A Right to Die

The beginning of this entry in the Nero Wolfe series brought to my attention something that I had not really considered much before (unrelated to the plot). This book was published 30 years after the first book in the series & in all that time, none of the inhabitants on the brownstone on 35th Street have really aged (none of the regular or semi-regular characters have). Archie is still going out dancing and flirting with the women he meets as he did in the early books. What brought this to my notice was that the client in this book was Paul Whipple, someone who had, as a very young man, helped Wolfe in "Too Many Cooks" (book 5 of the series). Now he is a middle-aged man with a son in his 20s engaged to be married.

Now, if Paul Whipple is somewhere between 45 and 50, Archie should be 60 and Wolfe even older. One would think that Stout would have struggled with this dilemma but in true Nero Wolfe style, he dismisses it as beneath notice. By nary a word is this breach in logic even hinted at. And he pulls it off!

As for the plot of this book - I vacillated between 3.5 and 4 stars. I thought that the mystery was 3.5* but the social commentary about the Civil Rights movement and race relations during the early 1960s made it worth the extra half star. Wolfe truly does not care what color a man's skin is - just what his character and intellect are. Ironically, several of the black suspects feel that he is treating them badly because of their race, not realizing that he acts that way with everyone! ( )

Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe stories are always enjoyable for so many reasons. I love Archie and the interactions he has with Nero, clients and suspects. The stories are quick and easy but still have me guessing up until close to the end.

In this installment Nero receives a visit from Mr. Whipple, an African American Anthropology Professor who is worried about his son. Nero owes Mr. A Whipple a favor and he's calling it in. Mr. Whipple's son is engaged to a white woman and Mr. Whipple thinks there must be something wrong with her.

Of course she does before any dirt can be dug-up and Nero must know find-out who did it so Mr. Whipple's son isn't convicted of her murder.

This is not a book for those who find race issues and the treatment of African Americans offensive. The N___ word is used many times but I think in this case and in the era it was written was necessary to show the unreasonable hatred people in these times had. I don't think we would understand the irrational and unjustified hatred one person could have if we used modern language. It astounds me that people can hate so easily and for nothing but the skin color or accent a person might have. ( )

This is not one of my favorite Nero Wolfe stories. There are some of his later ones that seem to me to be self-consciously trying to be involved with issues of the day, which makes me uncomfortable. Realistically., Stout included reference to current issues since the 1930s, but the 1960s was the first period I was old enough to be really aware of these issues.n this story, Paul Whipple, who in the 1930s as a young black college student/waiter had been a key witness in Too Many Cooks (one of my favorite stories) is now a middle-aged professor at Columbia (it that athough Wolfe and Goodwin and their regular circle never age, other character s do. Now his son is active in the civil rights movement and talking of marrying a white young woman also active ni his gorup (the imaginary Rights of Citizens Committee). The older Whipple believes she must have a flaw and asks Wolfe to find it. He has hardly begin when the woman is murdered and the younger Whipple becomes the prime suspect. Naturally Wolfe investigayes. ( )

Nero Wolfe solves the murder of a woman engaged to a black person while both were active in the civil rights movement in New York. Excellent read - good verbiage from our favorite private investigator (not "private eye"!). ( )

interracial engagement leads to murder

11.93