Rex Stout: A Majesty's Life-Millennium Edition

Rex Stout in his maturity was "a man of mythic dimensions." He helped enlighten America about the Nazi threat, fought racism and supported world government. You'll get all the details in this scholarly biography.You'll also encounter interviews and vignettes that give an intimate picture of Rex Stout - demeanor, behavior and opinions. I was delighted to learn that he hid boxes of chocolates and that he built a special cabinet with one slide-out shelf per shirt to keep his shirts pristine. The comic poem Stout wrote (page 249) to defend his profession of "mystery monger" is a treat. And the many insights into the Wolfe-Archie dynamic were just what I wanted from this book.But for a recreational reader like me, the book does have some slow-going passages. While Stout's first marriage goes by in a paragraph, his leadership of boards and committees merits long chapters. This is an authorized biography; achievements must be chronicled.In any case, I found it fascinating that Wolfe, the most rational of detectives, came to Stout, the most rational of writers, as pure inspiration. Wolfe and Archie simply happened one day. After this spontaneous birth, plots came to Stout as he puttered around. He let his characters fill in the story, and he did no revisions. McAleer's portrayal of how Stout created the Wolfe series is a delight.

First of all, the binding on the book was insubstantial so it came apart after I’d read less than a fourth of it.As the the readability, like most biographers this author had so much material that he had difficulties deciding what to put in and what to leave out. Strangely, he opted to tell the details of many of the stories, especially the early ones, that Rex Stout wrote. I failed to see the relevance of pages and pages being devoted to those.Mr Stout was a family man as well as an active public figure, but John McAleer centered his biography more on the public life. Personally I would have to liked to know more about his wives and daughters. His parents and siblings were fairly well covered in his early years but barely mentioned later.Rex Stout was a fascinatingly complex man, a polymath, but this biography, although authorized, does not do him justice.

A fascinating read of the life and history of one of the greatest detective fiction writers of all time. The books traces Stout's root to the family's coming to America and his journey through life. If you love Nero Wolfe, it is a must read. If you like biographies, it is worth the time.

I got this book expecting a sort of cursory investigation of a man's life with focus on HOW and WHAT he wrote. What I got instead was an education in how writing factored into the life of a man who was so much more than the creator of his characters. Rex Stout IS an inspiration, and this book does not disappoint in giving ample proof - whether it's the stories of the precocious youth (coming after the incredibly detailed genealogy), or his thoughts on activism, or his writing habits (because I think none of us would mind churning out novels in a month or two and spending the rest of the year doting on your spouse and happiness-inducing hobbies), this biography is absolutely worth a read and a re-read. It sits very satisfactorily on my shelf next to Baring-Gould's work.

This was a superb bio.Rex Stout 's life read like a novel.Five stars all the way.A great tale!

This book is in excellent condition and can hardly wait to read it. I have others about Rex Stout and Archie Goodwin, so some good reading is in store. Thanks.

This is, to be blunt, a very impressive biography. The go-to source for all things Rex Stout. A book nearly as heavy as Nero Wolfe.

Good book, perfect transaction.