Robert’s Comments (group member since Feb 13, 2016)

Robert’s comments from the Nero Wolfe group.

Katherine,

Correct. And admirable. I'd like to be timeless myself. I think Stout said that Wolfe would always be 56 years old and Archie 37, although I think he let Archie's age slip around a little.

Bob Kettering

Sara,

Sounds like you've uncovered a good beginning for a murder mystery.

Bob Kettering

Sara wrote: "Really? I thought it was only widely known and accepted in the 60s. Interesting."
Sara,
No, smoking was widely spoken of and condemn by ordinary people (not by Madison Avenue advertising agencies)..."It will stunt your growth, take 10 years off your life"...and probably only became a political issue with the advent of publicly funded healthcare insurance, whereupon rebellious youth switched to other things...and some became trial lawyers.

Sara,

One little thing: strong warnings about health problems caused by smoking were prevalent before the 1960s (sometimes long before) - parents and teachers and others telling young people to never smoke...Of literary note, a character in F.S. Fitzgerald's 1921 novel This Side of Paradise speaks of another character having "tabacca heart".

Sara wrote: "Rex Stout wrote in lots of inconsistencies over the years. Especially within the back stories of Nero and Archie.

The most glaring to me is where Nero Wolfe is from. I think Stout deliberately ra..."

In commenting on Cramer's cigar habit In several of stories, Archie says that he never saw him light one, but then in at least one story (I forget the title) I noticed he did light one.

Sara - Thank you very much. I read the story over 20 years ago, but what you describe sounds right. I'll go to Amazon.com now and order it. Thanks again.

Jeanie - Thanks. I read the book years ago, then my wife loaned it to a friend who lost it. Now no one can recall the title...a mystery about a mystery.

Jeanie - Thanks very much for your reply, but I'm afraid my question was unclear. The "Orchids for you" phrase wasn't part of a title, but was spoken by one of Wolfe's clients (or a counselor to the client) - a humorously crass fellow who may have been in the public relations business. The phrase was spoken in the first few pages, when the client was trying to engage Wolfe's services. I just can't remember the title of the novel.

Can anyone please tell me the title of the of the Wolfe novel where appear the words "Orchids for you"? I've lost my copy and can't remember the title.