tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post6708124158800921617..comments2024-02-22T17:59:50.213-05:00Comments on in so many words...: Review: ARCHIE MEETS NERO WOLFE A Prequel to Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe Mysteries by Robert GoldsboroughYvettehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-34285300889883780652013-08-25T18:42:58.560-04:002013-08-25T18:42:58.560-04:00Wastrel: Oh, I know it wasn't the best. But at...Wastrel: Oh, I know it wasn't the best. But at least it tried to give us an idea of what came before. Although you make good points.<br /><br />I never really believed it was Archie's voice and as for the rest of the gang - well, not quite.<br /><br />But I guess I felt it was better than nothing. I wish someone with real writing chops would write a prequel we could all love. :)<br /><br />PS No apologies necessary. We welcome varying opinions on this blog. Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-28101426748466304932013-08-20T18:15:58.886-04:002013-08-20T18:15:58.886-04:00I read this recently, and I found it to be even mo...I read this recently, and I found it to be even more lifeless and devoid of wit that Goldborough's other Wolfe books. In some of the others, sometimes, I could suspend my disbelief, but in this one the narrator is unquestionably not Archie, but an impostor.<br />The large cast of characters is mistreated; the ones we know (Wolfe, Panzer, Durkin, Cather, etc.) are shadows or caricatures of themselves. Orrie Cather in particular is made out to be an offensive jerk. The other characters are sometimes almost indistinguishable from one another.<br />I was finding myself thinking after I finished that it is a disservice to Rex Stout's memory to put his name on the cover and wondering why his estate allowed it to be published. Money, i suppose.<br />I deeply apologize to anyone who thought this book was any good, and doesn't like what I have said. Our tastes must differ greatly.<br /><br />Wastrelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-8413318641816116802012-12-19T22:42:50.246-05:002012-12-19T22:42:50.246-05:00It's getting harder and harder to be a devoted...It's getting harder and harder to be a devoted vintage mystery lover. Hurdles, hurdles, hurdles. Know what you mean, Kathy. :)<br /><br />I'm lucky enough to own the Triple Zeck book, found it online real cheap a while back.Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-60377621622188859452012-12-16T13:44:39.702-05:002012-12-16T13:44:39.702-05:00Idiotically, I stayed up all night watched Season ...Idiotically, I stayed up all night watched Season 2 of Wolfman and Goodwin together, but must defend myself with temporary state of insanity due to too much watching of the Conn. tragedy.<br />I needed humor, and they provided it along with Russell Quant in Anthony Bidulka's hilarious Saskatchewan mysteries.<br />I put the first Zeck book on library hold. I'm surprised they still have paper books, as everything is turning into audio and ebooks (bah, humbug) or is being taken out of circulation and put at Schwarzmann -- who has time to do there for hours?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-79079441914321148752012-12-10T12:03:58.972-05:002012-12-10T12:03:58.972-05:00Tracy, let us know how you like this. IF you like ...Tracy, let us know how you like this. IF you like it. I thought it was a fun addition to my Nero Wolfe library. Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-90998401883988417662012-12-10T12:03:20.729-05:002012-12-10T12:03:20.729-05:00Kathy, it's not Rex Stout, but it's still ...Kathy, it's not Rex Stout, but it's still interesting to read about Archie when he was a young and callow youth. :) Not so callow really, he seems to have been a very adult 19. Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-81335053569253365322012-12-08T17:33:01.916-05:002012-12-08T17:33:01.916-05:00I have this book ready to read in 2013. So glad to...I have this book ready to read in 2013. So glad to hear more positive comments about it. Can't beat the Rex Stout books, but then, I have reread those so many times. This will be a new visit to Archie and Nero Wolfe.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-31109655665845913882012-12-07T15:07:39.907-05:002012-12-07T15:07:39.907-05:00Thanks for this idea. It's a good one, sounds...Thanks for this idea. It's a good one, sounds like I should read it.<br /><br />Just took out two sets of three short stories each starring the Wolf pack.<br /><br />No children were harmed, but maybe an orchid or two were grazed and surely a fish was fileted and a lamb shanked and a beef roasted.<br /><br />I needed a fun break after a sad book, and Wolfe and Co. perked me up. Never fails.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-35640451671951349132012-12-06T18:36:20.292-05:002012-12-06T18:36:20.292-05:00It's not great, CW, but it's quite good en...It's not great, CW, but it's quite good enough for what it is. It might have happened this way...Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-74326090176472786442012-12-06T17:47:10.473-05:002012-12-06T17:47:10.473-05:00You hit the nail on the head about Gainsborough...You hit the nail on the head about Gainsborough's lack of "verve", but you really have me curious about this prequel. <br /><br />Caftan Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05936895555808823221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-33856558490230912062012-12-06T17:21:25.050-05:002012-12-06T17:21:25.050-05:00Sorry you feel that way, Nan. I would normally not...Sorry you feel that way, Nan. I would normally not want to read many of the resurrections that are out there. But this one I didn't mind.<br /><br />It's fun imagining Archie as a brash nineteen year old trying to find his way in the big bad old city. :)Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-25649465571695864942012-12-06T17:20:11.009-05:002012-12-06T17:20:11.009-05:00I'm with you, Les. Although it's not Rex S...I'm with you, Les. Although it's not Rex Stout, it was still fun to read. And as you say, in prequel form you don't mind the roughness as much. :)Yvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919246184376538331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-69011910660948972252012-12-06T15:14:41.614-05:002012-12-06T15:14:41.614-05:00Yvette, like you, I have had trouble with most of ...Yvette, like you, I have had trouble with most of Goldborough's Wolfe books - something always jars me, so that I say, "Oh no, Wolfe (or Archie) would never say/do that." I think it's less of a problem here because it's a prequel - we expect the characters to be a little brasher, a little less smooth. The occasional rough edge doesn't jar as badly here. The result: a book that's a lot of fun and really does add something to the Wolfe/Goodwin saga, IMHO.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3185294584889963228.post-7024452497134748222012-12-06T14:41:56.078-05:002012-12-06T14:41:56.078-05:00I do love Wolfe and Archie, but can't bring my...I do love Wolfe and Archie, but can't bring myself to read this.:<)Nanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15547916206007733970noreply@blogger.com