Comments on: Books and Bias

By: Sigh

Sigh — Thu, 05 May 2022 14:15:43 +0000

Yes, in the first 3 books, there was a fair bit of racism. Archie himself used the *n-word* to describe people several times. No one ever mentions that in reviews, because no one remembers it.

By: Sarah Stegall

Sarah Stegall — Sun, 03 Apr 2022 22:16:35 +0000

On a recent re-reading of “A Family Affair”, Stout’s last novel, Archie scorns the feminist daughter of a murder victim and derogates her collection of authors such as Betty Friedan and Simone de Beauvoir. Worse, at a conference with the operatives, when they’re dividing up assignments, he lets Saul take on the feminist as his assignment, and casually remarks that Saul might try raping her. For Stout to write that line in 1975, well into the first wave of feminism, shows a shocking disconnect with women, liberalism, and his own times. I finally got past my outrage by telling myself that Wolfe was 88 years old and possibly in cognitive decline. (We now know that dementia erases one’s mental filters.)

The book is not up to Stout’s usual standards, and ultimately only the shock value of its ending gives it a respected place on the shelf. Nevertheless, in the #metoo era, Archie’s contemptuous remark, even if out of character, grates in memory. It left a sour taste in my mouth, an offense that would have enraged Nero Wolfe.

By: Melinda Lewis

Melinda Lewis — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 03:30:15 +0000

In reply to Donald A Coffin. I don’t see it in our list of comments. It might not have posted!

By: Donald A Coffin

Donald A Coffin — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 15:12:48 +0000

So…I just wrote and, I thought, posted a fairly lengthy comment. Where would it show up? I sure don’t see it anywhere…