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L'âne rouge
Jean Cholet, jeune journaliste à la Gazette de Nantes, vit chez ses parents, une famille de petits employés consciencieux et effacés. Un soir, alors qu'il assiste à son premier banquet officiel, il se laisse aller à boire outre mesure et provoque un scandale puis échoue dans un cabaret, L'Ane Rouge, dont l'ambiance l'attire désormais irrésistiblement...
97 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1932
44 people want to read
About the author
Georges Simenon
2,738 books2,301 followersGeorges Joseph Christian Simenon (1903 – 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 à Manhattan (1946), Maigret à New York (1947), Maigret se fâche (1947)).
Simenon also wrote a large number of "psychological novels", such as La neige était sale (1948) or Le fils (1957), as well as several autobiographical works, in particular Je me souviens (1945), Pedigree (1948), Mémoires 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 à Manhattan (1946), Maigret à New York (1947), Maigret se fâche (1947)).
Simenon also wrote a large number of "psychological novels", such as La neige était sale (1948) or Le fils (1957), as well as several autobiographical works, in particular Je me souviens (1945), Pedigree (1948), Mémoires 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 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 14, 2024
The story concerns a young journalist, nineteen-year-old Jean Cholet, who writes for a Belgian Catholic paper in what is believed to be Simenon's hometown of Liège - here it's not actually called Liège but the port is a big give away, who starts to hang out in a seedy nightclub called The Red Donkey. Soon, he can't keep away from the place, and starts a relationship with Lulu, a twenty-something Montmartre Cabaret performer who is on tour, and staying in a room above the premises. Living a suffocating life at home, where both Jean's parents; especially his overwrought mother - who never seems to stop weeping, don't want to see their son, because of strict traditional values, being corrupted by excess alcohol and debasing sex, only ends up pushing Jean further into this other life, which would soon involve debts, crooks, and the lure of an exciting life in Paris with Lulu - one which would force Jean to face up to his responsibilities as a son after a tragedy strikes back home. Less of a crime novel and more a stark coming of age tale, which may actually take bits and pieces from Simenon's own adolescent, seeing as he also worked a similar job to Jean in his younger days. The father and son moments where quite touching, but there was so much weeping going on - not just Jean's mother, but Jean himself, his aunt, and Lulu too - you'd think they were binge watching the saddest movies in history. It's 1933, so obviously not. But something was easily setting them off - a lot of the time when I thought it just wasn't necessary. I enjoyed it, but it won't stay with me over the long haul.
February 1, 2025
My rating is more like 2.5, as I was not very impressed by this early roman dur (‘The Nightclub’ 1932 or 1933).
August 12, 2022
This is an early Simenon ‘stand-alone’ crime novel that tells a familiar and yet human story of a 19 year old youth’s rebellion against parental values. Jean Cholet, an apprentice reporter for the Catholic newspaper in Nantes is still living with his parents, a hysterical mother and an alcoholic father, and expresses his independence with late drunken nights, and starting a relationship with Lulu, a glamorous singer at a nightclub with a dodgy reputation, though for Jean at least, it’s akin to the Moulin Rouge.
When Lulu heads off on tour, Jean tags along, having sold some counterfeit blank birth certificates to finance it.
Though there are elements of crime, there isn’t really any mystery to the novel. Rather, it is one of those stark, slice-of-life, short Simenon novels that is very much character driven.
It is a sublime scrutiny of a relatively ordinary young man not long out of adolescence seeking to discover sex, while managing problems at home, but above all, trying at assert himself.
When Lulu heads off on tour, Jean tags along, having sold some counterfeit blank birth certificates to finance it.
Though there are elements of crime, there isn’t really any mystery to the novel. Rather, it is one of those stark, slice-of-life, short Simenon novels that is very much character driven.
It is a sublime scrutiny of a relatively ordinary young man not long out of adolescence seeking to discover sex, while managing problems at home, but above all, trying at assert himself.
April 22, 2025
Che soddisfazione leggere un Simenon ancora pressochè inedito in Italia, dopo che Adelphi ha colmato così tante lacune (e mi ha tolto tante volte questo senso di privilegio! Questo romanzo fu tradotto per Mondadori nel 1934 come “L’asino rosso”, ma credo non più da allora: se qualcuno vuole pubblicare una nuova traduzione, eccomi!).
Questo “All’Asino rosso” è un romanzo di un Simenon ancora giovane, ma già celebre e padrone degli strumenti letterari.
Jean Cholet, giovane giornalista della Gazette de Nantes, si risveglia dopo una terribile ubriacatura: era stato incaricato per la prima volta di seguire un’importante conferenza, e per festeggiare i colleghi lo hanno fatto bere. Peccato però che alla bevuta sia seguita una nottata “All’Asino rosso”, locale notturno di dubbia fama.. il nostro giovanotto, però, incantato anche dall’incontro con il brillante impresario teatrale Speelman, non riesce a rassegnarsi alla sua vita piccolo-borghese e sviluppa sogni di gloria e di grandezza: nonostante la disperazione di mammà, comincia a frequentare sempre più assiduamente quel tabarin, dove chissà perchè ha sempre un posto d’onore tra i proprietari, i coniugi Layard, e gli artisti, e addirittura gode dell’usufrutto (se non esclusivo, quanto meno gratuito) delle artiste: la tenera e malinconica Lulu soprattutto, all’occasione la più allegra e scafata Nelly.. anche se, tra una bottiglia di champagne e l’altra, Simenon lascia capire tra le righe che il ragazzo deve aver visitato anche l’innominabile casa che, rispetto all’Asino rosso, sta ancora più a fondo nel vicolo (l’autore sguazza nell’evocare lo squallore di questi amorazzi in stanze maleodoranti, anche se la censura degli anni ’30 impediva le descrizioni esplicite e “seminali” che troveremo nella Chambre bleue).
Ma intanto la sua situazione lavorativa degenera: Jean si è indebitato con tutti, scopiazza alla meno peggio gli articoli per il giornale (rischiando di scriverne uno su un evento che, a sua insaputa, in realtà è stato annullato..) e, grazie alla sua influenza di giornalista, si presta a bassi servizi per gli amici dei Layard, come un tale Gybal, dalla seducente immagine di uomo di successo e niente meno che sedicente amico del misterioso Speelmann.. quando Lulu viene licenziata perchè Nelly stimola di più il pubblico, Jean decide di rompere con famiglia e lavoro e di seguirla a Parigi. Come finirà questo amour fou?
SPOILER
Finisce non tanto in un disastro quanto nella meschinità; costretto a fingere un amore che non prova per la povera Lulu, nonchè a scroccare ancora soldi dal padre, impiegato modello ma sempre molto indulgente verso il figlio (che gli millanta avventure degne di Porfirio Rubirosa), il nostro Jean viene improvvisamente informato della morte del povero padre. Pianta quindi in asso Lulu, torna a casa e si lascia convincere a essere ormai “l’uomo di casa”.
Un’ultima tentazione lo coglie proprio durante la cerimonia funebre: la città è piena di manifesti che annunciano il ritorno in città della compagnia di Speelman.. ma un magistrale colpo di scena finale lo riporta sulla retta via: viene convocato dal superiore del padre pensando di ricevere l’attesa (e tanto necessaria a casa!) liquidazione, ma viene invece informato che il ritrovamento del cadavere del padre alla scrivania, stroncato da un infarto a metà panino durante la pausa pranzo, è stata una pietosa bugia a tutela vuoi della vedova vuoi del buon nome della società; in realtà il pover’uomo è stato trovato morto nella casa d’appuntamenti adiacente, che aveva iniziato a frequentare (forse suggestionato dai racconti del figlio?); e per frequentarla aveva anche lasciato un buco nei conti, che si potrà coprire appunto con la liquidazione.. al ragazzo non resterà che tornare a casa scornato e, dopo un farsesco tentativo di uccidere Speelman nel locale dei Layard, rassegnarsi a prendere il posto del padre, innanzitutto occupando la poltrona che lui amava.
Questo “All’Asino rosso” è un romanzo di un Simenon ancora giovane, ma già celebre e padrone degli strumenti letterari.
Jean Cholet, giovane giornalista della Gazette de Nantes, si risveglia dopo una terribile ubriacatura: era stato incaricato per la prima volta di seguire un’importante conferenza, e per festeggiare i colleghi lo hanno fatto bere. Peccato però che alla bevuta sia seguita una nottata “All’Asino rosso”, locale notturno di dubbia fama.. il nostro giovanotto, però, incantato anche dall’incontro con il brillante impresario teatrale Speelman, non riesce a rassegnarsi alla sua vita piccolo-borghese e sviluppa sogni di gloria e di grandezza: nonostante la disperazione di mammà, comincia a frequentare sempre più assiduamente quel tabarin, dove chissà perchè ha sempre un posto d’onore tra i proprietari, i coniugi Layard, e gli artisti, e addirittura gode dell’usufrutto (se non esclusivo, quanto meno gratuito) delle artiste: la tenera e malinconica Lulu soprattutto, all’occasione la più allegra e scafata Nelly.. anche se, tra una bottiglia di champagne e l’altra, Simenon lascia capire tra le righe che il ragazzo deve aver visitato anche l’innominabile casa che, rispetto all’Asino rosso, sta ancora più a fondo nel vicolo (l’autore sguazza nell’evocare lo squallore di questi amorazzi in stanze maleodoranti, anche se la censura degli anni ’30 impediva le descrizioni esplicite e “seminali” che troveremo nella Chambre bleue).
Ma intanto la sua situazione lavorativa degenera: Jean si è indebitato con tutti, scopiazza alla meno peggio gli articoli per il giornale (rischiando di scriverne uno su un evento che, a sua insaputa, in realtà è stato annullato..) e, grazie alla sua influenza di giornalista, si presta a bassi servizi per gli amici dei Layard, come un tale Gybal, dalla seducente immagine di uomo di successo e niente meno che sedicente amico del misterioso Speelmann.. quando Lulu viene licenziata perchè Nelly stimola di più il pubblico, Jean decide di rompere con famiglia e lavoro e di seguirla a Parigi. Come finirà questo amour fou?
SPOILER
Finisce non tanto in un disastro quanto nella meschinità; costretto a fingere un amore che non prova per la povera Lulu, nonchè a scroccare ancora soldi dal padre, impiegato modello ma sempre molto indulgente verso il figlio (che gli millanta avventure degne di Porfirio Rubirosa), il nostro Jean viene improvvisamente informato della morte del povero padre. Pianta quindi in asso Lulu, torna a casa e si lascia convincere a essere ormai “l’uomo di casa”.
Un’ultima tentazione lo coglie proprio durante la cerimonia funebre: la città è piena di manifesti che annunciano il ritorno in città della compagnia di Speelman.. ma un magistrale colpo di scena finale lo riporta sulla retta via: viene convocato dal superiore del padre pensando di ricevere l’attesa (e tanto necessaria a casa!) liquidazione, ma viene invece informato che il ritrovamento del cadavere del padre alla scrivania, stroncato da un infarto a metà panino durante la pausa pranzo, è stata una pietosa bugia a tutela vuoi della vedova vuoi del buon nome della società; in realtà il pover’uomo è stato trovato morto nella casa d’appuntamenti adiacente, che aveva iniziato a frequentare (forse suggestionato dai racconti del figlio?); e per frequentarla aveva anche lasciato un buco nei conti, che si potrà coprire appunto con la liquidazione.. al ragazzo non resterà che tornare a casa scornato e, dopo un farsesco tentativo di uccidere Speelman nel locale dei Layard, rassegnarsi a prendere il posto del padre, innanzitutto occupando la poltrona che lui amava.
April 1, 2018
Despite its brevity, this is a sometimes, perhaps necessarily, tedious exploration of a young man's sowing of wild oats. Jean, a reporter for La Gazette de Nantes starts spending his evenings at the nightclub L'Âne rouge where he becomes involved in a mostly chaste affair with the singer Lulu. The sex and drinking is largely joyless, and reflects a realistic portrayal of the protagonist's self-consciousness and inexperience. As with Sunday, my only other Simenon so far, there is a twist in the last chapter, but here it seems organic and causes the reader to re-interpret the novel's action in a new light.
January 15, 2025
L'Âne rouge is a profoundly existentialist novel centered around Jean Cholet, a 19-year-old journalist from Nantes, France. Leading a conventional life working for a Catholic newspaper and living with his modest family (his father is a clerk, his mother stays at home), Cholet's world begins to unravel when he discovers the nightclub L'Âne rouge, a gritty venue that entices him with promises of freedom and excitement.
At L'Âne rouge, Cholet meets Speelman, a charismatic but morally indifferent theater manager who becomes an influential figure in his life. However, Speelman himself is rarely present; it is the "idea of Speelman" that captivates Cholet. Through this idea, Cholet is introduced to a world of (mild) hedonism, (petty) crime, and (not a lot of) indulgences, which gradually pull him away from his family and responsibilities. In a world that feels dreary and monotonous, Speelman is not Satan, but rather a kind of Phil (the character from Dilbert), "Prince of Insufficient Light and Lord of Heck." Nothing is really satisfactory, even vices are modest here. Cholet becomes infatuated with Lulu, an unattractive young performer, a prostitute really. Comically, he fails, at least initially, to even consummate his attraction. His behavior alienates his family, particularly his concerned mother, while his father remains strangely accommodating.
Eventually, Cholet runs away to Paris with Lulu. However, he has no real affection for her, and when news of his father's death reaches him, he leaves her without much hesitation. Throughout the novel, Cholet is less a victim of evil than of inertia—he passively drifts with whatever current he finds himself in. A final revelation awaits him at home, one that will expose the extreme banality of his actions. Simply sitting at his father's chair, Cholet appears to settle into a life of quiet resignation, with no grand fall, no salvation, and no redemption.
Simenon is not a Catholic author but a distinctly existentialist one—possibly the finest of his kind.
At L'Âne rouge, Cholet meets Speelman, a charismatic but morally indifferent theater manager who becomes an influential figure in his life. However, Speelman himself is rarely present; it is the "idea of Speelman" that captivates Cholet. Through this idea, Cholet is introduced to a world of (mild) hedonism, (petty) crime, and (not a lot of) indulgences, which gradually pull him away from his family and responsibilities. In a world that feels dreary and monotonous, Speelman is not Satan, but rather a kind of Phil (the character from Dilbert), "Prince of Insufficient Light and Lord of Heck." Nothing is really satisfactory, even vices are modest here. Cholet becomes infatuated with Lulu, an unattractive young performer, a prostitute really. Comically, he fails, at least initially, to even consummate his attraction. His behavior alienates his family, particularly his concerned mother, while his father remains strangely accommodating.
Eventually, Cholet runs away to Paris with Lulu. However, he has no real affection for her, and when news of his father's death reaches him, he leaves her without much hesitation. Throughout the novel, Cholet is less a victim of evil than of inertia—he passively drifts with whatever current he finds himself in. A final revelation awaits him at home, one that will expose the extreme banality of his actions. Simply sitting at his father's chair, Cholet appears to settle into a life of quiet resignation, with no grand fall, no salvation, and no redemption.
Simenon is not a Catholic author but a distinctly existentialist one—possibly the finest of his kind.
April 14, 2022
Je préfère les Maigrets
December 25, 2021
Here’s hoping Simenon’s protagonist in his ‘L’Âne Rouge’ novel, Jean Cholet grew up after his father’s funeral.
But we’ll never know.
Cholet seems to have resigned himself to adulthood as long as he was going to be able to go on alcoholic binges from time to time when he wasn’t working at his journalism career.
He almost put paid to his nice enough life by going on a felonious rampage but stopped short of committing himself to the wrong road. He had already sown some wild oats and dallied in bad drinking bouts, carousing in low-life bars, done petty theft, lied to everyone, owed everyone money, consorted with organized crime.
But enough goodwill was leftover for his comrades to bludgeon him to stay in the ordinary crime-free life.
This was a more believable novel from Simenon with the 19 yr old protagonist Jean Cholet plausibly being somewhat of an autobiographical creation of his.
But we’ll never know.
Cholet seems to have resigned himself to adulthood as long as he was going to be able to go on alcoholic binges from time to time when he wasn’t working at his journalism career.
He almost put paid to his nice enough life by going on a felonious rampage but stopped short of committing himself to the wrong road. He had already sown some wild oats and dallied in bad drinking bouts, carousing in low-life bars, done petty theft, lied to everyone, owed everyone money, consorted with organized crime.
But enough goodwill was leftover for his comrades to bludgeon him to stay in the ordinary crime-free life.
This was a more believable novel from Simenon with the 19 yr old protagonist Jean Cholet plausibly being somewhat of an autobiographical creation of his.
January 27, 2021
Wildly readable, remarkably modern-feeling for 1933. And sweet in spots, in its portrayal of young love/lust and the unique understanding that can exist in a father/son relationship. Less sweet in its portrayal of the harpy-like mother and aunt; even less sweet in the "story"'s descent into anger and sorrow. Not a core Simenon treat, but enough to enjoy here for anyone trying to be a completist.
January 3, 2026
Essa é uma resenha feita a partir da leitura da tradução para o português feita por Tulio Kawata para a Editora UNESP. A publicação se deu em 2025, no livro intitulado “Simenon: Romances e outros escritos, vol. 1”.
Um Jovem
A história narra os problemas vividos por um jovem jornalista, Jean Cholet, com uma mãe superprotetora e um pai (excessivamente) compreensivo. Quando começou a frequentar um cabaré nas imediações de seu trabalho - O Asno Vermelho -, o jovem se desestabiliza de vez. Incapaz de compreender seus sentimentos, acaba gastando seus poucos recursos com bebidas. Envolve-se em um romance superficial com uma dançarina (Lulu) e acaba negligenciando seu trabalho. A narrativa contempla um curto porém conturbado período da vida de Jean Cholet. Registra um crime que cometeu. Refere tragédias familiares. Um turbilhão de emoções e sensações. O relato é um tanto quanto melancólico. Se essa é a aposta do Autor sobre o que ocorre na passagem da juventude para a idade adulta, penso que o paradigma é questionável. No máximo, um retrato de uma família da baixa classe média europeia do período que
separa as duas grandes guerras. Mas, afinal, o que aconteceu com Jean Cholet?
Um Jovem
A história narra os problemas vividos por um jovem jornalista, Jean Cholet, com uma mãe superprotetora e um pai (excessivamente) compreensivo. Quando começou a frequentar um cabaré nas imediações de seu trabalho - O Asno Vermelho -, o jovem se desestabiliza de vez. Incapaz de compreender seus sentimentos, acaba gastando seus poucos recursos com bebidas. Envolve-se em um romance superficial com uma dançarina (Lulu) e acaba negligenciando seu trabalho. A narrativa contempla um curto porém conturbado período da vida de Jean Cholet. Registra um crime que cometeu. Refere tragédias familiares. Um turbilhão de emoções e sensações. O relato é um tanto quanto melancólico. Se essa é a aposta do Autor sobre o que ocorre na passagem da juventude para a idade adulta, penso que o paradigma é questionável. No máximo, um retrato de uma família da baixa classe média europeia do período que
separa as duas grandes guerras. Mas, afinal, o que aconteceu com Jean Cholet?
December 7, 2018
A bildungsroman in which a struggling, young newspaperman plummets out of control under the influence of alcohol and shady companions he makes at a local nightclub in Nantes, France called The Red Donkey. He quickly enters into unhealthy sexual relationships with three women and becomes jaded about life. Then after he flees debts and what he feels is an overbearing mother to Paris with no prospects in sight and he is at his most desperate, his father dies. This event, and a revelation about how his father had protected him from further ruin, leads him to "sober up", realize the importance of family ties, and begin to live life as a mature man.
November 24, 2024
Comme un cerf pris dans les phares d’une voiture la nuit, Jean Cholet, fasciné par un nouveau monde hypnotique, incapable du moindre mouvement salvateur, va se laisser sombrer.
Dans ce récit d’une descente annoncée, l’âne rouge, une boîte de nuit aux accortes danseuses va entraîner un trop jeune journaliste à perdre tous ses repères, son argent et ses valeurs dans un tourbillon alcoolisé.
Et dans ce bon 2e roman dur, on trouve déjà nombre des excellentes caractéristiques des opus suivants avec cette inexorabilité des destins et cette fatalité qui guident les protagonistes
https://www.noid.ch/lane-rouge/
Dans ce récit d’une descente annoncée, l’âne rouge, une boîte de nuit aux accortes danseuses va entraîner un trop jeune journaliste à perdre tous ses repères, son argent et ses valeurs dans un tourbillon alcoolisé.
Et dans ce bon 2e roman dur, on trouve déjà nombre des excellentes caractéristiques des opus suivants avec cette inexorabilité des destins et cette fatalité qui guident les protagonistes
https://www.noid.ch/lane-rouge/
May 21, 2022
όχι από τα καλύτερα του Simenon αλλά η γραφή του σίγουρα μοναδική. Το αίσθημα της μοναξιάς και της υποκρισίας κυριαρχεί σε αυτό το βιβλίο. Άλλωστε η μοναξιά είναι από τα αγαπημένα θέματα του συγγραφέα.
August 2, 2020
Good writing but I prefer the Maigret novels. Short novel about a young reporter who was too louche for me to care about.
October 13, 2012
I have been reading all the Simenon novels chronologically, interspersing the Maigret books with the non-Maigrets. This book is in the latter category and, like several others in this timeframe (early-1930s) it is dark. Unlike the last few I've read, in this one the darkness has a point and it leads to a sort of redemption. A young life is spiraling out of control, faster and faster, seeking rock bottom. At the end he finds it and therein lies the future. Worth reading. Somewhat autobiographical.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews