Black Orchids (1942)