Maxim Jakubowski's February 2014 Series of the Month.
Through countless TV and film incarnations and of course books, gruff Parisian cop Jules Maigret has been the epitome of the endearing but persistent burrower in the shadows of crime. Because of his creator Simenon's awesome productivity, the 75 novels featuring his investigations have never been all in print at any given time, and one must applaud Penguin's initiative to reissue the series at the rate of a title every month, many in new, improved translations. Atmospheric, quirky, gripping, the Maigret novels feature not only a unique protagonist with a richly sketched circle of colleagues and family but powerful insights too into the psychology of crime and criminals, as well as wonderful evocations of France and many European backroads in the past century. Pietr the Latvian is the novel in which Maigret first appears, and has already been followed by The Late Monsieur Gallet, The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien, The Carter of La Providence, the powerful The Yellow Dog and The Night at the Crossroads. And so many more still to come!
Through countless TV and film incarnations and of course books, gruff Parisian cop Jules Maigret has been the epitome of the endearing but persistent burrower in the shadows of crime. Because of his creator Simenon's awesome productivity, the 75 novels featuring his investigations have never been all in print at any given time, and one must applaud Penguin's initiative to reissue the series at the rate of a title every month, many in new, improved translations. Atmospheric, quirky, gripping, the Maigret novels feature not only a unique protagonist with a richly sketched circle of colleagues and family but powerful insights too into the psychology of crime and criminals, as well as wonderful evocations of France and many European backroads in the past century. Pietr the Latvian is the novel in which Maigret first appears, and has already been followed by The Late Monsieur Gallet, The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien, The Carter of La Providence, the powerful The Yellow Dog and The Night at the Crossroads. And so many more still to come!
'One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century...Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.' Guardian
'A supreme writer ...unforgettable vividness.' Independent
Author
About Georges Simenon
Georges Simenon (1903-1989) was born in Liege, Belgium. Best known in Britain as the author of the Maigret books, his prolific output of more than four hundred novels and short stories have made him a household name in continental Europe.
David Bellos is the director of the program in translation and intercultural communication at Princeton University and has won many awards for his translations, including the Man Booker International Translator's Award.
