Customer Reviews

Her Forbidden Knight

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An amateurish effort, very difficult to read through to the finish. It does make the later work more impressive, after one sees how far Stout had to come. I won't be reading the other early books being re-released.

Young and shy Lila Williams, an attractive telegrapher, working in the once popular New York Hotel, the Lamartine, finds herself surrounded by five gentlemen protecters who earn the name the "Erring Knights". As another man, the mysterious John Knowlton appears there one day, Lila shows more interest in him and he for her than the Knights can stand. The sparks begin to fly as they try to "protect" Lila and to uncover Knowlton's secrets.

This is my first Rex Stout novel, but I've read other mysteries such as my favorite series by Elizabeth Peters. 'Her Forbidden Knight' is different from other mysteries for a variety of reasons. First of all the main character is not a detective, and there really isn't a crime to discover. In fact most of the mystery in the book revolves around Knowlton's and Billy Sherman's past. This novel also contains a good deal of Romance elements in it, especially towards the end of the book. Without it though, the book would be bland and boring.

My favorite quote from the book, which also came from my favorite character, Lila Williams, is: "I guess there is no 'why' in love,..." Her hidden courage shown towards the end of the book is stunning. Throughout the book she transforms into a colorful character full of both joy and deep sorrow.

This is a great book for anyone who loves a good mystery and doesn't mind a little bit of romance tacked on. Teens and adults would get the most out of the book, including people already familar with Rex Stout's books. Although people claim this book to be a foreshadowing of the Nero Wolfe series, I don't think so. This book stands by itself as an original story. It is a story filled with humor and triumph; the kind I love to read.

Before he wrote the Nero Wolfe series Stout produced this tale about the mean street of Manhattan. It has some O. Henry/Damon Runyon/Dashiell Hammett overtones as the tale unfolds. A rather seedy group of men who hang about the lobby of a shabby hotel befriend a young woman who works there. She comes to call them her 'Knights Errant' when she realizes that they have appointed themselves her protectors. A new man joins the group, and over the objections of the rest, begins to court the young woman. Trouble begins though when it becomes known that he is supporting himself by passing counterfeit money. Many twists and turns take place before true love triumphs.

Fans of the Nero Wolfe series will possibly be interested in this one as a precursor to his later works. The plot is intricate, full of the twists and turns that will later keep Wolfe and Archie busy for decades to come. The characters are richly imagined, given their own personalities and their own little moments to shine just as the minor characters of his later series will be. Unfortunately in this one Stout seems more to channel others rather than using his own voice, he also seems to be uncertain whether this is a romance, a crime story or a tear jerker meant for a magazine. It is not an example of Stout's best work and unless the reader has completely exhausted all of Stout's other works and simply must have more from 'the master', skip this one.

First and foremost, I am a Rex Stout fan. I love his characters Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin absolutely. So when I saw this early work of Stout's, I was interested even though it has nothing whatsoever to do with Wolfe/Goodwin. I can't say it reminds me at all of the Nero Wolfe series. There isn't a character or an action, nor a plot technique that reminds me one iota of the Wolfe series. But that is fine with me - this work stands alone.

Now, first off, the beginning is ploddingly slow and dull. I did almost put it down, but I wanted so badly to see if he rescued the writing, that I continued. The story is quite entertaining. I enjoyed the plot and the twists. But, I think as a new author, Stout called upon too many words that generally live only in the thesaurus. It does read something like a novice writer's work. But since I fancy myself a would-be writer, it gave me courage to see that the greats started somewhere lower in the ranks too.

Don't let my review turn you off from trying this book, please. It really is a sweet and clever little story of love and courage. The characters are colorful and interesting. The main character, Lila is shown to have depths as the story goes on. Although, I do believe he could have rolled several of the lesser characters into one - it was still workable as is.

Give it a try. It is compelling after the opening is behind you.

Some first novels should be allowed to rest in peace. You can't blame the publisher for wanting to exploit the well-deserved reputation that Rex Stout later earned for the Nero Wolfe series, but this book did not deserve to be re-issued.

I was amazed at how sophomoric and amateurish was this great writer's first novel. Stout was obviously a competent wordsmith, even at the beginning, but appeared hopelessly far from ever becoming an author of merit. "Her Forbidden Knight" reads like a college Creative Writing major's attempt to create a Harlequin Romance. It's worth reading, however, to illustrate the way a writer can grow. Placed alongside one of the later Nero Wolfe novels, it may serve as inspiration for an aspiring author who has not yet gotten the hang of it and fears that s/he never will.