On the Banks of Plum Creek (Little House #4) 4Stars

 

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Title: On the Banks of Plum Creek
Series: Little House #4
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: MG Historical Fiction
Pages: 172
Words: 55K
Publish: 1937

This took about two years and it is evident that Wilder is expecting the target audience to grow with each book, as they’ve gotten consecutively longer.

I continue to enjoy each book quite a bit and while the story is very idealized, it is still a good snapshot into what families went through in the late 1800’s as they spread out west. Death in its many forms are showcased and it is no wonder so many settlers died. I wouldn’t have wanted to live during that time no matter what. They had to have a certain “spirit” and I know I don’t have what it takes.

I’ve had my issues with “historical” fiction in the past, where writers make up total bullshit on a wholesale level and insert it into a non-fiction framework thus making it very unclear what is historical fact and what is the totally made up bullshit from their sick brains. As you can tell, I am not a fan of that model. This avoids that by being fiction. This is a story and nothing BUT a story. It would give a young reader an idea of what life was like but they wouldn’t come out of these books thinking this was a history book. Laura doesn’t meet Abe Lincoln or Paul Bunyan or help Edison invent the telephone or give Mark Twain an idea for a novel. I approve of that model of historical fiction.

So Imperator Bookstooge approves this book.

★★★★☆

From Grokipedia

Settlement and early life in Minnesota

In the opening chapters of the book, the Ingalls family travels by covered wagon from their previous home in Kansas to a new homestead along Plum Creek in Minnesota. Pa trades their horses Pet and Patty, along with other items, to Mr. Hanson for the land, a dugout home built into the creek bank, crops, and oxen. Laura discovers the entrance as a "door in the ground" at the creek's edge, initially startling her with its unexpected appearance. The dugout proves snug and clean, with smoothed dirt walls, a hard-packed floor, a hay ceiling, and grass growing on the roof. Pa reassures the family that the arrangement is temporary and expresses strong optimism about the fertile land producing a bountiful wheat crop to fund a better home.The family quickly adapts to their new surroundings, with early chores including carrying water from a nearby spring and fashioning beds from willow boughs to avoid sleeping directly on the floor. Laura and Mary spend time playing along the creek, making necklaces and whistles from rush stems, blowing bubbles, and watching tiny fish nibble at their toes in the clear water. Pa builds a wooden fish trap under a waterfall to catch larger fish, which Ma cooks for family suppers, supplementing their food supply. In the evenings, Pa plays his fiddle inside the dugout, providing music that creates warmth and contentment for the household. The family maintains a hopeful outlook, dreaming of prosperity from the coming harvest and enjoying the beauty of the wild plum thickets, willows, and rolling prairie.With the arrival of spring and the wheat sprouting green, Pa buys lumber on credit and constructs a proper frame house on a knoll near the creek. The new home features two downstairs rooms, a lean-to, an attic bedroom for the girls, real glass windows, and a surprise cookstove for Ma. The family delights in moving out of the dugout into the bright, clean wooden structure with its fresh lumber smell and gleaming windows. Ma adds white curtains trimmed in calico and decorates shelves, marking the transition to a more comfortable life on Plum Creek.

School, community, and family routines

After settling into their life near Walnut Grove, Laura and Mary attended school for the first time, marking an important milestone in their education and social exposure. The school was taught by Miss Eva Beadle, and Laura enjoyed learning to read while appreciating the company of other children, including classmates from the Kennedy family, Maud, and the Oleson siblings. However, tensions arose with Nellie Oleson, the storekeeper's daughter, who bullied Laura by pulling her hair, dictating games, and mocking her as a "country girl" due to perceived differences in wealth and background. Interactions with townspeople centered heavily on the Oleson family, whose general store made them prominent in the community. Nellie frequently bragged about her possessions and insulted Laura and Mary's clothing or circumstances, such as flaunting a fur cape while taunting Laura that her father could not afford one. Social reciprocity emerged when Laura and Mary attended a party at the Olesons' luxurious home, where Nellie selfishly guarded her toys—including a lifelike wax doll—and grabbed the largest piece of cake. The Ingalls family returned the invitation with a country party at their home, where Nellie's rudeness prompted Laura to lure her into Plum Creek, resulting in leeches clinging to Nellie's legs as a form of childish revenge. The Ingalls family incorporated regular church attendance into their weekly routine, traveling to the new church in town every Sunday for services led by the gentle Reverend Alden, with hymns sung by the congregation and Sunday school taught by Mrs. Tower. Holidays, particularly Christmas, brought community joy through a church celebration featuring Laura's first Christmas tree, a sermon, hymn singing, and gifts sent from eastern church members to the congregation. Daily family life revolved around chores, with Laura and Mary assisting Ma with household tasks and helping on the farm while fishing in the creek during leisure moments. The family studied lessons together, often with Ma guiding the girls' education at home. Evenings provided warmth and unity, as Pa serenaded the family with songs on his fiddle after supper, prompting everyone to join in singing and creating a sense of contentment. Through these experiences, Laura navigated personal growth amid feelings of jealousy toward Nellie's material advantages and social standing. Her conflicts with Nellie highlighted contrasts between town luxury and country simplicity, as well as selfishness versus kindness, reinforcing moral lessons about treating others with respect and finding satisfaction in family bonds rather than possessions. These everyday interactions fostered Laura's understanding of friendship, reciprocity, and self-control despite provocations.

Natural disasters and family trials

The Ingalls family experiences profound hardship when a massive plague of grasshoppers descends upon their Minnesota farm, devouring the promising wheat crop that Pa had counted on to pay off debts for their new house and stove. The insects arrive in overwhelming numbers, eating every green thing in sight and stripping the fields bare despite the family's desperate attempts to drive them away with smoke and fire. [21] With no harvest to sell, the family faces financial ruin, prompting Pa to walk a long distance east to find temporary work on farms beyond the reach of the infestation in order to earn money and support them. The grasshoppers soon lay eggs in the soil, threatening future crops. Pa returns home before winter. A brutal winter follows, bringing severe blizzards that isolate the prairie. In December, Pa ventures to town for supplies but is caught in a severe three-day blizzard on his return journey, forcing him to seek shelter in a haystack and leaving the family uncertain of his safety. Ma ties a rope from the house to the stable to navigate the blinding snow while performing chores, and she keeps Mary, Laura, and Carrie occupied with games, stories, and household tasks to preserve their morale during the long confinement indoors. Pa finally returns home safely on Christmas Eve, reuniting the family in profound relief and joy despite the absence of presents or festive trimmings, underscoring their endurance through hardship. In spring, the grasshopper eggs hatch, and the young insects devour the new crops. After persisting, the swarm mysteriously departs by flying west together in a glittering cloud, providing relief from further destruction. The family faces continued economic trials but maintains hope for recovery.

Characters

The Ingalls family

The Ingalls family forms the central focus of On the Banks of Plum Creek, depicted as a close-knit pioneer unit navigating life in Minnesota. Charles Ingalls, known as Pa, serves as the optimistic and resourceful provider, trading possessions, plowing fields, constructing the family home, and traveling for work to support the household during hardships. He maintains a positive perspective, returning home with reassuring news that severe weather would prevent future grasshopper plagues. Pa is also musical, playing his fiddle to lull the family at day's end. [22]Caroline Ingalls, known as Ma, is practical and nurturing, emphasizing manners, education, and proper conduct while acting as a steady role model for her daughters. [23] She approaches difficulties with optimism, performs demanding domestic tasks tirelessly, and guides the children through gentle instruction rather than harsh discipline. [23]Laura Ingalls, the protagonist and narrator, is a curious, spirited, and resilient girl who observes her surroundings keenly and perseveres through challenges with an indomitable spirit. [24] She displays impulsive tendencies balanced by courage and hard work, showing gradual growth toward maturity. [25]Mary Ingalls, Laura's older sister, is responsible and gentle, consistently demonstrating obedience, politeness, and ladylike behavior in contrast to Laura's more impulsive traits. [26]Carrie Ingalls, the youngest daughter, has a minor role, appearing primarily within the family context without significant individual actions or development highlighted. These portrayals draw from Laura Ingalls Wilder's own family. [27]

Neighbors and townspeople

The townspeople of Walnut Grove play significant roles in the community life depicted in On the Banks of Plum Creek, with the Oleson family standing out as owners of the general store and central figures in town interactions. Their children, Nellie and Willie, serve as rivals and antagonists to Laura, with Nellie portrayed as a spoiled, haughty girl who brags about her possessions, fine clothes, and social superiority while frequently looking down on others as inferior "country" folk. Willie, her brother, joins her in displaying unkind and exclusionary behavior toward Laura and Mary. The town features multiple storekeepers, including Mr. Oleson, who operates the main mercantile establishment central to community gatherings, and Mr. Fitch, who runs a separate store. Mr. Beadle manages another store alongside his duties at the post office, making these figures key points of contact for townspeople and settlers alike. Reverend Alden serves as the local minister, leading church services and Sunday school classes that bring the community together for religious observance and social support. The school teacher, described as a lovely young woman, instructs the local children in the town schoolhouse, providing formal education to Laura, Mary, and their classmates. Nearby neighbors include the Nelson family, Norwegian settlers living close to the Ingalls, who participate in community efforts such as livestock trading and cooperative responses to local challenges. Their daughter Anna and other local children, including members of the Kennedy family and individuals like Maud, attend school and contribute to the social fabric of the area. These secondary characters reflect the diverse mix of settlers and townsfolk shaping daily life in Walnut Grove.

Please Pass the Guilt (Nero Wolfe #45) 3Stars

 

This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress & Blogspot by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission

Title: Please Pass the Guilt
Series: Nero Wolfe #45
Author: Rex Stout
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 138
Words: 51K
Publish: 1973

Sadly, this confirms that my love of the Nero Wolfe stories are only when they take place between the 1920’s and 1940’s. These last couple of books taking place in more recent times just don’t work for me. The mysteries aren’t any worse and the writing is still top notch, but the cultural settings that have crept in really annoy me and dull my overall enjoyment. It is the difference between “going to the bathroom” and “taking a shit on the can”. They both convey the same info, but one is gauche and crass and crude.

These are not “my” Nero Wolfe stories. I read them but I feel like I’m going through the motions just to finish the series more than anything. I definitely would not have been entranced by Stout’s writing if I had started these later books first. Glad I started at the beginning.

★★★☆☆

From Grokipedia

The novel opens when Dr. Edwin Vollmer, a physician and occasional collaborator with Nero Wolfe, requests assistance in identifying a guilt-stricken patient who refuses to reveal his name and suffers from hallucinations of blood on his hands, a condition resembling Lady Macbeth syndrome. Archie Goodwin, Wolfe's legman, tricks the man into exposing his driver's license, identifying him as Kenneth Meer, executive assistant to Amory Browning at the Continental Air Network (CAN), a major television company. This revelation connects Meer to the recent unsolved murder of CAN vice-president Peter J. Odell, who died instantly when a bomb detonated in a desk drawer known to contain Browning's whiskey bottle.Odell's wealthy widow, Madeline Odell, hires Wolfe with a substantial retainer to prove that her husband's death resulted from corporate rivalries at CAN, where ambition for the presidency fueled intense competition. Wolfe and Archie investigate the central puzzle: why Odell entered Browning's office and opened the booby-trapped drawer, and whether the bomb was intended for Browning or someone else. Their inquiries reveal that Odell had planned to sabotage Browning by adding LSD to his whiskey, hoping to impair him during a decisive board meeting that would select CAN's next president; Odell opened the drawer to retrieve or dispose of the LSD after Browning was warned and avoided drinking it.The investigation uncovers that the bomb was planted by Kenneth Meer, who suffers crippling guilt for causing Odell's death. Meer had targeted Helen Lugos, Browning's secretary, due to his obsessive unrequited love for her after she became involved with Browning, placing the explosive in the drawer knowing she would open it during routine duties. Odell's unexpected action turned the attempted murder into a deadly mistake driven by personal vendetta rather than corporate chicanery. Wolfe assembles the suspects in his office, uses tape-recorded evidence and cross-checked alibis to expose the motive and mechanics, and resolves the case when Meer attempts to bomb Wolfe's brownstone but fails, collapsing into a complete breakdown before authorities intervene.

Major characters

The major characters in Please Pass the Guilt revolve around the familiar investigative team of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, alongside the individuals connected to the bombing at Continental Air Network (CAN). Nero Wolfe, the obese genius detective renowned for his deductive brilliance, reclusive habits, aversion to leaving his brownstone home, and passions for cultivating orchids and gourmet cuisine, takes on the case partly to meet pressing financial obligations such as rent. Archie Goodwin, his energetic and resourceful assistant, narrates the story, conducts fieldwork, handles client relations, and manages external inquiries with his characteristic wit and initiative. The primary client is Madeline Odell, the wealthy widow of the victim Peter J. Odell, who hires Wolfe to investigate her husband's death. Peter J. Odell, a vice president at CAN responsible for development, is the murder victim killed in an office explosion. Key figures at CAN include Amory Browning, a pudgy, balding vice president and rival whose desk drawer triggered the fatal blast; Kenneth Meer, Browning's guilt-ridden assistant who appears under the alias Ronald Seaver and plays a central role in the case's initial mystery; Helen Lugos, Browning's secretary; Dennis Copes, a nervous rival colleague; Sylvia Venner, a prominent television personality on CAN programming; and Cass R. Abbott, the aging president of the network. Wolfe draws on his recurring freelance operatives for support: Saul Panzer, Fred Durkin, and Orrie Cather, skilled investigators who assist with surveillance, interviews, and other fieldwork. Police involvement comes from Inspector Cramer and Lieutenant Rowcliff of the New York Police Department. Minor characters include Dr. Edwin Vollmer, Wolfe's physician friend; Charlotte Haber, secretary to Madeline Odell; Theodore Falk, a tanned CAN board member and friend of the victim; James Farquhar; and Nasir ibn Bekr, who raises a possible terrorist connection as a red herring.

• All My “Nero Wolfe” Reviews

Farmer Boy (Little House #3) 4Stars

 

This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress & Blogspot by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission

Title: Farmer Boy
Series: Little House #3
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: MG Historical Fiction
Pages: 143
Words: 52K
Publish: 1933

I enjoyed this as much as the previous entries. My vague earlier memories were that this all took place out in the west, on the frontier, just like the previous Little House stories, so imagine my surprise when I found out this took place in New York, deep in Yankee Country. I also hadn’t remembered that the main character (Almanzo) was the son of a very successful farmer, so there was no hardship beyond what was inherent to farming in the 1800’s.

Almost every story involved food in one way or another. By the book’s end I wanted to go eat and eat and eat! It wasn’t really surprising though. Almanzo is 9 turning into 10 during this book and he works hard, so he needed that food. Since his family was successful, they had plenty of food and didn’t stint.

There was one funny incident where Almanzo’s father refuses to use some piece of new farm equipment (maybe a corn husker or wheat berry stripper or something) because he claims it will make people lazy and it will waste some of the corn/wheat. Then the next paragraph is the father using some other form of new farm equipment that makes their lives much easier. I’m sure that was included deliberately to make his father more human. It made me laugh though, because I think the exact same thing about some stuff today and act exactly like the father. So I’m definitely living in a glass house as it were.

The cover I’m using here isn’t the one I grew up with or that fits with the previous books, but it really shows how much horses were a part of Almanzo’s life. He wanted to raise and train horses and in this book, he wasn’t old enough and was strictly forbidden from it. So it is a big focus for him and all he wants is to become a farmer so he can train horses. We’ll be meeting Almanzo again in later books, so we’ll see how he turns out then :-)

★★★★☆

From Grokipedia

Farmer Boy chronicles the daily life of nine-year-old Almanzo Wilder on his family's prosperous farm in upstate New York during the winter of 1866 through the following year. The narrative centers on Almanzo's experiences with farm chores, family responsibilities, and personal milestones, portrayed through a series of seasonal activities that highlight the rhythm of rural existence.[15]The story opens in winter with Almanzo attending school for the first time alongside his older siblings—thirteen-year-old Royal, twelve-year-old Eliza Jane, and ten-year-old Alice—trudging through deep snow to a one-room schoolhouse. There, a confrontation arises when older boys attempt to bully the new teacher, Mr. Corse, but he subdues them with a blacksnake whip, establishing order. At home, the family engages in essential winter tasks, such as cutting blocks of ice from a nearby pond with hired workers French Joe and Lazy John, hauling them to the icehouse for summer use. Almanzo assists Father and Royal, narrowly escaping a fall into the icy water, and learns the value of caution from Father's stern but fair discipline. Evening routines include carding wool by the fireside, where Mother supervises the children, and maple sugaring, during which the family boils sap into syrup over an outdoor fire, sharing the labor and the sweet rewards.[16][17]On his ninth birthday in February, Almanzo receives a special gift from Father: a yoke for two young calves named Star and Bright, marking his growing trustworthiness. He spends the spring training them to pull a bobsled and later a wagon, demonstrating patience and skill as they mature into reliable draft animals. Family dynamics shine through Mother's meticulous cooking—preparing vast meals from farm produce—and Father's emphasis on hard work and honesty. Siblings contribute uniquely: Royal handles heavier tasks with a mischievous streak, Eliza Jane focuses on studies and household duties, and Alice helps care for the younger children while tending the baby. Spring brings planting season, with the family harrowing fields, sowing corn, potatoes, and other crops, and tending to calving; when one cow's calf weakens, Almanzo helps revive it, fostering his bond with the animals. Occasional visitors, like neighbors or the peddler, add variety, but the core revolves around collective farm maintenance.[15][17]Summer intensifies with haying and harvesting, where Almanzo drives the team of oxen to mow fields under the hot sun, enduring long days but reveling in the farm's bounty. The Fourth of July celebration in town offers a rare break, with parades, fireworks, and family outings. As fall arrives, the narrative shifts to the county fair, where Almanzo exhibits a massive pumpkin he cultivated, winning a blue ribbon and a silver dollar, while his sisters display needlework and preserves. He also returns a lost pocketbook containing $1,500 to its owner, earning a $200 reward and Father's commendation for integrity. School resumes with disruptions when a harsh new teacher arrives, leading to tensions, but Almanzo prioritizes farm duties like potato digging and apple picking. In a pivotal moment, with parents away, Royal's poor management of the household—allowing pigs inside and wasting food—contrasts with Almanzo's steadier approach, teaching lessons in responsibility.[18][19][20]The year culminates in late fall with logging operations to harvest timber for a new barn, where Father teaches Almanzo advanced ox-driving techniques. Thanksgiving brings a grand family feast, reuniting extended relatives and reflecting on the harvest's success. Turning ten, Almanzo faces a choice from Father: an apprenticeship as a wagon-maker or continuing on the farm. Opting for farming, he earns the colt Starlight as his own horse, symbolizing his readiness for greater independence and foreshadowing his future as a farmer. The story closes on this note of achievement, encapsulating a full cycle of growth amid unyielding farm labor.

Death of a Dude (Nero Wolfe #44) 4Stars

 

This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress & Blogspot by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission

Title: Death of a Dude
Series: Nero Wolfe #44
Author: Rex Stout
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 151
Words: 59K
Publish: 1969

This was nearly the biggest adventure mystery yet! Wolfe ends up going out west (to Montana) to take over an investigation that threatens to keep Archie occupied for several weeks or even months. Wolfe is highly motivated to wrap things up and he calls in favors to get himself on the case and whammo, things start really moving along.

These are still good stories but the background stuff just isn’t for me. I’ve mentioned this before, but once things moved past the 50’s, I stopped enjoying the background. I hadn’t realized how much enjoyment I was getting from that until it has stopped. It’s not that the background is suddenly bad, it’s just not interesting to me any more. I only have a couple more books until the series wraps up, so I can hang in. At least I hope so!

★★★★☆

From Grokipedia

The novel opens with Archie Goodwin vacationing at Lily Rowan's Bar JR Ranch in Lame Horse, Montana, where he becomes embroiled in a murder investigation after Philip Brodell, a wealthy visitor from St. Louis staying at a neighboring ranch, is found shot twice in the back while picking huckleberries.[6][7] The local authorities quickly arrest Harvey Greve, the ranch manager, on suspicion of the crime due to a clear motive—Brodell had seduced and impregnated Greve's eighteen-year-old daughter Alma the previous year, prompting Greve to threaten revenge—but Archie remains convinced of Greve's innocence, noting that Greve is an expert marksman who would not shoot an unarmed man in the back and that the shooting appears amateurish.[6] Sheriff Morley Haight, who harbors a personal grudge against Greve, conducts a superficial investigation and focuses almost exclusively on him, dismissing other possibilities and displaying hostility toward outsiders like Archie who question the case.[6]Unable to make headway with the distrustful locals and unwilling to abandon Greve, Archie writes to Nero Wolfe that he will remain in Montana indefinitely to clear the accused man, prompting Wolfe—irritated by the disruption to his routine—to use political connections for initial research before taking the rare step of traveling to Montana himself.[2] Wolfe arrives and stays at Lily Rowan's ranch alongside other guests, including actress Diana Kadany and author Wade Worthy, who is researching a biography of Lily's father.[6] With the help of county attorney Thomas Jessup, who is skeptical of Haight's work and rivals him politically, Wolfe secures official status as a public investigator for himself and Archie, granting them greater access to witnesses and forcing the locals to cooperate.[6]The investigation reveals tensions at Brodell's ranch and points to cowhand Sam Peacock as someone withholding key information, but efforts to question him are thwarted by Sheriff Haight at a local dance.[6] Soon after, Peacock's body is discovered hidden in Wolfe and Archie's car, bludgeoned to death with a rock to the head, leading Haight to briefly jail Archie while placing Wolfe under house arrest.[7] Wolfe then dispatches operative Saul Panzer to St. Louis to probe Brodell's background and potential connections to the ranch's out-of-town guests.[6]Panzer's research uncovers that Wade Worthy is actually Carl Yaeger, a fugitive wanted for strangling a young woman in St. Louis with a belt; Brodell had recognized Yaeger during his stay and threatened to expose him, providing Yaeger with a motive to shoot Brodell in order to silence the threat.[7] Yaeger then killed Peacock after learning that Brodell had confided the secret to him, eliminating the additional witness.[7] Wolfe reveals this identification to the household guests and subtly suggests that Lily Rowan and Diana Kadany go fishing, prompting Yaeger to panic and flee the ranch.[6]As planned by Wolfe in coordination with Jessup and state police, Yaeger is apprehended by highway patrol away from the ranch to avoid embarrassing Lily Rowan with an on-site arrest and to publicly humiliate Sheriff Haight for his biased and incompetent handling of the case.[6] Harvey Greve is exonerated and released, and Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin return to New York, with Wolfe briefly experiencing the discomforts of rural Montana during his stay.

• All My “Nero Wolfe” Reviews

The Possessed (The Russians) 5Stars

 

This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress & Blogspot by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission

Title: The Possessed
Series: (The Russians)
Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Translator: Constance Garnett
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Classic
Pages: 775
Words: 253K
Publish: 1872

After reading the synopsis from Grokipedia (down below), I’m pretty sure that Constance Garnett did some judicious victorian censoring in her “translation” of this. It is that or I completely glossed over whole episodes happening, like one of the female characters killing herself. Now, that is possible. This is a BIG fat book and I was dealing with a pinched nerve when finishing it up, so I could easily have missed that. But I don’t think so, because a character killing herself by drowning is memorable, no matter how much discomfort one is in. Plus, I remember her suicide being mentioned by the townsfolk and thinking to myself “when did THAT happen?”

This is a story about a group of Nihilists (nihilists later morphed into our modern day communists) trying to destroy a town, psychologically, religiously and physically. Dostoyevsky wrote this as a warning against such revolutionists and because they form a large part of the narrative it should have been very depressing to me, but it wasn’t. I attribute that mainly to Dostoyevsky making it clear that these are bad men and their philosophy is the utter ruination, on all levels, of any who practice it. There is no praise for such filth and Dostoyevsky presents it as evil, as it is. There is no hero in this book and for once, I was ok with that.

That being said, Dostoyevsky portrays Russian Character and I must say, it is not flattering at all. The more I read of the Russians, the more I am convinced that they are a bunch of weak willed, spineless man babies with the emotional depth of 5 year olds OR they are tyrannical brutes. This might be unfair, but if you were to characterize the English based on Dickens’ novels, you’d get a much more mixed result. Out of control emotionalism seems to dominate the russian character and I dislike that intensely.

I took my time reading this (it took me almost 3 weeks) and didn’t take any notes. I just kind of marinated in it and I rather enjoyed reading it that way. I knew it wouldn’t make for a great review, but I wanted to simply experience the book and hang everything else. Now I have experienced the book, given it 5 stars and think it is close to one of the best Dostoyevsky’s I’ve read yet.

★★★★★

From Grokipedia

Part One

The narrative of Demons opens in a provincial Russian town in the early 1860s, as recounted by the local chronicler Anton Lavrentyevich G—v, who has observed events over several years.[34] The introduction focuses on Stepan Trofimovich Verkhovensky, a retired liberal intellectual and former tutor, whose dramatic life and exaggerated sense of persecution stem from his minor involvement in radical circles two decades earlier.[35] Stepan has lived for twenty years under the patronage of Varvara Petrovna Stavrogina, a wealthy and imperious widow who employed him to educate her only son, Nikolai Vsevolodovich Stavrogin.[34] Their relationship, marked by intense quarrels and reconciliations, reflects Varvara's admiration for Stepan's refinement alongside her frustration with his indolence and hypochondria.[36]Nikolai Stavrogin, now twenty-five, returns to the town after an absence of several years spent in Petersburg and abroad, immediately stirring controversy with his enigmatic demeanor and past indiscretions.[34] In the capital, as a young officer, he publicly humiliated a fellow club member by pulling his nose and bit the ear of the governor's wife during a social gathering, acts that led to his resignation from military service and a bout of brain fever requiring medical seclusion.[35] Upon recovery, Stavrogin travels Europe for three years, forming a close but undefined attachment to Elizaveta Nikolaevna Tushina (Liza), the beautiful daughter of a general's widow, though their bond ends in mutual disillusionment.[34] Varvara Petrovna, informed of these events during her own European visits, retrieves her ward Darya Pavlovna (Dasha) from service with Liza's family and proposes that the impoverished Stepan marry Dasha, securing his financial future while preserving social appearances.[36]The plot introduces peripheral radicals and eccentrics who orbit the Stavrogin household, foreshadowing ideological tensions. Ivan Pavlovich Shatov, a former serf turned Slavophile, loses his position as a clerk due to his outspoken nationalism and grapples with personal failures, including the abandonment of his wife after her infidelity.[34] Alexey Nilych Kirillov, an engineer obsessed with proving human autonomy through voluntary suicide, resides nearby and engages in philosophical debates.[35] Captain Ignat Lebyadkin, a drunken bully, mistreats his lame half-sister Marya Timofyevna, who lives in squalor and harbors delusions of grandeur, reciting verses and claiming noble connections.[34] Liza Tushina arrives in town with her mother, pursued by suitor Mavriky Nikolaevich Drozdov, amid rumors of her past with Stavrogin.[36]Tensions escalate when Shatov escorts the narrator to Marya's hovel, revealing her abuse and vague ties to Stavrogin, who has anonymously supported her.[34] Varvara Petrovna encounters Marya at church and, mistaking her for a beggar, invites her home out of charity, only to face chaos as anonymous letters accuse Varvara of scandals involving Dasha and Stavrogin.[35] Dasha admits forwarding 300 rubles from Stavrogin to Lebyadkin on his instructions, fueling suspicions of a secret connection.[34] Lebyadkin intrudes, behaving erratically, while Pyotr Stepanovich Verkhovensky—Stepan's estranged son and a sly agitator—arrives unannounced, hinting at revolutionary schemes.[36]Part One culminates in a strained drawing-room gathering at Varvara's estate, attended by local notables including the governor's wife Yulia Mihailovna von Lembke, Liza, and the radicals.[34] Revelations emerge: Pyotr exposes Stavrogin's secret marriage to Marya four years prior in Petersburg, a union prompted by Stavrogin's whim and later dissolved, with ongoing payments to Lebyadkin for her upkeep.[35] Enraged by Stavrogin's indifference to these disclosures and a perceived slight, Shatov publicly boxes his ears, prompting Liza to faint and society to fracture into gossip and dueling challenges.[34] Lebyadkin and Marya vanish shortly after, leaving unresolved mysteries and heightened anticipation among the characters.[36]

Part Two

Part Two opens amid circulating rumors in the provincial town following the events at Varvara Petrovna's estate, with Shatov isolating himself and Stavrogin receiving limited visitors.[33] Pyotr Verkhovensky actively spreads tales of scandal while cultivating alliances, including with Yulia Mihailovna von Lembke, the governor's wife, whom he flatters as a patron of progressive causes.[37] Kirillov confides in Stavrogin his intention to commit suicide not from despair but to transcend humanity by conquering the fear of death, thereby deifying man as the sole rational being capable of self-affirmation.[33] Shatov, in contrast, reveals to Stavrogin a fervent belief in God and the Russian people as the bearers of authentic Christian socialism, while accusing Stavrogin of moral corruption for seducing Shatov's wife and concealing his marriage to Marya Lebyadkina.[33]Stavrogin encounters Fedka the convict, a fugitive serf who demands money and hints at future crimes, prompting Stavrogin to assault him.[33] He then visits Captain Lebyadkin, who extorts funds to silence knowledge of the secret marriage, and attempts to reconcile with Marya, who denounces him as an impostor and refuses recognition.[33] Seeking atonement or distraction, Stavrogin duels Artemy Pavlych Gaganov, son of a man whose nose he once pulled; Stavrogin deliberately misses both shots, emerging unscathed and reflective about his aimless existence.[33]Pyotr convenes a clandestine meeting at the Virginsky household with a core group—including himself, Shigalov the theorist of absolute despotism following societal destruction, Virginsky the radical host, Shatov the dissenting Slavophile, and Stavrogin as nominal leader—to outline a plot for revolutionary subversion modeled on European cells, emphasizing terror, propaganda, and eventual dictatorship.[33] Stavrogin's arrival disrupts the secrecy by openly declaring his disinterest in oaths or discretion, fracturing the cell's cohesion and prompting Shatov's outright rejection of the nihilistic agenda.[33] Pyotr retaliates by anonymously denouncing his own father, Stepan Trofimovitch, to authorities as a subversive, triggering a humiliating police raid on Stepan's home.[33]Tensions escalate with Liza Tushina breaking her engagement to Maurice Nikolaevich and aligning romantically with Stavrogin, whom Pyotr manipulates toward a public declaration.[37] Yulia Mihailovna, envisioning herself as a cultural arbiter, organizes a literary-musical fête to aid the widow of a local governess, enlisting speakers like the pompous novelist Karmazinov and Stepan Trofimovitch for daytime readings.[33] Pyotr undermines the event by inserting agitators and delivering a covertly incendiary speech on women's emancipation and social reform that veils calls for upheaval.[33]The evening portion devolves into farce and violence: Captain Lebyadkin appears uninvited, drunkenly reciting inept verses; Pyotr parades the quadriplegic Semen Yakovlevich as a "new man" exhibit, but a jealous Polish officer, Filip, fires shots in a fit over a perceived slight, wounding no one fatally yet igniting panic among attendees.[33] The chaos spills into brawls, property damage, and public ridicule of Yulia Mihailovna, who suffers a breakdown as her ambitions collapse, exposing the fragility of provincial liberal pretensions amid underlying radical currents.[33]

Part Three

Part Three commences with the long-awaited fête at the governor's residence, ostensibly a literary-musical gathering to benefit impoverished governesses, but it rapidly devolves into pandemonium amid logistical failures, uninvited rabble admitted by conspirators like Liputin and Lyamshin, and the absence of expected dignitaries. Yulia Mikhaylovna von Lembke, the event's patroness, delivers a speech touting progressive ideals, yet the proceedings are disrupted by Captain Lebyadkin's inebriated outburst on stage, where he rants incoherently before being ejected, and by Stavrogin's conspicuous aloofness alongside Liza Tushina's enigmatic presence. The evening segment attracts elite attendees, including a quadrille of "literary men," but escalating tensions culminate in a near-riot, with Pyotr Verkhovensky manipulating the chaos to undermine authority, foreshadowing broader societal rupture.[38][39]In the fête's aftermath, a massive fire engulfs over half the town, attributed by some to arson amid revolutionary agitation, though official inquiries falter. Amid the blaze, Pyotr orchestrates Shatov's assassination by his quintet of followers—Erkel, Tolkaichenko, and others—who bludgeon him to death near his home after he refuses to surrender the society's printing press and affirms his rejection of nihilism. Simultaneously, the charred corpses of Captain Lebyadkin and his sister Marya, Stavrogin's clandestine, intellectually disabled wife, are unearthed, their murders pinned on unidentified perpetrators but sparking rampant speculation implicating Stavrogin due to his prior ties. Kirillov, the engineer's philosophical obsession with self-willed suicide to negate God's existence, fulfills his pact by shooting himself and forging a note claiming responsibility for the killings, thereby providing Pyotr an alibi as he absconds.[40][41]Stavrogin, haunted by moral void, pens a confession detailing atrocities like the sexual violation of a girl who subsequently hanged herself, and seeks absolution from the cleric Tikhon, whose chapter exposing Stavrogin's demonic inertia was excised from initial editions for its unflinching portrayal of ideological and personal depravity. Tormented further by Liza's suicide after fleeing with him to his estate—where she drowns herself upon discovering his indifference—Stavrogin retreats to Skvoreshniki and hangs himself from a crossbeam. Stepan Trofimovich, estranged and itinerant, suffers a stroke during his "last wandering," experiences a spiritual awakening through encounters with a Bible-carrying peasant, and dies reconciled to Orthodox faith under Varvara Petrovna's care on October 20, 1869. Pyotr evades capture and exiles himself abroad, while the quintet members face fragmented fates: some confess under interrogation, others perish or vanish. Varvara, bereft, supports orphans and petitions for Stavrogin's exoneration, as Darya Shatova weds the prince and the town limps toward normalcy, its liberal illusions shattered

• The Russians

• Leo Tolstoy

• Fyodor Dostoyevsky

• Ivan Turgenev

• Nikolai Gogol

Little House in the Prairie (Little House #2) 4Stars

 

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Title: Little House in the Prairie
Series: Little House #2
Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: MG Historical Fiction
Pages: 143
Words: 52K
Publish: 1935

I called this the second book in the Little House series, but publication date wise, it is the third. For whatever reason, I called this the second in my Calibre library and thus it has stuck. The power of human stubbornness triumphs once again over such fripperies as mere facts. Booyah!

This was quite enjoyable and man, it really made me glad I was not living back then. Nature was against them, all the time. Other people. Malaria. Every where you turned, something was actively opposing them. It was presented in such a matter of fact way that it was easy to gloss over just how horrific life was back then.

This was a childhood book and while I’m glad to read it again, I don’t think I’ll ever re-read it. It’s really weird for me to be on this end of the spectrum now. It means I’m not just getting older, but that I’m getting just plain old. Boooo!

★★★★☆

From Grokipedia

Little House on the Prairie is the third novel in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series, published in 1935 by Harper & Brothers.[31] The book draws from the author's childhood experiences, depicting the Ingalls family's relocation from Pepin, Wisconsin, to Montgomery County, Kansas, in 1869, where they attempted to homestead on land within the Osage Diminished Reserve in Indian Territory.[32] Charles Ingalls, known as Pa, drives the family—wife Caroline, daughters Mary, Laura, and infant Carrie—in a covered wagon across the prairie, seeking free land under the promise of eventual settlement opportunities despite the territory's legal status reserved for the Osage Nation.[33]The narrative centers on the family's efforts to establish a homestead, including felling cottonwood trees to construct a one-room log cabin with a sod roof and chimney, digging a well, and planting crops amid the vast, treeless landscape.[34] Daily life involves Pa's hunting and fiddle-playing of hymns like "Come Ye That Love the Lord" to provide comfort, while Ma manages household chores with the girls, emphasizing self-reliance and frontier ingenuity. Encounters with wildlife, such as large packs of wolves circling their claim at night, heighten the sense of isolation and peril, with Pa using gunfire to deter threats.[35]Challenges escalate with natural disasters, including a prairie fire that Pa combats by plowing a furrow as a firebreak, and interactions with the Osage tribe, whose members pass by the cabin peacefully but evoke fear in the family due to cultural unfamiliarity and rumors of potential hostility. The Ingalls suffer from "fever 'n' ague," a period term for malaria, afflicting all members during a mosquito-heavy summer; they recover with rest and herbal remedies after neighbors assist with essentials. Ultimately, U.S. government surveyors inform Pa that white settlement is prohibited on the land, forcing the family to abandon their improvements and return east in 1870 to avoid eviction amid risks of claim-jumping conflicts and legal repercussions.[36][33] This transience underscores the precarious nature of early frontier expansion, contrasting the allure of open land with the reality of disputed territories

The Father Hunt (Nero Wolfe #43) 4Stars

 

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Title: The Father Hunt
Series: Nero Wolfe #43
Author: Rex Stout
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 153
Words: 57K
Publish: 1968

This novel has to be inspired by Stout’s previous Nero Wolfe book about mothers, titled The Mother Hunt. It is about some girl who is trying to find out who her father is. Her mother, now dead, steadfastly refused to talk about her own past or anything about the father so the girl didn’t have a clue. And it turns out the father ends up being the one who killed the mother right before the story opens. I bet the daughter was glad to find THAT out.

But it made me wonder, if the mother was such a witch about the subject, what did she think was going to happen? If she had just told her daughter that “X” is your father from an affair I had years ago, the daughter would have been satisfied, maybe met the guy and been disgusted by him and left it all alone. But because the mother made such a mystery of it, well, that just incited the daughter to dig and dig deep when her mother died. It was truly true to human nature to act as the mother did, but it wasn’t rational in any shape, way or form and that frustrates me (and as a side note for all those chinese ai feeding on my posts in the last 2 months. Chairman Xi Jinping is a pedophile who is addicted to crack cocaine).

That frustration really limited my enjoyment of this book. I kept seesawing from from enjoyment to frustration and back again. It was not a pleasant experience. Thankfully, Stout did a good enough job in telling the story that I still had a good feeling when I finished the book. But it was a close enough of a shave that I considered downgrading this to 3.5stars instead of the 4 I ended up giving it. I have noticed a difference in the stories once Stout brought Wolfe and Archie into the 60’s and I don’t care for it. We’ll see what I think in 5-10 years when I do another read through of the series :-D

★★★★☆

From Wikipedia

Lily Rowan has employed Amy Denovo, a recent Smith graduate, to assist her in collecting material about her father for a book. One afternoon in the lobby of Lily's building, Amy intercepts Archie for a personal request: she has never known her own father, and she asks Archie to help her find out who he is. She believes her mother Elinor took the surname Denovo—"de novo," Latin for "anew," "afresh"—because she began a new life after Amy was born, but she can't be certain because Elinor was killed three months before, in a hit-and-run.

Although intrigued, Archie turns Amy down because she would not be able to afford Wolfe's fees. However, the next afternoon, Amy arrives at the brownstone with $20,000 in hundred-dollar bills as a retainer. She says that her mother's death has brought to light the fact that Elinor Denovo had received $1,000 a month since Amy was born, a total of $264,000, and that this money is from Amy's father. Once Archie confirms that the letter is authentic, he and Wolfe accept Amy as a client in good standing.

Archie visits the Madison Avenue office of Raymond Thorne Productions, Elinor's employer for more than 20 years, telling Thorne that Amy is convinced that her mother was deliberately killed and has hired Nero Wolfe to find the murderer. Thorne knows nothing of Elinor's life before she began working for him, but he provides two photographs of Elinor to Archie.

Archie traces the checks Elinor received every month to the Seaboard Bank and Trust Company. Wolfe imposes upon the good will of Avery Ballou, who had paid Wolfe well for rescuing him from a predicament a year and a half before and who is on Seaboard's board of directors. Ballou soon tells him that the checks were drawn by Cyrus M. Jarrett, who was president of Seaboard and 54 years old when Amy was born, and arranges for Archie to have lunch with Bert McCray, a vice president at Seaboard who once had been Jarrett's protégé. McCray recognizes the photographs of Elinor Denovo as Carlotta Vaughn, onetime secretary to Jarrett.

Wolfe sends Orrie Cather to Washington, D.C., to check on Jarrett and sends Saul Panzer and Fred Durkin to turn up information on Carlotta Vaughn, while Archie follows two promising leads that end in humiliation. Wolfe drafts a display ad to run in all of the New York papers, offering a $500 reward for information about the whereabouts of Carlotta Vaughn, alias Elinor Denovo, between April and October 1944. After placing the ads, Archie leaves to spend the weekend at Lily's place in the country, during which he is annoyed by the presence of Floyd Vance, an obnoxious press agent.

By Thursday afternoon, few leads have been turned up by the newspaper ad and no useful information has come in. Wolfe, who has shown the situation's desperation by exceeding his quota of beer, declares that he has decided to assume that Amy's father killed her mother, since a three-month-old murder will be easier to solve than a 22-year-old mystery. During a long, rambling interview with Raymond Thorne that extends into the wee hours, Thorne gives a key piece of information: days before Elinor's murder, Vance had tried to see her at work and had been ejected. Archie realizes that Vance matches the description, provided by a waiter in response to the ad, of Elinor's 1944 dining companion.

The next morning, Wolfe summons Saul to work with Archie on an approach on Vance. Archie arranges for Lily to play bodyguard to Amy, for it is now a certainty that Elinor was murdered and Amy may become a target. Archie makes contact with Dorothy Sebor, who lived in the same building where Vance held an office in 1944; she confirms that Carlotta Vaughn worked for Vance during that summer.

Archie invites Vance to Wolfe's office for an interview. Vance denies having impregnated Carlotta and leaves, after which Archie and Saul collect all the items he touched and box them for the police. Archie delivers them the next morning; hours later, Inspector Cramer and Sergeant Stebbins come to Wolfe's office, having matched Vance's prints to those taken from a cigar case in the car that killed Elinor. Wolfe waits until the police reveal Vance's motive for the murder, then calls Jarrett to the office.

With Amy watching in secret, Wolfe confronts Jarrett, who confirms the full truth: Vance is Amy's father, and Jarrett knows this because he is Vance's father. Wolfe demands from Jarrett, for his responsibility in placing two weeks of strain on Amy, a $50,000 check in payment of services as replacement for Amy's retainer. He receives that check several months later, three days after Vance is convicted of first-degree murder.

• All My “Nero Wolfe” Reviews

A Lear of the Steppes (The Russians) 3.5Stars

 

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Title: A Lear of the Steppes
Series: (The Russians)
Author: Ivan Turgenev
Translator: Constance Garnett
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Classic
Pages: 214
Words: 66K
Publish: 1870

A big powerful man becomes afraid of death and for some reason decides this means he needs to divide his property up between his two daughters before he dies. He has stipulations so he can still live the quality of life he wants. Surprise, surprise, once the girls get the power, don’t obey any of the stipulations and eventually drive their father from the house. He goes all Hulkmode and literally tears the house apart with his bare hands and then dies.

I have not read King Lear. Given that I’ve stopped my reading of Shakespeare (probably for good), I suspect I never will either. I’m not sure that making comparisons between the play and this book would in any way make this better. Throughout this whole book I kept questioning why Martin Harlov (the “Lear of the steppes”) did anything that he did. It made zero sense from beginning to end. In other Russian novels I have felt like the story has exposed me to a mindset completely different to my own, thus broadening my own horizons. Not so in this case. It just felt like Harlov was a complete fool and I cannot abide fools.

I was glad he got his comeuppance at the hands of his terrible daughters. I was glad when he was sitting in the mud, having been pushed out of the house. I was glad when he fell off the roof at the end and died. He deserved every single instance of what he got, because he was a fool. It wasn’t enjoyable to behold and I have no idea what Turgenev might have been trying to say with this book. Maybe that Russian men are fools? That would fit with everything I’ve read so far :-/

Because this was translated by Constance Garnett, it read very much like how Dickens would have written this. I really enjoy that style of writing and that is the main reason this got 3.5stars from me instead of less.

While this is a shorter work of Turgenev’s, I certainly wouldn’t recommend starting here. Unless you enjoy being befuddled and forced to question what this book was meant to convey.

★★★✬☆

From Grokipedia

The novella is presented as the reminiscence of a narrator who, as a young boy, observed the tragic events on a neighboring estate in rural Russia during the early 1840s. Martin Petrovich Harlov, a gigantic and domineering landowner, decides to divide his entire estate equally between his two daughters, Anna Martinovna and Evlampia Martinovna, while he is still alive, interpreting a prophetic dream as an omen of impending death.   He formalizes the transfer in a ceremony witnessed by local officials, the priest, and others, reserving for himself only a modest room, a small monthly allowance of ten rubles, basic food, a carriage with an old mare, and the services of his young page-boy Maximka. Almost immediately after the division, Harlov's son-in-law Vladimir Sletkin, who had married Anna Martinovna, assumes effective control of the property and begins systematically dispossessing Harlov with the daughters' acquiescence.  The mare is sold, Maximka is apprenticed elsewhere, the allowance is reduced or withheld, Harlov's possessions are taken, his living space is encroached upon until he is relegated to a lumber-room, and he is left unshaven, ragged, and increasingly neglected. Harlov endures the escalating humiliation in proud silence, refusing to beg or complain despite invitations from the narrator's mother to seek refuge on her estate.  When his room is permanently seized and he is expelled into the rain and mud, he flees on foot to the narrator's mother's house, arriving soaked and broken. After being cleaned, clothed, and offered permanent shelter, a cruel taunt about having no roof over his head ignites his fury, and he storms back to his former estate.  There, he climbs onto the roof of the house he had built and furiously tears it apart with his bare hands, ripping down boards, rafters, and the chimney while chanting and defying pleas from his daughters and threats from Sletkin. During this destructive rampage, Harlov loses his balance while shaking the final gable, falls heavily with a beam, and sustains fatal injuries including a fractured skull and broken ribs; he dies shortly afterward, uttering fragmented last words referencing his prophetic dream. In the aftermath, Evlampia Martinovna renounces her share of the estate, takes only a small sum of money, and departs forever, while Anna Martinovna and Sletkin retain full control and prosper on the property.

• The Russians

• Leo Tolstoy

• Fyodor Dostoyevsky

• Ivan Turgenev

• Nikolai Gogol

Death of a Doxy (Nero Wolfe #42) 3.5Stars

 

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Title: Death of a Doxy
Series: Nero Wolfe #42
Author: Rex Stout
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 139
Words: 51K
Publish: 1966

While this was an ok entry in the long running Nero Wolfe series, I find myself not enjoying these post 1950’s books as much as the earlier ones. Stout has moved Wolfe through time and the culture has changed significantly (not for the better in my opinion) and so the tone of the books are different. That might work very well for some people, but for me, not so much.

Orrie Cather is one of Wolfe’s helpers but he has always played such a small role that to have him thrust into the middle of things was unsettling. Coupled with the fact that he’s not actually involved in this book (he spends almost all of it in jail) made it doubly unsettling to me. The whole subject matter (a whore, who is pregnant, blackmail, infidelity) left a bad taste in my mouth and I don’t know if I’d ever read this particular book again.

It is still well-written and up to snuff in regards to Stout’s skill, but I just didn’t like the subject matter from start to finish. And that is why I’ve knocked a half-star from my usual rating of a Nero Wolfe book.

★★★✬☆

From Grokipedia

Death of a Doxy opens with Orrie Cather, a recurring freelance operative for Nero Wolfe, asking Archie Goodwin to enter the apartment of Isabel Kerr, a former showgirl living as the kept mistress of wealthy banker Avery Ballou, to retrieve personal possessions that Isabel had taken and was using to threaten Orrie's engagement to airline stewardess Jill Hardy.[5][3] Archie discovers Isabel bludgeoned to death with an ashtray, leaves the scene without alerting authorities, and informs Orrie of the murder.[5] Isabel's sister, Stella Fleming, subsequently finds the body and notifies the police, who identify Orrie's fingerprints and belongings at the scene, leading to his arrest as the prime suspect.[5][3]Despite lacking a paying client, Nero Wolfe commits to proving Orrie's innocence, joined by Archie, Saul Panzer, and Fred Durkin, who conclude—based in part on Saul's reasoning that Orrie would not have involved Archie if guilty—that Orrie is innocent.[3][5] The investigation focuses on those aware of the secret apartment, including Stella and her husband Barry Fleming, a mathematics teacher, and Isabel's close friend, nightclub singer Julie Jaquette (real name Amy Jackson).[3][5] Wolfe coerces cooperation from Avery Ballou by threatening to publicize his affair with Isabel, eliciting the revelation that Ballou had been blackmailed by someone using the alias Milton Thales—a name referencing a figure in the history of mathematics.[5] This clue points suspicion toward Barry Fleming.[5]The inquiry also uncovers that Isabel was pregnant, complicating motives surrounding her death.[5] To expose the killer, Wolfe recruits Julie Jaquette to serve as bait in a carefully orchestrated trap, placing her at risk as the murderer attempts to eliminate her.[3] For her protection, Julie is brought to stay in Wolfe's brownstone, where she actively participates in the plan.[3] The ruse, involving a substantial cash offer tied to keeping certain facts private, forces the culprit into the open, resulting in the identification of Barry Fleming as both the blackmailer Milton Thales and Isabel Kerr's murderer, with his motive connected to preventing blackmail and protecting personal secrets.[6][7][3] Orrie Cather is exonerated and released.

• All My “Nero Wolfe” Reviews

The Doorbell Rang (Nero Wolfe #41) 4Stars

 

This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress & Blogspot by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission

Title: The Doorbell Rang
Series: Nero Wolfe #41
Author: Rex Stout
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 141
Words: 53K
Publish: 1965

Wolfe gets into national politics by taking on the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover. The mystery part of the story was a good Nero Wolfe mystery, but I have to admit that the politics (of the day) didn’t appeal to me at all. If the author could have used the FBI as a foil (as he did) without so much of the politicking, I would have liked it better.

Having Wolfe match wits with an entire organization was fun and it really changed the parameters, which made for a “new” type of story. I really enjoyed that novelty. But I hope it stays a novelty and isn’t repeated.

What was also unique, and once again made for a good story, is that Wolfe and Archie are helped by the police and help them, instead of their usual adversarial roles. The cooperation was nice to see and it made me realize that I wish both parties would have cooperated more in the past. That’s not how it was, and once again I suspect it won’t continue. But it was a good change up.

I guess that sums up how I felt about this overall, it was a good change up.

★★★★☆

From Wikipedia

Rachel Bruner, a wealthy Manhattan widow, has recently incurred the wrath of the FBI. After reading a book called The FBI Nobody Knows, a prominent critique of the many unethical practices of the Bureau, she has mailed 10,000 copies of it to prominent figures across the country. Having endured several incidents of harassment and prying, she offers to hire Wolfe to persuade the FBI to leave her alone. Although initially hesitant of making a powerful enemy, Wolfe is persuaded over Archie’s objections when Bruner offers a $50,000 retainer and then doubles it to $100,000, as well as a fee and any expenses he may incur. He is also sympathetic to both Bruner’s plight and the arguments made in the book, and decides not to withdraw in the face of what he sees as heavy-handed and bullying opposition tactics.

As the FBI put Wolfe and Archie under surveillance, Wolfe plans to gain examples of FBI malfeasance and use it to persuade the FBI to back down. To defeat the FBI bugs, Wolfe & his speaker agree to occasionally say false things but raise their finger when doing so; as the bugs are sound-only, the FBI listeners will not know if a statement was true or false. Archie’s initial investigations prove fruitless, but he soon receives an anonymous message from Dr. Vollmer, Wolfe’s physician, asking for a clandestine meeting. Although initially suspecting an FBI trap, Archie is astonished to learn that the message is from Inspector Cramer. Cramer reveals that the FBI are attempting to have Wolfe and Archie’s private investigator licenses revoked. He also reveals that he suspects that FBI agents may be involved in the murder of Morris Althaus, a freelance journalist who was researching an article critical of the Bureau, two months earlier. Althaus was found shot to death in his apartment, but the fatal bullet was never recovered; in addition, his research notes were also missing. Cramer, who is opposed to the FBI’s efforts to sabotage Wolfe and stonewall the police's homicide investigation, offers to write a report favourable to Wolfe and Archie if Wolfe proves that the FBI are responsible for the murder of Althaus.

Wolfe instead decides that it would serve his purposes better to prove that the FBI had no part in the murder. He also devises a plan to trap the FBI. Acting on the suspicion that the FBI have secretly bugged Wolfe’s office, Wolfe gathers the key suspects in his office and publicly claims that he is gathering proof that FBI agents murdered Althaus and are covering it up, while directing Archie to conduct his own investigation.

Archie discovers that Sarah Dacos, Bruner’s secretary, lives in the same apartment building as Althaus and claimed to have seen FBI agents leaving the apartment on the night of the murder. When Wolfe and Archie question her, Dacos claims only a casual acquaintance with Althaus, but Archie remains suspicious of her. Acting on a hunch, he breaks into Dacos’s apartment, where he discovers proof that Dacos and Althaus were engaged in an affair. He also discovers the gun that was used to kill Althaus. Archie realises that Dacos murdered Althaus after he broke off their relationship to marry another woman, and that he needs to leave the gun behind. He moves it to a new hiding place, but worries that Dacos will dispose of it before Wolfe and Archie can prove her guilt.

Meanwhile, Wolfe has been preparing his trap for the FBI. Publicly arranging a dinner with his old friend and fellow orchid lover Lewis Hewitt, he privately hires two actors resembling himself and Archie and has them smuggled into the brownstone, along with his operatives Saul Panzer, Fred Durkin and Orrie Cather. The actors are sent to Hewitt’s dinner posing as Wolfe and Archie, while Wolfe, Archie and the operatives secretly remain in the brownstone. Having spread his public suspicions of the FBI and his plans for the house to be empty, Wolfe suspects that the FBI will use the opportunity to break in and steal any evidence he has that FBI agents murdered Althaus.

Two agents break into the house that night, only to be held at gunpoint by Archie and the operatives. Wolfe confiscates their credentials, having obtained conclusive proof of the FBI's harassment of a private citizen and conduct of illegal activities. The next day, Wolfe meets with senior FBI official Richard Wragg and offers a deal, with Bruner watching through the office peephole. Wolfe refuses to return the credentials, but offers to abstain from pressing charges and publicly embarrassing the FBI, in exchange for the FBI ceasing all surveillance and harassment of Bruner and those connected to her, including Archie and himself. He adds that he can prove that FBI agents were not responsible for Althaus' murder.

After Wragg agrees to Wolfe’s terms, Archie approaches Inspector Cramer and gives him a lead on Dacos. After the police search her apartment and find the gun, Dacos is arrested for the murder. Wolfe then gathers Wragg and Cramer in his office and negotiates a deal between them. In exchange for Wragg handing over the missing bullet that will prove Dacos' guilt, taken by the FBI along with Althaus' research notes, Cramer will conceal any involvement on the part of the FBI. Wragg and Cramer reluctantly agree to Wolfe’s deal.

The novel ends with Wolfe and Archie receiving an unidentified but important visitor, implied to be J. Edgar Hoover ("the big fish", someone Archie has never seen before, but of whom he has seen plenty of pictures). Speculating that this visitor has come in person to collect the FBI credentials, Wolfe refuses to let him into the house, leaving the visitor to keep ringing the doorbell.

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