The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

"'I always need money. That is of course my affair. I will undertake to disembark this gentleman from his ship of vengeance, in advance of any injury to you, for the sum of ten thousand dollars.'"
(Nero Wolfe, speaking to one of the "frightened men")

The League of Frightened Men is the second novel in Rex Stout's famous Nero Wolfe series. It was published in 1935, 84 years ago: not many people born that year are still around. The prose indeed reads dated yet in a good way. In fact, I prefer Mr. Stout's earlier writings over the ones from 1960s and later: his early style is more elaborate and sophisticated.

The story begins in a way similar to many other Wolfe novels: Archie is unhappy with zero cash flow and bugs Wolfe to do something about it. Naturally, an opportunity soon arises: a young woman calls to ask Wolfe for help. Her uncle, who had unsuccessfully tried to hire Wolfe few weeks ago, has disappeared. This time Wolfe agrees to take the job and the setup of the plot is thus revealed. Twenty-five years ago, during a sort of a hazing prank at Harvard, one of the students suffered a serious injury which resulted in permanent disability. The man, one Paul Chapin, has now supposedly "embarked on a ship of vengeance" and seeks the ultimate retribution by killing the participants of the fatuous prank. Already two men are dead, the woman's uncle is missing and also presumed dead.

Wolfe soon has 11 members of the "league of frightened men" in his office: they are haggling about the details of Wolfe's potential involvement in the case. And then... Paul Chapin arrives in the office. The plot is quite complicated, the sequence of events rather plausible, and the action moves at a leisurely but steady pace. In fact, I managed to follow the plot with interest, which does not often happen. I particularly liked Wolfe's conversation with Mr. Chapin that occurs later in the novel - great dialogue. Also, (in hindsight) imagine that at one point Nero Wolfe is forced to leave the house!

The prose is dated not only in that it is more cultivated. The reader will notice the usage of many un-PC terms: 'the cripple', 'the runt', 'the lop' (for 'lopsided'). I can imagine a PC brigade valiantly working to censor the prose so that readers will enjoy only the safe material. I bet the brigade would censor the following as well:

"I felt uncertain too, when I saw her. They don't come any uglier. [...] it was more subtle than plain ugliness, to look at her made you despair of ever seeing a pretty woman again."

(I apologize for venting my anti-PC sentiments.) I learned a cool word - 'rodomontade'. I also learned that a typewriter cost $100 in 1935, an equivalent of $1874 in current dollars. Wow! The reader is also told that the previous time Nero Wolfe left home was to dine at the same table that Albert Einstein sat at.

To sum up: a good read. Interesting plot and accomplished writing.

Three-and-a-half stars.


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