Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
[Kbh.] : Forum, 1997.
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Suspense. Thriller. HTML:Paul Chapin�??s college cronies never quite forgave themselves for instigating the tragic prank that left their friend a twisted cripple. Yet with their hazing days at Harvard far behind them, they had every reason to believe that Paul himself had forgiven them�??until a class reunion ends in a fatal fall, and the poems, swearing deadly retribution, begin to arrive. Now this league of frightened men is desperate for Nero Wolfe�??s help. But are Wolfe�??s brilliance and Archie�??s tenacity enough to outwit a killer so cunning he can plot and execute in plain sight? Introduction by Robert Goldsborough �??It is always a treat to read a Nero Wolfe mystery. The man has entered our folklore.�?��??The New York Times Book Review A grand master of the form, Rex Stout is one of America�??s greatest mystery writers, and his literary creation Nero Wolfe is one of the greatest fictional detectives of all time. Together, Stout and Wolfe have entertained�??and puzzled�??millions of mystery fans around the world. Now, with his perambulatory man-about-town, Archie Goodwin, the arrogant, gourmandizing, sedentary sleuth is back in the original seventy-three cases of crime and detection written by the inim… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member mmyoung
Re-reading (rather than reading) this book probably highlights both its weaknesses and it strengths. It has some lovely conceits - not the least of which being the way in which it privileges the reader by suggesting that the insightful reader (someone like Wolfe) would be able to nail the
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psychological possibilities of a suspect far better than could a psychologist who had known the suspect for decades. One wonders is Stout was witty enough to make some of the supposed twists so incredibly obvious in order to make the book's readers feel that they would have been able to deduce as much from the act of reading as had Wolfe. Unfortunately the book itself seems to be badly paced and at points almost glacial in its movement towards a rather contrived (even for Stout) ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member wildbill
This is my second Nero Wolfe mystery and the second book in the series. Rex Stout was a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the title reminded me of the Holmes story The Red Headed League.
During their college years a group of Harvard students engaged in some hazing of a freshman. The freshman, Paul
Wolfe begins his investigation of the case by reading all of Chapin's books. Not the usual technique but appropriate for Nero Wolfe. The police are also working on the case and Paul Chapin is being followed by several detectives every where he goes. Archie Goodwin is very active in the case following up any little clue they can find. Paul Chapin's character is well done. His burning hatred focused by a controlled personality makes him a good foil for Wolfe.
There are several surprises as the story moves along which help to build the suspense. One of Paul Chapin's secret pleasures is discovered adding to the twisted aspects of his character. One of the members is murdered and Chapin is found in the room with the body. It looks like Nero Wolfe is out of a job and then ....?
I enjoyed the story and thought the writing was better than Fer-De-Lance. The book was written in 1935 and I enjoy the atmosphere of those times. On small thing bothered me. Archie Goodwin always refers to Paul Chapin as the cripple. I just didn't like it and I got a small tic in my brain every time I read that phrase.
During their college years a group of Harvard students engaged in some hazing of a freshman. The freshman, Paul
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Chapin, was severely injured and has to use a cane to walk. Chapin had recently become a successful writer after years of poverty. During those years he received financial help from some members of the group which he viewed as pity and only made him bitter. Recently two members of the group have died under suspicious circumstances. After their deaths each member of the group received a set of verses which made it sound like Chapin may have murdered the two dead men. Another member, Andrew Hibbard, disappeared followed by a new set of verses to each member. The group are now the League of Frightened Men seeking help from Nero Wolfe.Wolfe begins his investigation of the case by reading all of Chapin's books. Not the usual technique but appropriate for Nero Wolfe. The police are also working on the case and Paul Chapin is being followed by several detectives every where he goes. Archie Goodwin is very active in the case following up any little clue they can find. Paul Chapin's character is well done. His burning hatred focused by a controlled personality makes him a good foil for Wolfe.
There are several surprises as the story moves along which help to build the suspense. One of Paul Chapin's secret pleasures is discovered adding to the twisted aspects of his character. One of the members is murdered and Chapin is found in the room with the body. It looks like Nero Wolfe is out of a job and then ....?
I enjoyed the story and thought the writing was better than Fer-De-Lance. The book was written in 1935 and I enjoy the atmosphere of those times. On small thing bothered me. Archie Goodwin always refers to Paul Chapin as the cripple. I just didn't like it and I got a small tic in my brain every time I read that phrase.
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LibraryThing member Jim53
Two members of a group of men who attended Harvard together twenty-five years earlier have died, and their deaths were followed by anonymous letters to the group, claiming that the deaths were murders and would continue. Some of the men approach Nero Wolfe to ask him for help, and explain that they
I was pretty underwhelmed by this, my second foray into the world of Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. The problem seems artificial, and Wolfe's approach to it is so smug that it's hard to view him as anything but offensive. Archie's colloquial narration has its good points but is on the whole less than inspiring.
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are sure the letters are from a man who was crippled by their actions while at Harvard. Guilty about the responsibility, they do not want the man arrested or destroyed. Wolfe undertakes to remove their fear of the man.I was pretty underwhelmed by this, my second foray into the world of Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. The problem seems artificial, and Wolfe's approach to it is so smug that it's hard to view him as anything but offensive. Archie's colloquial narration has its good points but is on the whole less than inspiring.
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LibraryThing member tzelman
Tip top Wolfe at his sneakiest--the "last ding dong of doom" is his
LibraryThing member f.bludevil
Not one of his best in my opinion but a good read none-the-less. The plot is rather twisted (ok, you guessed that one) but this is offset with the introduction of some fairly creepy characters so you shouldn't have any problems getting through it. As an earlier reviewer commented, I was somewhat
It's a stretch, but not a good one.
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put off by the psychological insights attributed to Mr Wolfe reading of Mr. Chapin's books and how it was used to explain Mr. Wolfe's mysterious insights into his character. But, if you can't stretch your imagination to somewhat cover your sense of reality you probably shouldn't be reading fiction anyway.It's a stretch, but not a good one.
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LibraryThing member jeff1124
This is the 2nd Nero Wolfe book by Rex Stout. There have been two deaths among a group of college friends. The friends have all received notes, poems actually, claiming responsibility for the deaths. One member of the friends, was a victim of a hazing incident in college for which all of the other
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members feel responsible. The remaining friends from college are the "league of frightened men" from the title. They fear that Paul Chapin is insane and plans on killing them all. Nero Wolfe is hired, in an ingenious manner i might add, to solve the problem. The book is loaded with great dialogue and smart writing. If you love a good old fashioned mystery, then i can highly recommend this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member punkypower
LoFG has a premise that has been repeated since, but never added up to the original. Back in their Harvard days, a hazing stunt went horribly awry, and Paul Chapin has lived with a physical reminder since. Present day, members of the League are turning up dead and the others, successful as they
I enjoyed the book and will probably read another Rex Stout book. Not this year or next. There are too many other books that pique my attention over this. Then again, I'm just starting to get into mysteries. This challenge has got me to read more mysteries in a month than I have in my 35+ years! ;)
The most surprising thing to me about the book was not the ending, but wordplay. First, with it being an older book there is quite a lot of slang regarding character's race and afflictions. The other, never have I had to use the dictionary so often.
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might be, are scared witless. Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are on the case.I enjoyed the book and will probably read another Rex Stout book. Not this year or next. There are too many other books that pique my attention over this. Then again, I'm just starting to get into mysteries. This challenge has got me to read more mysteries in a month than I have in my 35+ years! ;)
The most surprising thing to me about the book was not the ending, but wordplay. First, with it being an older book there is quite a lot of slang regarding character's race and afflictions. The other, never have I had to use the dictionary so often.
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LibraryThing member MrsLee
One of the creepiest characters Stout created, Paul Chapin is introduced in this story. Is he a menace, or just an illusion of one? His classmates and Archie certainly seem to think the threat is real. Wolfe also has a keen respect for him, after reading all of his books, he feels he knows Mr.
The race is on to see whether Wolfe can stop him before another of the League members die.
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Chapin thoroughly.The race is on to see whether Wolfe can stop him before another of the League members die.
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LibraryThing member wdwilson3
A Thirties period piece, to be sure, but the plot stands up pretty well. Most interesting to me was how Stout could use so many speech patterns -- Wolfe's precise, educated, superior tone; Goodwin's street-wise, slangy; other characters befitting their education and status. Stout had a good ear.
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This felt like a bit of a time capsule in terms of political correctness, social structure, and everyday life. Show Less
LibraryThing member antiquary
When I was younger, this was one of my favorite Nero Wolfe stories, largely because I identified with the suspect Paul Chapin. Nowadays, I think it creates an interesting situation, but the result is a disappointment. A group of college friends pressure an unpopular though clever fellow student
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into a risky walk along a ledge that results in a crippling fall; years later they start receiving threatening letters ostensibly saying that their former victim is killing them one by one. An added twist is the fact that the former victim is deeply in love with the wife of one of the "league" -- he has married her ugly maid who has brought him a collection of trophies from her possessions. There is a powerful moment when he rejects Wolfe's attempt to pressure him using the collection. Show Less
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Once again I had an enjoyable visit with Nero Wolfe, Archie Goodwin and all the characters that make up these wonderful detective stories. The League of Frightened Men will probably not go down as one of my favorites of the series, but any book that had Archie Goodwin as a main character, a
This second book of the series was more of a psychological study of a group of men who are bound together by an tragedy that happened during a hazing incident at university. Now one by one this group of men are dying and all are receiving anonymous notes that they are sure come from the hazing victim. The story was a little too drawn out and slow moving for me, however I enjoyed the amusing banter between Wolfe and Archie, although I felt at times that Archie was being a little thick and should have realized that a genius like Nero Wolfe would be two steps ahead of everyone else. I will definitely be continuing on with this series.
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roadster as a means of transportation, and calls a gun a “gat” is alright by me.This second book of the series was more of a psychological study of a group of men who are bound together by an tragedy that happened during a hazing incident at university. Now one by one this group of men are dying and all are receiving anonymous notes that they are sure come from the hazing victim. The story was a little too drawn out and slow moving for me, however I enjoyed the amusing banter between Wolfe and Archie, although I felt at times that Archie was being a little thick and should have realized that a genius like Nero Wolfe would be two steps ahead of everyone else. I will definitely be continuing on with this series.
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LibraryThing member brone
A good book
LibraryThing member rosalita
Paul Chapin was crippled during a college hazing incident, and the men who were responsible have had an uneasy relationship with him in the intervening decades, providing monetary support to him while also keeping him at arm's length. After one of them dies at a reunion gathering, all of the
This is just the second book in Stout's stellar series (published in 1935) and as such lacks the smooth and assured tone and pacing of latter entries. Because Stout was still trying to establish Wolfe's and Archie's personalities, the dialogue seems stilted and overly mannered. In later books Stout often provided a refreshing counterpoint to the prejudices of the day, but here the characters make free with disparaging epithets for the disabled that, although absolutely of the time period, are jarring to a modern reader's sensibilities. In short, a well-plotted psychological thriller more than a mystery, but the flaws are glaring enough to make it far from a favorite.
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surviving members receive a copy of a poem claiming responsibility for the man's death and promising that the rest of the self-styled "League of Atonement" will suffer the same fate. All of the men believe that Chapin both killed their friend and wrote the poem, but they can't agree on what to do about it, even as more members turn up dead. Eventually they land on Wolfe's doorstep, who agrees to undertake to rid them of the menace, whatever its origins.This is just the second book in Stout's stellar series (published in 1935) and as such lacks the smooth and assured tone and pacing of latter entries. Because Stout was still trying to establish Wolfe's and Archie's personalities, the dialogue seems stilted and overly mannered. In later books Stout often provided a refreshing counterpoint to the prejudices of the day, but here the characters make free with disparaging epithets for the disabled that, although absolutely of the time period, are jarring to a modern reader's sensibilities. In short, a well-plotted psychological thriller more than a mystery, but the flaws are glaring enough to make it far from a favorite.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
What does a good private detective do when clients are scarce? He uses his skills to find clients! A newspaper article about an obscenity case in which the book’s author claims to have committed a murder leads to a potentially very lucrative case for Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin.
Wolfe’s esoteric eccentricities and Archie’s sarcasm are a great combination. Depression provides a backdrop for this case, as does New York City. Several of the league members are hard up for work, as are Wolfe, Archie, and several of the detectives they frequently employ to assist with the leg work. It may read like a period piece now, but it probably seemed very modern to Stout’s contemporaries.
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The author in question had been injured in a hazing incident at Harvard. The group of men responsible for his injury had formed a league to atone for their youthful sin. Two league members had died recently, and other league members received threatening poems following the deaths. All of the men are edgy, and their nervousness increases after another of their number disappears. Wolfe will match wits with a very clever suspect who has managed to commit murders while being closely watched without leaving a trace of evidence.Wolfe’s esoteric eccentricities and Archie’s sarcasm are a great combination. Depression provides a backdrop for this case, as does New York City. Several of the league members are hard up for work, as are Wolfe, Archie, and several of the detectives they frequently employ to assist with the leg work. It may read like a period piece now, but it probably seemed very modern to Stout’s contemporaries.
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LibraryThing member nillacat
I’m becoming quite fond of the Nero Wolfe novels. This one was perhaps not quite as satisfying as the first one: I was barely interested in any of the characters save our protagonists and the cab driver; most were too shallowly rendered and the ones who weren’t were not likable. But it was a
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compelling ride and a fine read. Show Less
LibraryThing member BooksForDinner
Classic American mystery... liked this maybe a bit more than the first. Can't wait to read a couple later Nero Wolfe mysteries to see how his writing develops.
LibraryThing member LisaLynne
This was my very first Nero Wolfe novel and the start of a life-long love affair with the big detective.
LibraryThing member tuckerresearch
After watching most of the great Nero Wolfe A&E series (starring Maury Chaykin as Nero Wolfe and Timothy Hutton as Archie Goodwin), I decided to read some of the original novels. I got a hold of And Be a Villain and liked it, so I decided to get them all so I could read them in order (from 1934 to
Now The League of Frightened Men. The characters are already pretty much fully formed, so I get no jarring discontinuities between what I think Wolfe and Archie should be and how they are presented. (Like, say, the discontinuities between the Morse and Lewis of Colin Dexter's first few novels and the Morse and Lewis of TV and his later novels.) I can imagine the brownstone properly and Maury Chaykin, Timothy Hutton, and Colin Fox in their roles. Stout, from the start, gives the house and the characters all the ideals and foibles and mannerisms they would have throughout the series.
To the story. The mystery is pretty good, though very un-PC for today. But hey, it was okay to call someone a "cripple" in 1935. Better than Fer-de-Lance, I think. A good Nero Wolfe story all around.
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1975).Now The League of Frightened Men. The characters are already pretty much fully formed, so I get no jarring discontinuities between what I think Wolfe and Archie should be and how they are presented. (Like, say, the discontinuities between the Morse and Lewis of Colin Dexter's first few novels and the Morse and Lewis of TV and his later novels.) I can imagine the brownstone properly and Maury Chaykin, Timothy Hutton, and Colin Fox in their roles. Stout, from the start, gives the house and the characters all the ideals and foibles and mannerisms they would have throughout the series.
To the story. The mystery is pretty good, though very un-PC for today. But hey, it was okay to call someone a "cripple" in 1935. Better than Fer-de-Lance, I think. A good Nero Wolfe story all around.
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Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1935
Physical description
255 p.; 17.9 cm
ISBN
8755325440 / 9788755325449
Local notes
Omslag: Axel Surland
Omslagsillustration: Charles Santore
Omslaget viser en tyk mand med halstørklæde, stor frakke og halstørklæde. Han lugter til en orkide.
Oversat fra amerikansk "The League of Frightened Men" af Grete Juel Jørgensen
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Omslagsillustration: Charles Santore
Omslaget viser en tyk mand med halstørklæde, stor frakke og halstørklæde. Han lugter til en orkide.
Oversat fra amerikansk "The League of Frightened Men" af Grete Juel Jørgensen
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Similar in this library
Series
Pages
255
DDC/MDS
| 813.52 |