I should have created a Nero Wolfe blog category.
This is a fictional detective, a series of books by the late Rex Stout, all written in the 1940's to the 1960's. I began reading the books somewhere around 1980 and I haven't stopped. I read and re-read all of the books continuously. I've since learned that I'm not the only Nero Wolfe fan who is sort of obsessed with the characters, the language, the politics, the vocabulary, the recipes, the orchids, the story lines, manners, etiquette and the very powerful personalities. There are thousands of Nero Wolfe fanatics around though I've never actually met one in person.
The books have taught me a great deal. Some day I'll write extensively about each valuable lesson, be it cooking, negotiating, relating, human nature, history and so on.
There have been many on screen (and radio) interpretations of Nero Wolfe but only one actor really captured the true Nero Wolfe character and his name is Maury Chaykin. Sadly, he died last week. I only met him once.
Without any doubt in my mind, he WAS Nero Wolfe.
I was standing in a line for something at the Distillery District years ago and Nero (I mean Maury) appeared, right in front of me. At first I was alarmed because this was my first ever meeting with my hero Nero Wolfe and I know him as a blustery and rude man, larger than life. I gathered my senses, worked up the courage and blurted out, "as someone who reads a little bit of Nero Wolfe every day, you are Nero Wolfe". He then smiled (sort of) as Nero Wolfe would smile (not that ever did) and said "thank you". I made a hasty exit for fear I'd blather on like a star struck teen.
I still visualize Maury as I'm reading and re-reading my favourite passages - he was that good.
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