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Inspector Maigret #73
賲诏乇賴 賵 賲乇丿 鬲賳賴丕
芦賲诏乇賴 賵 賲乇丿 鬲賳賴丕禄 賯氐賴鈥屰� 爻乇乇丕爻鬲蹖 丿丕乇丿. 讴賲蹖爻乇 賲诏乇賴 亘丕蹖丿 賲毓賲丕蹖 賯鬲賱 蹖讴 倬蹖乇賲乇丿 賵賱诏乇丿 乇丕 丨賱 讴賳丿. 倬蹖乇賲乇丿 乇賵夭诏丕乇蹖 讴丕亘蹖賳鬲鈥屫池ж� 賲卮賴賵乇 賵 禺賵卮鈥屬嗀з呟� 亘賵丿賴貙 亘丕 禺丕賳賵丕丿賴鈥屫ж� 蹖讴 夭賳丿诏蹖 賲毓賲賵賱蹖 丿丕卮鬲賴 賵 亘毓丿 賳丕诏賴丕賳 亘賴 賵賱诏乇丿蹖 亘蹖鈥屫池� 賵 倬丕 鬲亘丿蹖賱 賲蹖鈥屫促堌�. 丕蹖賳 賲毓賲丕 丿乇 乇賵賳丿 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 亘賴 趩賳丿蹖賳 賵 趩賳丿 賲毓賲丕 鬲亘丿蹖賱 賲蹖鈥屫促堌� 賲毓賲丕賴丕蹖 讴賵趩讴 賵 亘夭乇诏. 趩乇丕 亘丕蹖丿 蹖讴 賵賱诏乇丿 禺蹖丕亘丕賳蹖 賳丕禺賳鈥屬囏й� 賲丕賳蹖讴賵乇 卮丿賴 丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕卮丿責 趩乇丕 倬蹖乇賲乇丿蹖 讴賴 乇賵夭诏丕乇蹖 夭賳丿诏蹖 亘丕 丌亘乇賵 賵 禺賵亘蹖 丿丕卮鬲賴 亘丕蹖丿 賵賱诏乇丿 亘卮賵丿責 趩賴 讴爻蹖 亘丕蹖丿 蹖讴 賵賱诏乇丿 乇丕 讴卮鬲賴 亘丕卮丿責 趩乇丕責 賵 爻賵丕賱丕鬲 賮乇丕賵丕賳蹖 丕夭 丕蹖賳 丿爻鬲貙 賴賲趩賳丕賳 讴賴 讴丕乇丕讴鬲乇 倬賱蹖爻 丿丕爻鬲丕賳- 賲诏乇賴- 乇丕 亘賴 賮讴乇 賮乇賵 賲蹖鈥屫ㄘ必� 賲禺丕胤亘 乇丕 賳蹖夭 賮讴乇蹖 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀�. 亘乇丕蹖 倬蹖丿丕 讴乇丿賳 噩賵丕亘 丕蹖賳 賲毓賲丕賴丕 禺賵丕賳賳丿賴 蹖讴 賳賮爻 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屫堌з嗀� 鬲丕 賴乇 趩賴 夭賵丿鬲乇 倬丕爻禺 爻賵丕賱丕鬲 禺賵丿卮 乇丕 倬蹖丿丕 讴賳丿貨 丕鬲賮丕賯蹖 讴賴 丿乇 賴乇 丕孬乇 讴賱丕爻蹖讴 禺賵亘貙 丿乇 丨賵夭賴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 倬賱蹖爻蹖貙 亘丕蹖丿 亘蹖賮鬲丿.
181 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
99 people are currently reading
388 people want to read
About the author
Georges Simenon
2,537听books2,161听followersGeorges Joseph Christian Simenon (1903 鈥� 1989) was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 500 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known as the creator of the fictional detective Jules Maigret.
Although he never resided in Belgium after 1922, he remained a Belgian citizen throughout his life.
Simenon was one of the most prolific writers of the twentieth century, capable of writing 60 to 80 pages per day. His oeuvre includes nearly 200 novels, over 150 novellas, several autobiographical works, numerous articles, and scores of pulp novels written under more than two dozen pseudonyms. Altogether, about 550 million copies of his works have been printed.
He is best known, however, for his 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring Commissaire Maigret. The first novel in the series, Pietr-le-Letton, appeared in 1931; the last one, Maigret et M. Charles, was published in 1972. The Maigret novels were translated into all major languages and several of them were turned into films and radio plays. Two television series (1960-63 and 1992-93) have been made in Great Britain.
During his "American" period, Simenon reached the height of his creative powers, and several novels of those years were inspired by the context in which they were written (Trois chambres 脿 Manhattan (1946), Maigret 脿 New York (1947), Maigret se f芒che (1947)).
Simenon also wrote a large number of "psychological novels", such as La neige 茅tait sale (1948) or Le fils (1957), as well as several autobiographical works, in particular Je me souviens (1945), Pedigree (1948), M茅moires intimes (1981).
In 1966, Simenon was given the MWA's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.
In 2005 he was nominated for the title of De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian). In the Flemish version he ended 77th place. In the Walloon version he ended 10th place.
Although he never resided in Belgium after 1922, he remained a Belgian citizen throughout his life.
Simenon was one of the most prolific writers of the twentieth century, capable of writing 60 to 80 pages per day. His oeuvre includes nearly 200 novels, over 150 novellas, several autobiographical works, numerous articles, and scores of pulp novels written under more than two dozen pseudonyms. Altogether, about 550 million copies of his works have been printed.
He is best known, however, for his 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring Commissaire Maigret. The first novel in the series, Pietr-le-Letton, appeared in 1931; the last one, Maigret et M. Charles, was published in 1972. The Maigret novels were translated into all major languages and several of them were turned into films and radio plays. Two television series (1960-63 and 1992-93) have been made in Great Britain.
During his "American" period, Simenon reached the height of his creative powers, and several novels of those years were inspired by the context in which they were written (Trois chambres 脿 Manhattan (1946), Maigret 脿 New York (1947), Maigret se f芒che (1947)).
Simenon also wrote a large number of "psychological novels", such as La neige 茅tait sale (1948) or Le fils (1957), as well as several autobiographical works, in particular Je me souviens (1945), Pedigree (1948), M茅moires intimes (1981).
In 1966, Simenon was given the MWA's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.
In 2005 he was nominated for the title of De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian). In the Flemish version he ended 77th place. In the Walloon version he ended 10th place.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
November 10, 2023
Chief Inspector Maigret is faced with an intriguing case. A man's body has been found in an abandoned building where he lived. He is dressed in tramp鈥檚 clothes but his appearance is extremely neat. He has a recent haircut, a well-trimmed mustache and he is shaved.
The entire floor he lived on shows he must have been a hoarder. The place is filled with discarded toys, trinkets and mechanical devices that he had apparently collected from trash.
He lived in the neighborhood but no one knew his name. The student trainee barbershop where he got his haircuts called him 鈥楾he Dandy.鈥� Other homeless persons simply called him 鈥楾he Mute鈥� because he never spoke to anyone. But little by little Maigret is able to determine who he was.
Some key questions become why did he disappear from his home 15 years ago? And why is he back now? And where has he been in the meantime? Maigret doesn't know it yet but he will end up solving two murders by two different murderers.
Maigret gets his man/woman of course and in the process he has to visit La Baule, a French resort town, so that gives us some additional local color besides Maigret's usual Paris environment. It turns out that La Baule is a Riviera/casino/beach type resort that is not on the Riviera. It's on the south coast of the Brittany peninsula and it's very much a French resort, overrun with French, as you can see from the photo, but apparently not at all well-known or much visited by foreign tourists.
We know that Simeon wrote 75 Maigret novels and almost 500 novels in total. And the Maigrets are always good stories but I think sometimes the haste with which they must have been written shows. I'll put the remainder of this comment in a spoiler.
Top photo of La Baule, Brittany from YouTube
A statue of Maigret in the Netherlands from Wikipedia
[Revised, typos and spoiler hidden 8/15/22; edited 1/10/23]
The entire floor he lived on shows he must have been a hoarder. The place is filled with discarded toys, trinkets and mechanical devices that he had apparently collected from trash.
He lived in the neighborhood but no one knew his name. The student trainee barbershop where he got his haircuts called him 鈥楾he Dandy.鈥� Other homeless persons simply called him 鈥楾he Mute鈥� because he never spoke to anyone. But little by little Maigret is able to determine who he was.
Some key questions become why did he disappear from his home 15 years ago? And why is he back now? And where has he been in the meantime? Maigret doesn't know it yet but he will end up solving two murders by two different murderers.
Maigret gets his man/woman of course and in the process he has to visit La Baule, a French resort town, so that gives us some additional local color besides Maigret's usual Paris environment. It turns out that La Baule is a Riviera/casino/beach type resort that is not on the Riviera. It's on the south coast of the Brittany peninsula and it's very much a French resort, overrun with French, as you can see from the photo, but apparently not at all well-known or much visited by foreign tourists.
We know that Simeon wrote 75 Maigret novels and almost 500 novels in total. And the Maigrets are always good stories but I think sometimes the haste with which they must have been written shows. I'll put the remainder of this comment in a spoiler.
Top photo of La Baule, Brittany from YouTube
A statue of Maigret in the Netherlands from Wikipedia
[Revised, typos and spoiler hidden 8/15/22; edited 1/10/23]
February 22, 2020
You've got to hand it to Simenon. Here he is, a year before he's going to retire, five hundred published books, three wives, a thousand-odd casual relationships, drinking problems, all energy gone and functioning completely on autopilot, and he still manages to assemble a competent police procedural that I was unable to put down and finished in a day and a half. It's even got a good ending. I've seen this in old chess grandmasters: they can no longer calculate, their openings are several decades out of date, but their fingers know where the pieces want to be moved without any obvious intervention from the brain and they can beat strong opponents in rapid-play games. It's even more impressive in a writer.
Chapeau, monsieur.
Chapeau, monsieur.
May 26, 2024
Lunchtime Listen May 2024
A lunchtime return to the excellent Maigret, Simenon, and narrator Gareth Armstrong.
This was not a novel I had got to, during my "read all the Maigret Novels" kick , a few years ago. But like the vast majority it was excellent. A simple story of a dead tramp in a derelict house, but who was he, and why was he so well manicured if dressed in rags, and who would want to shoot him as he slept ?
With Paris experiencing its usual Summer heatwave, and half the Inspectors on their holidays, Maigret nearing retirement, whilst longing for his own summer vacation is quite short staffed, so does a lot of the slog himself, ably assisted by Inspector Torrence.
Two anonymous calls give him a hint as to who the man is , but the why remains hidden until close to the end as Maigret delves into the past and what happened at the end of WW2.
An excellent story, brilliant characters and settings, wonderfully read by Gareth Armstrong.
A lunchtime return to the excellent Maigret, Simenon, and narrator Gareth Armstrong.
This was not a novel I had got to, during my "read all the Maigret Novels" kick , a few years ago. But like the vast majority it was excellent. A simple story of a dead tramp in a derelict house, but who was he, and why was he so well manicured if dressed in rags, and who would want to shoot him as he slept ?
With Paris experiencing its usual Summer heatwave, and half the Inspectors on their holidays, Maigret nearing retirement, whilst longing for his own summer vacation is quite short staffed, so does a lot of the slog himself, ably assisted by Inspector Torrence.
Two anonymous calls give him a hint as to who the man is , but the why remains hidden until close to the end as Maigret delves into the past and what happened at the end of WW2.
An excellent story, brilliant characters and settings, wonderfully read by Gareth Armstrong.
November 16, 2021
1 star
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 蹖讴 丕蹖乇丕丿 丕爻丕爻蹖 丿丕乇丿... 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 亘乇丕蹖 倬蹖趩蹖丿賴 讴乇丿賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳貙 鬲賲丕賲 爻乇賳禺 賴丕 乇丕 丕夭 亘蹖賳 賲蹖 亘乇丿 賵 賲诏乇賴 亘蹖趩丕乇賴 亘丕蹖丿 亘丿賵賳 爻乇賳禺 賲毓賲丕 乇丕 丨賱 讴賳丿.... 丕蹖賳噩丕爻鬲 讴賴 賮乇丿蹖 賳丕卮賳丕爻 鬲賲丕爻 賲蹖 诏蹖乇丿 賵 賲蹖 诏賵蹖丿 亘賴 丿賳亘丕賱 賮賱丕賳蹖 亘丕卮蹖丿........ 毓噩亘!責!馃 賯丿蹖賲 賲蹖 诏賮鬲賳丿 讴賴 " 賯丕賮蹖賴 亘賴 鬲賳诏 丌蹖丿 卮丕毓乇 亘賴 噩賮賳诏 丌蹖丿"" 丕蹖賳噩丕 賴賲 噩賵乇噩 爻蹖賲賳賵賳 亘賴 噩賮賳诏 丌賲丿賴... 趩賵賳 賳鬲賵丕賳爻鬲賴 賲毓賲丕 乇丕 亘賴 乇賵卮 毓賱賲蹖 賵 倬賱蹖爻蹖 丨賱 讴賳丿貙 丿爻鬲 亘賴 丿丕賲賳 蹖讴 鬲賲丕爻 丕夭 蹖讴 卮禺氐 賳丕卮賳丕爻 卮丿賴.... 丕诏乇 卮禺氐 賳丕卮賳丕爻 丿乇 丕賳鬲賴丕蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賲毓乇賮蹖 賲蹖 卮丿 賵 丕賳诏蹖夭賴 丕蹖 胤乇丕丨蹖 賲蹖 卮丿 亘乇丕蹖 鬲賲丕爻 鬲賱賮賳蹖 丕卮 亘丕 倬賱蹖爻貙 鬲丕 丨丿賵丿蹖 賯丕亘賱 賯亘賵賱 亘賵丿 丕賱亘鬲賴 丌賳 賴賲 丕蹖乇丕丿丕鬲 禺賵丿卮 乇丕 丿丕卮鬲 賵賱蹖 趩賵賳 卮禺氐賽 賳丕卮賳丕爻賽 鬲賲丕爻 诏蹖乇賳丿賴 賲毓乇賮蹖 賳賲蹖 卮賵丿貙 亘賴 賳馗乇賲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇丕 亘丕 蹖讴 爻賯賵胤 丌夭丕丿 賲賵丕噩賴 賲蹖 讴賳丿......賵 讴蹖賮蹖鬲 丌賳 乇丕 亘丿 噩賵乇蹖 鬲賳夭賱 賲蹖 丿賴丿
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 蹖讴 丕蹖乇丕丿 丕爻丕爻蹖 丿丕乇丿... 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 亘乇丕蹖 倬蹖趩蹖丿賴 讴乇丿賳 丿丕爻鬲丕賳貙 鬲賲丕賲 爻乇賳禺 賴丕 乇丕 丕夭 亘蹖賳 賲蹖 亘乇丿 賵 賲诏乇賴 亘蹖趩丕乇賴 亘丕蹖丿 亘丿賵賳 爻乇賳禺 賲毓賲丕 乇丕 丨賱 讴賳丿.... 丕蹖賳噩丕爻鬲 讴賴 賮乇丿蹖 賳丕卮賳丕爻 鬲賲丕爻 賲蹖 诏蹖乇丿 賵 賲蹖 诏賵蹖丿 亘賴 丿賳亘丕賱 賮賱丕賳蹖 亘丕卮蹖丿........ 毓噩亘!責!馃 賯丿蹖賲 賲蹖 诏賮鬲賳丿 讴賴 " 賯丕賮蹖賴 亘賴 鬲賳诏 丌蹖丿 卮丕毓乇 亘賴 噩賮賳诏 丌蹖丿"" 丕蹖賳噩丕 賴賲 噩賵乇噩 爻蹖賲賳賵賳 亘賴 噩賮賳诏 丌賲丿賴... 趩賵賳 賳鬲賵丕賳爻鬲賴 賲毓賲丕 乇丕 亘賴 乇賵卮 毓賱賲蹖 賵 倬賱蹖爻蹖 丨賱 讴賳丿貙 丿爻鬲 亘賴 丿丕賲賳 蹖讴 鬲賲丕爻 丕夭 蹖讴 卮禺氐 賳丕卮賳丕爻 卮丿賴.... 丕诏乇 卮禺氐 賳丕卮賳丕爻 丿乇 丕賳鬲賴丕蹖 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賲毓乇賮蹖 賲蹖 卮丿 賵 丕賳诏蹖夭賴 丕蹖 胤乇丕丨蹖 賲蹖 卮丿 亘乇丕蹖 鬲賲丕爻 鬲賱賮賳蹖 丕卮 亘丕 倬賱蹖爻貙 鬲丕 丨丿賵丿蹖 賯丕亘賱 賯亘賵賱 亘賵丿 丕賱亘鬲賴 丌賳 賴賲 丕蹖乇丕丿丕鬲 禺賵丿卮 乇丕 丿丕卮鬲 賵賱蹖 趩賵賳 卮禺氐賽 賳丕卮賳丕爻賽 鬲賲丕爻 诏蹖乇賳丿賴 賲毓乇賮蹖 賳賲蹖 卮賵丿貙 亘賴 賳馗乇賲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇丕 亘丕 蹖讴 爻賯賵胤 丌夭丕丿 賲賵丕噩賴 賲蹖 讴賳丿......賵 讴蹖賮蹖鬲 丌賳 乇丕 亘丿 噩賵乇蹖 鬲賳夭賱 賲蹖 丿賴丿
December 20, 2021
Un Maigret sfolgorante nella sua asciuttezza e linearita'. Un'indagine serrata, alla vecchia maniera, fatta di grandi camminate, di interrogatori di testimoni, di piste che fanno perdere tempo e si "raffreddano" all'improvviso, di attimi di scoramento e di improvvisi e casuali colpi di fortuna. In poche parole un'indagine vera che porta il nostro commissario ad indagare nel presente ma anche nel passato, nelle bettole cittadine ma anche sulla costa vip del golfo di Biscaglia, e sopratutto in una Parigi agostana... che piu' parigina non si puo'.
October 23, 2019
爻賵跇賴鈥屬囏й� 跇乇跇 爻蹖賲賵賳貙 丌丿賲鈥屬囏й� 胤亘賯賴鈥屰� 讴丕乇诏乇 賵 倬丕蹖蹖賳鈥屫臂� 賴爻鬲賳丿 讴賴 賮賯胤 亘賴 爻亘亘 讴卮鬲賴鈥屫簇嗏€屫簇з� 丕爻鬲 讴賴 賲賵乇丿 毓賱丕賯賴鈥屰� 胤亘賯賴鈥屰� 賲鬲賵爻胤 (丕夭 胤乇蹖賯 乇賵夭賳丕賲賴鈥屬囏� 賵 亘丨孬鈥屬囏й� 丿乇 讴丕賮賴鈥屬囏й� 倬丕乇蹖爻) 賯乇丕乇 賲蹖鈥屭屫辟嗀�. 賲丕噩乇丕賴丕 賴賲賵丕乇賴 倬蹖賵賳丿蹖 丕爻鬲 亘蹖賳 丿賵 胤亘賯賴鈥屰� 賲禺鬲賱賮 丕夭 丕賮乇丕丿貙 讴賴 夭賲丕賳蹖 鬲丕乇蹖禺趩賴鈥屰� 賲卮鬲乇讴蹖 丌賳鈥屬囏� 乇丕 亘賴 賴賲 賵氐賱 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 丕爻鬲鈥�.鈥�
毓賱丕蹖賯 賵 毓丕丿丕鬲 賲诏乇賴 讴丕賲賱丕 賲毓賲賵賱蹖 賴爻鬲賳丿: 賳賵卮蹖丿賳 賵 倬蹖倬 丿賵丿 讴乇丿賳. 賲诏乇賴 賲毓賲丕賴丕蹖卮 乇丕 亘丕 丿乇-禺蹖丕亘丕賳-賲丕賳丿賳 丨賱 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 讴賲 倬蹖卮 賲蹖鈥屫③屫� 讴賴 賳卮爻鬲賴 亘乇 賲亘賱 禺丕賳賴鈥屫ж� 趩蹖夭蹖 丿爻鬲诏蹖乇卮 卮賵丿. 禺丕賳賴 賵 夭賳 亘乇丕蹖 丕賵 丨讴賲 鬲賲丿丿 丕毓氐丕亘 乇丕 丿丕乇賳丿. 賲诏乇賴 丨乇賮鈥屬囏� 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屫促嗁堌� 賵 賲丿丕賲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇丕 亘乇丕蹖 禺賵丿卮 --賵 賲禺丕胤亘-- 賲乇賵乇 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀€�.
[禺胤乇 丕爻倬賵蹖賱乇]
趩蹖夭蹖 丕夭 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 賲毓賲丕蹖蹖 讴賴 賲賳 乇丕 丌夭丕乇 賲蹖鈥屫囏� 丕蹖賳 丕爻鬲 讴賴 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 丕胤賱丕毓丕鬲 乇丕 賴乇賵賯鬲 讴賴 亘禺賵丕賴丿 毓乇囟賴 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 鬲丕 亘丕乇 賴蹖噩丕賳蹖 賵 丨賱丕賱丕賳賴鈥屰� 賲丕噩乇丕 乇丕 丨賮馗 讴賳丿. 賲孬賱丕 趩乇丕 丿禺鬲乇 賵蹖賵蹖賳 亘丕乇 丕賵賱蹖 讴賴 亘丕夭乇爻 乇丕 丿蹖丿 (亘乇禺賱丕賮 亘丕乇 丿賵賲 讴賴 丕夭 爻乇 芦賵馗蹖賮賴禄 亘賴 賲诏乇賴 夭賳诏 夭丿 - 丿乇爻鬲 賵賯鬲蹖 氐賮丨丕鬲蹖 賯亘賱貙 賲诏乇賴 倬蹖 亘賴 賵噩賵丿 賳蹖賳丕 亘乇丿賴) 賵噩賵丿 蹖讴 賲毓卮賵賯賴 乇丕 丕賳讴丕乇 讴乇丿責 蹖丕 丕蹖賳鈥屭┵� 趩賳丿 乇賵夭 亘毓丿 丕夭 丨丕丿孬賴貙 賳丕诏賴丕賳 卮禺氐蹖 (亘賳丕 亘賴 丨丿爻 賲賳: 丌卮倬夭) 夭賳诏 亘夭賳丿 亘賴 賲诏乇賴 賵 丕爻賲 賯丕鬲賱 丕丨鬲賲丕賱蹖 乇丕 亘诏賵蹖丿!
(丕夭 賲噩賲賵毓賴 讴鬲丕亘鈥屬囏й� 禺賵丕賳丿賴-卮丿賴-丿乇-丕鬲賵亘賵爻)
毓賱丕蹖賯 賵 毓丕丿丕鬲 賲诏乇賴 讴丕賲賱丕 賲毓賲賵賱蹖 賴爻鬲賳丿: 賳賵卮蹖丿賳 賵 倬蹖倬 丿賵丿 讴乇丿賳. 賲诏乇賴 賲毓賲丕賴丕蹖卮 乇丕 亘丕 丿乇-禺蹖丕亘丕賳-賲丕賳丿賳 丨賱 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 讴賲 倬蹖卮 賲蹖鈥屫③屫� 讴賴 賳卮爻鬲賴 亘乇 賲亘賱 禺丕賳賴鈥屫ж� 趩蹖夭蹖 丿爻鬲诏蹖乇卮 卮賵丿. 禺丕賳賴 賵 夭賳 亘乇丕蹖 丕賵 丨讴賲 鬲賲丿丿 丕毓氐丕亘 乇丕 丿丕乇賳丿. 賲诏乇賴 丨乇賮鈥屬囏� 乇丕 賲蹖鈥屫促嗁堌� 賵 賲丿丕賲 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 乇丕 亘乇丕蹖 禺賵丿卮 --賵 賲禺丕胤亘-- 賲乇賵乇 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀€�.
[禺胤乇 丕爻倬賵蹖賱乇]
趩蹖夭蹖 丕夭 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 賲毓賲丕蹖蹖 讴賴 賲賳 乇丕 丌夭丕乇 賲蹖鈥屫囏� 丕蹖賳 丕爻鬲 讴賴 賳賵蹖爻賳丿賴 丕胤賱丕毓丕鬲 乇丕 賴乇賵賯鬲 讴賴 亘禺賵丕賴丿 毓乇囟賴 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗀� 鬲丕 亘丕乇 賴蹖噩丕賳蹖 賵 丨賱丕賱丕賳賴鈥屰� 賲丕噩乇丕 乇丕 丨賮馗 讴賳丿. 賲孬賱丕 趩乇丕 丿禺鬲乇 賵蹖賵蹖賳 亘丕乇 丕賵賱蹖 讴賴 亘丕夭乇爻 乇丕 丿蹖丿 (亘乇禺賱丕賮 亘丕乇 丿賵賲 讴賴 丕夭 爻乇 芦賵馗蹖賮賴禄 亘賴 賲诏乇賴 夭賳诏 夭丿 - 丿乇爻鬲 賵賯鬲蹖 氐賮丨丕鬲蹖 賯亘賱貙 賲诏乇賴 倬蹖 亘賴 賵噩賵丿 賳蹖賳丕 亘乇丿賴) 賵噩賵丿 蹖讴 賲毓卮賵賯賴 乇丕 丕賳讴丕乇 讴乇丿責 蹖丕 丕蹖賳鈥屭┵� 趩賳丿 乇賵夭 亘毓丿 丕夭 丨丕丿孬賴貙 賳丕诏賴丕賳 卮禺氐蹖 (亘賳丕 亘賴 丨丿爻 賲賳: 丌卮倬夭) 夭賳诏 亘夭賳丿 亘賴 賲诏乇賴 賵 丕爻賲 賯丕鬲賱 丕丨鬲賲丕賱蹖 乇丕 亘诏賵蹖丿!
(丕夭 賲噩賲賵毓賴 讴鬲丕亘鈥屬囏й� 禺賵丕賳丿賴-卮丿賴-丿乇-丕鬲賵亘賵爻)
December 22, 2019
It was as if I didn鈥檛 want this book to end.
I set it aside 75% read for a couple of weeks. Only as it marks the ending of this wonderful series.
A common theme in Maigret novels is a victim of low social standing murdered; from a prostitute to a vagrant. In this latest story a long-standing homeless man is shot dead in his squat.
The case is made doubly difficult in that few people know who he really is. Undeterred Maigret places as much effort into finding out the truth and unmasking the murderer as he would in any previous crime.
The story is about relationships. How people can fail to find their heart鈥檚 desire. How we adapt to change and that sometimes our past can catch up with us.
Against the odds the truth slowly emerges and it throws light on a case from some 20 years before when the Chief Inspector鈥檚 career had not taken off.
This sense of spanning the Maigret鈥檚 time as a detective brings a sense of closure as he seeks to solve an earlier mystery.
I truly enjoy the whole aspect of reading Simenon鈥檚 writing in this series. The stories are set before instant communication and computerisation. They throw light on what we would call old fashioned police work.
It is always about people and Maigret attempts to get inside the life of the victim and visualise the murderer. These at excellent police procedurals with a glimpse of Paris and in Maigret a figure who ponders and probe. Enjoying a drink, his life at home and his team of detectives. Above all though he has a need to find out the truth. He peruses this relentlessly and when he gets his 鈥渕an鈥� he presents the facts that few can dispute. Yet he remains an empathetic investigator who rarely judges those before him and gently takes their confession like a faithful priest.
Those who haven鈥檛 picked up a Maigret are certainly missing a rich seam of literary gold and I can鈥檛 recommend these books more.
I set it aside 75% read for a couple of weeks. Only as it marks the ending of this wonderful series.
A common theme in Maigret novels is a victim of low social standing murdered; from a prostitute to a vagrant. In this latest story a long-standing homeless man is shot dead in his squat.
The case is made doubly difficult in that few people know who he really is. Undeterred Maigret places as much effort into finding out the truth and unmasking the murderer as he would in any previous crime.
The story is about relationships. How people can fail to find their heart鈥檚 desire. How we adapt to change and that sometimes our past can catch up with us.
Against the odds the truth slowly emerges and it throws light on a case from some 20 years before when the Chief Inspector鈥檚 career had not taken off.
This sense of spanning the Maigret鈥檚 time as a detective brings a sense of closure as he seeks to solve an earlier mystery.
I truly enjoy the whole aspect of reading Simenon鈥檚 writing in this series. The stories are set before instant communication and computerisation. They throw light on what we would call old fashioned police work.
It is always about people and Maigret attempts to get inside the life of the victim and visualise the murderer. These at excellent police procedurals with a glimpse of Paris and in Maigret a figure who ponders and probe. Enjoying a drink, his life at home and his team of detectives. Above all though he has a need to find out the truth. He peruses this relentlessly and when he gets his 鈥渕an鈥� he presents the facts that few can dispute. Yet he remains an empathetic investigator who rarely judges those before him and gently takes their confession like a faithful priest.
Those who haven鈥檛 picked up a Maigret are certainly missing a rich seam of literary gold and I can鈥檛 recommend these books more.
December 31, 2012
Ci si pu貌 chiedere come mai continuo a commentare quasi tutti i Maigret che leggo, quando c鈥櫭� poco da dire di nuovo per ognuno. Infatti 猫 cos矛, sono ripetitiva quando dico che leggere un Maigret mi d脿 la carica, mi rinvigorisce il cervello e al tempo stesso mi rilassa; comunque non mi lascia mai senza una riflessione. Non mi interessa sapere chi 猫 che ha ammazzato il vagabondo sconosciuto trovato morto dentro una casa fatiscente in mezzo a una montagna di oggetti inutili. A me interessa capire cosa ha potuto trasformare in un clochard un restauratore di mobili abbastanza conosciuto, con una moglie ed una figlia piccola; a me interessa sapere cosa ha trasformato un giovane imbianchino innamorato in un imprenditore affermato e ricco, ma infelice. Anzi, preciso, a me non interessa 鈥渃osa鈥� abbia fatto diventare uno qualcun altro, a me interessa 鈥渃ome鈥漰ossa accadere. A me interessa capire come la gelosia sia un sentimento devastante ogni altro, per primo l鈥檃more. A me interessa capire come un sentimento possa essere cos矛 forte da sopravvivere per vent鈥檃nni , ben custodito e coltivato, fino ad esplodere all鈥檌mprovviso con violenza.
Grazie al commissario Maigret , ed insieme a lui, posso tentare di comprendere.
Grazie al commissario Maigret , ed insieme a lui, posso tentare di comprendere.
February 11, 2024
Another wonderful book from Georges Simenon about Chief Superintendent Jules Maigret and a death in Paris. A vagrant with impeccable grooming is found dead in an abandoned house and there are few clues as to who the victim is, let alone who committed the crime. The identity of the victim is gradually established and contact is made with his estranged family. Maigret seems to have a drinking problem in this book, but he seems aware of it.
The pace is slow at first but the whole story turns on an anonymous phone call to Maigret regarding the murderer and then the story moves at a quick pace. The murderer is identified, but the person refutes the allegations until enough evidence is produced for them to admit their built.
Maigret solves two murders in this story. To find out what I mean...read this book.
The pace is slow at first but the whole story turns on an anonymous phone call to Maigret regarding the murderer and then the story moves at a quick pace. The murderer is identified, but the person refutes the allegations until enough evidence is produced for them to admit their built.
Maigret solves two murders in this story. To find out what I mean...read this book.
September 10, 2015
What a coincidence: this is the second Simenon's book where Commissaire Maigret solves a murder case in a beach, namely at , close to Nantes.
The first one was .
The first one was .
November 25, 2021
The one with the homeless person. Also takes place at the end of August.
April 23, 2022
Maigret and Mystery Tramp
Review of the Penguin Classics paperback (November 2019) of a new translation* by of the French language original (1971)
Maigret and the Loner is characteristic of several of the late Chief Inspector Maigret novellas that I've now read. These often show a side of the inspector being more sympathetic to the criminals once he has unraveled the reasons behind their crimes. These are cases where a retribution has been enacted decades after an event which went unprosecuted or even undiscovered at the time. Maigret himself is slowing down somewhat and is being more careful with his alcohol intake and 'counts his beers' daily. The Maigret time-frame is stretched out, he is 55 years old here, but this original 1971 book is already over 40 years since his debut in Petr the Latvian (1930). So Maigret time passes slower than real world time, but retirement is now close. This is the 3rd last book of the long running series.
This case involves a considerable amount of time in identifying a murder victim, a solitary tramp who avoided most others but apparently lived rough for 20 years after abandoning his marriage and family. Maigret's efforts concentrate on uncovering the past history of the man which eventually leads to a solution.
The cover of the original French language edition of "Maigret and the Loner" as published by Presses de la Cit茅, France 1971. Image sourced from .
I read the first dozen Maigret novellas earlier this year and then intended to proceed with several of Simenon's romans durs (French: hard novels) which he considered his more serious work, as opposed to the lighter fare involving the Chief Inspector. The non-Maigrets are more difficult to source however and there seem to be less than a dozen in current editions from Penguin Classics. Anyway, to keep the Simenon pipeline flowing, I thought I'd add several of the late Maigrets to my ongoing Simenon reading survey.
In a rarity for completists, this is Maigret #73 in both the recent Penguin Classics series of new translations (2013-2019) of the Inspector Maigret novels and in the previous standard Maigret Series Listopia as listed on 欧宝娱乐.
Trivia and Links
* The earlier English translations also gave the title as Maigret and the Loner.
There is extensive background and a detailed plot description (spoilers obviously) about Maigret and the Loner at .
Maigret and the Loner has been adapted for television twice: The first adaptation was in a 1978 Japanese language television episode of (Inspector Megure of Tokyo) (1976-1978) starring Kinya Aikawa as Inspector Megure. This series reimagines the Maigret stories taking place in then current day 1970s Japan.
The second adaptation was in a 1982 French language television episode of the long-running series (1967-1990) starring Jean Richard as Inspector Maigret.
There is an article about the Penguin Classics re-translations of the Inspector Maigret novels at by Paddy Kehoe, RTE, August 17, 2019.
Review of the Penguin Classics paperback (November 2019) of a new translation* by of the French language original (1971)
Maigret and the Loner is characteristic of several of the late Chief Inspector Maigret novellas that I've now read. These often show a side of the inspector being more sympathetic to the criminals once he has unraveled the reasons behind their crimes. These are cases where a retribution has been enacted decades after an event which went unprosecuted or even undiscovered at the time. Maigret himself is slowing down somewhat and is being more careful with his alcohol intake and 'counts his beers' daily. The Maigret time-frame is stretched out, he is 55 years old here, but this original 1971 book is already over 40 years since his debut in Petr the Latvian (1930). So Maigret time passes slower than real world time, but retirement is now close. This is the 3rd last book of the long running series.
This case involves a considerable amount of time in identifying a murder victim, a solitary tramp who avoided most others but apparently lived rough for 20 years after abandoning his marriage and family. Maigret's efforts concentrate on uncovering the past history of the man which eventually leads to a solution.
The cover of the original French language edition of "Maigret and the Loner" as published by Presses de la Cit茅, France 1971. Image sourced from .
I read the first dozen Maigret novellas earlier this year and then intended to proceed with several of Simenon's romans durs (French: hard novels) which he considered his more serious work, as opposed to the lighter fare involving the Chief Inspector. The non-Maigrets are more difficult to source however and there seem to be less than a dozen in current editions from Penguin Classics. Anyway, to keep the Simenon pipeline flowing, I thought I'd add several of the late Maigrets to my ongoing Simenon reading survey.
In a rarity for completists, this is Maigret #73 in both the recent Penguin Classics series of new translations (2013-2019) of the Inspector Maigret novels and in the previous standard Maigret Series Listopia as listed on 欧宝娱乐.
Trivia and Links
* The earlier English translations also gave the title as Maigret and the Loner.
There is extensive background and a detailed plot description (spoilers obviously) about Maigret and the Loner at .
Maigret and the Loner has been adapted for television twice: The first adaptation was in a 1978 Japanese language television episode of (Inspector Megure of Tokyo) (1976-1978) starring Kinya Aikawa as Inspector Megure. This series reimagines the Maigret stories taking place in then current day 1970s Japan.
The second adaptation was in a 1982 French language television episode of the long-running series (1967-1990) starring Jean Richard as Inspector Maigret.
There is an article about the Penguin Classics re-translations of the Inspector Maigret novels at by Paddy Kehoe, RTE, August 17, 2019.
March 1, 2022
There are few mystery writers I enjoy reading as much as . , one of his last books, shows no diminution of talent since he had started some forty years earlier. The body of a mysterious loner is found shot to death in a Paris apartment building scheduled for demolition. Chief Superintendent Jules Maigret must not only identify the body, but determine who shot the victim. He not only succeeds, but manages to solve a related murder committed twenty years earlier.
Why do I like Maigret so much? His thoroughness is legendary, yet he is instinctive as well. He manages to do all the right things while waiting for the answers to emerge. In this case, the key clue comes from an anonymous tipster, which Maigret follows through with as if the tipster had been God Himself.
Why do I like Maigret so much? His thoroughness is legendary, yet he is instinctive as well. He manages to do all the right things while waiting for the answers to emerge. In this case, the key clue comes from an anonymous tipster, which Maigret follows through with as if the tipster had been God Himself.
July 11, 2023
鈥樷€� the little birthmark she had on her cheek which made her look so touching.鈥� 鈥� Chapter 8
In this, one of the last Maigret novels Simenon wrote before his death, we may fully appreciate the motto the author subscribed to and which he also ascribed to the commissaire. In the phrase Comprendre et ne pas juger (鈥淯nderstand and judge not鈥�) we are looking at Maigret鈥檚 own modus operandi, which is to get to the truth behind a crime while seeking insights into individual motivations.
When a vagrant is found murdered in an abandoned Paris building, shot three times in the chest, Maigret has the unenviable task of identifying who he is, why he led a solitary existence, and what led the murderer to kill him in his bed. His usual painstaking investigations take him from Les Halles 鈥� in the mid-sixties only a few years remained of its existence as the capital鈥檚 food market 鈥� to the seedy hotels of Montmartre, to newspaper offices in the 10th arrondissement and on to the fashionable Breton seaside resort of La Baule. Simenon conjures up the capital in summer heat particularly vividly, as I well recall from visiting in 1967 as a student, breakfasting on early morning onion soup in a bustling Les Halles.
His journey also takes him back twenty years to the end of the war, his own posting to a town near La Rochelle and a second unsolved murder in Paris. How are all these places and dates linked?
It鈥檚 almost always a delight to pick up a Maigret novel knowing that, regardless of whenever it鈥檚 set during the detective鈥檚 career, the case will proceed slowly but steadily towards a solution. By focusing on our protagonist鈥檚 point of view Simenon gives the reader a fair chance of reaching a correct conclusion before the reveal, but it鈥檚 always Maigret鈥檚 gentle 鈥� or not so gentle 鈥� probing that gives us an inkling of what drove the perpetrator to do the deed.
So this case follows the familiar plan even if the path itself proves twisty: a mystery is presented, Maigret fills his pipe, has a drink in a bar or brasserie or a meal with Mme Maigret, quietly observes comings and goings, instructs his team 鈥� Janvier, maybe, Torrence or another loyal detective 鈥� to pursue enquiries; he interviews witnesses, he confronts suspects with indisputable evidence. Each chapter generally follows the course of one day 鈥� though not always 鈥� so we get a sense of Maigret鈥檚 steady progress on the case despite frustrations and the occasional misdirection.
But it鈥檚 the people involved 鈥� their hopes and fears, their passions or insouciance, their obstructing or their helpfulness 鈥� that form the core of Simenon鈥檚 policiers, not the material clues per se, because this is how Maigret works: by observing human nature, individual tics and gestures that betray thoughts, reactions and, often, guilt. By a blush, a look, an intake of breath, a tremor.
And in this arresting case of the lone vagrant, which leads Maigret to barbers and tramps, businessmen and concierges, waiters and dressmakers, the trigger for murders turns on jealousy 鈥� and on a little birthmark.
March 17, 2021
The final 'Maigret' novels are supposed to be weaker than the earlier books, the series fizzling to an unsatisfying terminus, but I rather enjoyed this one. In fact I thought the setting was poignant and intriguing, the plot unexpected. My only reservation concerns the nature of the anonymous tip off that Maigret receives midway through the book. Unless I missed something very subtle this seems to be a loose end that isn't tied up. Had it been tied up I might have enthused about this novel even more than I am doing.
There are 75 novels in the series. I have now read 74. One more to go!
There are 75 novels in the series. I have now read 74. One more to go!
February 22, 2023
Un altro piccolo capolavoro di Simenon, un'altra gemma nel tesoro rappresentato dalle inchieste del commissario Maigret, un personaggio amatissimo dai suoi lettori non solo per l'acume e l'intelligenza con le quali conduce le sue investigazioni, ma anche e, forse, soprattutto, per la grande umanit脿. Maigret 猫 un uomo prima ancora che un finissimo poliziotto, con pregi e difetti che ce lo fanno sentire vicino ed affine, almeno per certi versi. E questa sua straordinaria umanit脿 Maigret la trasmette, con il tramite della propria empatia, a tutti i personaggi che lo circondano, alle vittime ed ai colpevoli reali o presunti prima di tutto, di fronte a cui non si pone mai con un atteggiamento censorio e giudicante, ma piuttosto con quello di chi vuole comprendere scandagliando l'animo umano, non per giustificare, ma per dare un senso ai fatti. Chi ama Maigret lo ritrova uguale a se stesso in ogni indagine, come uomo e come infallibile poliziotto. Anche lo stile di Simenon 猫 ogni volta lo stesso:essenziale, ma efficacissimo, connota una narrazione che prende avvio piano piano per poi accelerare via via in una sorta di trascinante crescendo. Ogni volta, per貌, Simenon ed il suo personaggio riescono ugualmente a sorprenderci e ad ammaliarci con storie sempre diverse e bellissime.
April 14, 2019
Either the original was written with less care than usual, or the translation is clunky. Anyway, it鈥檚 lumpy to read.
And the plot is clunky too. Not one of the best.
And the plot is clunky too. Not one of the best.
September 14, 2020
鈥淢aigret and the Loner鈥� by Simeon did not impress me. It seemed way too 鈥渂y the numbers鈥� to be entertaining. While I did appreciate the atmospheric touches of the hot summer weather and the beer drinking on the job (this is a 1965 French police procedural after all), on the whole I felt that the story came together far too easily. I was actually a bit irritated by how fluently the various witnesses recalled events going 20 years back and how well they put their statements together. No emmmms and ahhhs, no repetitions, no self-interruptions with incrementally more accurate versions of events, just every witness issuing forth a clear stream of coherent information.
I am not a great reader of the crime genre. Aside from the inevitable Sherlock Holmes (which I enjoyed for the very reason that these are pretending to be logic puzzles solved by a barely human protagonist) and a few Philip Marlowe (PI) books, I cannot recall having read any of these. Why not, I wonder? Reading 鈥済enre books鈥� is perhaps a sort of guilty pleasure, time spent in comfortable corner of your mind with stuff that is none too taxing. Perhaps a habit best acquired when one is just starting to read. Scifi and Fantasy were my genres of choice. Crime and thriller never attracted me and I do not expect it will now.
The book is competently written, but that鈥檚 not why I enjoy reading books.
I am not a great reader of the crime genre. Aside from the inevitable Sherlock Holmes (which I enjoyed for the very reason that these are pretending to be logic puzzles solved by a barely human protagonist) and a few Philip Marlowe (PI) books, I cannot recall having read any of these. Why not, I wonder? Reading 鈥済enre books鈥� is perhaps a sort of guilty pleasure, time spent in comfortable corner of your mind with stuff that is none too taxing. Perhaps a habit best acquired when one is just starting to read. Scifi and Fantasy were my genres of choice. Crime and thriller never attracted me and I do not expect it will now.
The book is competently written, but that鈥檚 not why I enjoy reading books.
July 30, 2021
Hasn't let me down again 4.5*
April 22, 2021
An engaging, interesting crime fiction novella. Maigret seeks to find out why a 55 year old tramp was murdered. He discovers the tramp spoke to no one and lived by himself for nearly 20 years. He had been married twenty years ago and has a daughter. One day he disappeared from the house his wife and daughter lived in, never to return. He had run a successful business that he never went back to. A satisfying reading experience.
The 73rd book in the Maigret series of 75. First published in France in 1971.
The 73rd book in the Maigret series of 75. First published in France in 1971.
May 5, 2021
A very bare, speedy read. My first Maigret, and I was surprised at how the singular focus on plot plot plot left so little room for anything else of value- there is not a single expression or phrase that feeds the soul, nothing beautiful, new, in short, literary, about the whole book. "So, this is crime fiction" was my unimpressed parting thought. Perhaps this is not the best example from the 70-odd stories which brought Simenon such fame, but it will be a while before I try to find out.
January 24, 2021
Un capolavoro del Giallo Classico!
Tra qualche giorno la recensione
Tra qualche giorno la recensione
August 14, 2022
This one was OK. It was easy to read and not too hard to guess what happened but it moved along at a quick enough pace. There's a lot of eating and particularly drinking in it and Maigret's wife's life seems extremely tedious.
I'll neither seek out nor avoid others in the series
I'll neither seek out nor avoid others in the series
March 19, 2023
Intriga simple y directa, sin grandes efectos ni tramas secundarias. Del estilo se puede decir que es acorde, con frases cortas y pocas descripciones porque lo importante son los hechos.
May 18, 2024
Maigret is Poiroit without the superpower bullshit. Which makes him 1000% better IMO.
August 14, 2018
鬲丕 亘賴 丨丕賱 亘丕 芦爻乇亘丕夭乇爻 賲诏乇賴禄蹖 跇購乇跇 爻蹖賲賳賵賳 丌卮賳丕 賳卮丿賴 亘賵丿賲. 亘丕 賵噩賵丿 毓賱丕賯賴鈥屰� 賳爻亘鬲丕 丿蹖賵丕賳賴鈥屬堌ж辟� 亘賴 丿丕爻鬲丕賳鈥屬囏й� 讴丕乇丌诏丕賴蹖貙 丕蹖賳 賲诏乇賴 趩蹖夭 丿賳丿丕賳鈥屭屫臂� 賳亘賵丿貨 丕賱亘鬲賴 氐乇賮丕 亘乇 丕爻丕爻 丕蹖賳 丕賵賱蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘蹖 讴賴 丕夭 禺丕賱賯卮 禺賵丕賳丿賲
August 15, 2022
Perfecta de concediu! Atmosfera redata inegalabil, in stilul lui Georges Simenon.
May 18, 2022
Hot July night, even with the AC. 42潞C in my city today. Ergo, insomnia. I am meant to be reading , but if you think I can stomach that kind of self-indulgent bathtub philosophy at 3 AM, think again! Time for some noir popcorn! The French was easy enough even for me, even at that hour.
I tapped on the first Maigret that came up, and turns out it's set in August. Maigret and les enfants are sweltering too, so I was in good company. This time Le Patron is honestly trying to cut back on the beer, hard as it is in the heat--though he has outlived Dr Paul by this time (set in the early 1960s). A homeless man is found in his digs (if you can call them that) in a condemned house, with three bullets in his chest. Whodunit? Why dunit? Why bother? And why does an SDF have such a carefully-trimmed beard and hair and such well-manicured nails?
Simenon seems to have a thing for people who fugue, in the Maigret series as well as les romans durs--those who suddenly up sticks and break with their pasts, their families, and their former lives, even though some of those actually replicate their past lives in a new place. This is about the third "clochard case" I've come across, though to my knowledge it was never filmed, certainly not by Bruno Cremer (may he rest in peace). I've seen them all, at least twice, and I miss him. Cremer is to Maigret as Jeremy Brett is to Holmes.
I really enjoyed this read, if you can't tell already. First, we get a lot of background to Maigret. He has a summer house in a village somewhere now, since he can't swim and beach holidays therefore hold no charms for him (no word on how Mme Maigret would feel about them.) He's a great deal more human than usual in this installment, and Madame has a larger part in the action than usual. She worries about him without fussing; he's aware of it and actually appreciates her silent support, to the point of eating meals he's not really hungry for. He even confesses to her: "You know, I always reach a point in tough cases where I doubt my skills." We also see how times have changed, as Maigret goes to the archives of a newspaper to consult back issues, where he merrily smokes his pipe till the air is blue in his section, and the clerk offers him more than one beer. Imagine smoking and drinking in a newspaper "morgue" today!
The d茅nouement was a tiny bit predictable, in content if not form, but that's okay. In my sleep-deprived state, the fact that I was able to second-guess the master made me feel much happier.
I tapped on the first Maigret that came up, and turns out it's set in August. Maigret and les enfants are sweltering too, so I was in good company. This time Le Patron is honestly trying to cut back on the beer, hard as it is in the heat--though he has outlived Dr Paul by this time (set in the early 1960s). A homeless man is found in his digs (if you can call them that) in a condemned house, with three bullets in his chest. Whodunit? Why dunit? Why bother? And why does an SDF have such a carefully-trimmed beard and hair and such well-manicured nails?
Simenon seems to have a thing for people who fugue, in the Maigret series as well as les romans durs--those who suddenly up sticks and break with their pasts, their families, and their former lives, even though some of those actually replicate their past lives in a new place. This is about the third "clochard case" I've come across, though to my knowledge it was never filmed, certainly not by Bruno Cremer (may he rest in peace). I've seen them all, at least twice, and I miss him. Cremer is to Maigret as Jeremy Brett is to Holmes.
I really enjoyed this read, if you can't tell already. First, we get a lot of background to Maigret. He has a summer house in a village somewhere now, since he can't swim and beach holidays therefore hold no charms for him (no word on how Mme Maigret would feel about them.) He's a great deal more human than usual in this installment, and Madame has a larger part in the action than usual. She worries about him without fussing; he's aware of it and actually appreciates her silent support, to the point of eating meals he's not really hungry for. He even confesses to her: "You know, I always reach a point in tough cases where I doubt my skills." We also see how times have changed, as Maigret goes to the archives of a newspaper to consult back issues, where he merrily smokes his pipe till the air is blue in his section, and the clerk offers him more than one beer. Imagine smoking and drinking in a newspaper "morgue" today!
The d茅nouement was a tiny bit predictable, in content if not form, but that's okay. In my sleep-deprived state, the fact that I was able to second-guess the master made me feel much happier.
February 19, 2017
Uno strano delitto porta Maigret ad indagare su avvenimenti iniziati vent'anni prima. Con tutte le difficolt脿... del caso.
Ho apprezzato questo racconto: gli stati d'animo del commissario e dei protagonisti sono, come sempre, ben descritti da Simenon e, come una brezza che disperde la nebbia, lo svolgimento dell鈥檌ndagine rivela, mettendoli a fuoco, amori, gelosie, tradimenti e violenze che sono alla base dei fatti.
E purtroppo, talvolta, non solo di quelli narrati nei romanzi.
Ho apprezzato questo racconto: gli stati d'animo del commissario e dei protagonisti sono, come sempre, ben descritti da Simenon e, come una brezza che disperde la nebbia, lo svolgimento dell鈥檌ndagine rivela, mettendoli a fuoco, amori, gelosie, tradimenti e violenze che sono alla base dei fatti.
E purtroppo, talvolta, non solo di quelli narrati nei romanzi.
August 12, 2020
This is one of Simenon's last Inspector Maigret books, published in 1971. After 72 Maigret mysteries and innumerable "psychological" novels, he still musters a good bit of creativity and creates a respectable example of detective fiction. In this one, the death of a homeless man in a condemned building in Les Halles leads Maigret on the trail of the vagrant's mysterious past. It's a tidily written book with few of the alleys and byways that often feature in Simenon's mysteries, but there's a surprise twist at the end that makes for a good payoff. I adore these Maigret books and regret that there's only one left that I haven't read. All thanks to Penguin for retranslating and publishing these stories over the past few years, and now I see that Penguin is embarking on a project to publish new versions of at least some of the psychological novels. I'm glad that there will be more Simenon for me to read!
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