Chip Harrison
Chip Harrison is Block's salute to Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe. He is a take on Wolfe's assistant, Archie Goodwin, while his employer, Leo Haig, openly models himself after Wolfe himself, imitating most of his idiosyncracies, such as refusing to leave his residence on business and sending out his associate instead to do the "legwork" (though he substitutes an affection for tropical fish for Wolfe's obsession with plants). Haig believes that Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin actually exist in real life, living and operating under pseudonyms; that Rex Stout was only a chronicler and one pseudonym of Archie Goodwin, and that if Haig proves himself worthy, Wolfe will invite Haig to dinner. Having read all publications on Wolfe, Haig operates as he imagines Wolfe would, and assigns Harrison tasks as Wolfe would assign Goodwin.
Read more about this topic: Lawrence Block
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