De danseres van Le Gai-Moulin

Inspector Maigret #10

by Georges Simenon

René Delfosse en Jean Chabot, twee tienerjongens van verschillende komaf, gaan op een avond samen naar de Luikse nachtclub Le Gai-Moulin met het idee zich te verstoppen en na sluitingstijd de kassa leeg te roven. Dat plan pakt anders uit wanneer ze, na het verlaten van hun schuilplaats, op het lichaam van de Griek Graphopoulos stuiten en ze verdacht worden van moord. De Franse commissaris Maigret gaat bijzonder ver om het mysterie te ontsluieren.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, France, Detective, Belgium, Audiobook

190 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1931

About the author

Georges 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.

Reviews

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lunchtime Listen July 2025

As a listen it is as much fun as reading the book, oneself, especially with the brilliant voice of Gareth Armstrong narrating. Who is the broad shouldered man, and what part did he play in the murder of the rich Greek customer. How did the dancer get the cigarette case, and does she know more than she’s saying.

A great story that really shows what a good writer Simenon was, and what a fun detective Maigret is.

Maigret series Read 2019

Wow, was that good or what ?? Ok it was good 😉

More tomorrow when I hope to write a few more words than just “good” 😬

So its now way past tomorrow (hmm, good name for a sci-fi novel me thinks ), so this wonderful book deserves its review.

Where do i start, ok, a quick recap on why I'm reading these Maigret books. Hmm yes why am I reading them ? Well I think it was a combination of seeing Rowan Atkinson in the excellently filmed Maigret series and then I think one of my GR friends (Martin was it you ?) started reading one of them and so I thought why not. Little did I realise quite what I would be letting myself in for, how many are there ???? So I decided to read them at the rate of 1 per month (I think that gives me over 7 years ish).

This book starts with two young boys (from basically good families) who've bluffed their way into a backstreet Liege bar. They stand in awe of the glamorous "dancer" employed by the bar owner and each try to outdo the other in an attempt to impress her. Short of money they decide to rob the bar after it was closed, little knowing what this would to their futures. A quiet night in the bar sees only a few customers, mostly regulars, with the exception of the "broad shouldered man". Once the bar shuts, the teenage lads having hidden, emerge and discover a dead body on the floor of the bar and flee in panic.
Initially nothing happens as the body disappears, to reappear later the next day in a local park stuffed into laundry basket. The police commence their investigation and are very interested in the mysterious "broad shouldered man", as well as the young men, the bar employees and owner and the glamorous dancer.
Maigret himself does not appear until half way through the book once a Parisien connection is established as the police delve deeper into the potential suspects and arrests ensue.

I think its fair to say that Maigret is as charismatic as any of my other favourite detectives; Poirot, Marple, Morse, Holmes, Foyle and Alleyn. I think it's also fair to say that these books are as well written as any of the others previously mentioned. Which demonstrates how much I have enjoyed, and am enjoying these books.

[Tahani Shihab · Rating 3 out of 5]

يدخل سائح يوناني ثري ملهى “الغي مولان” في مدينة لييج في بلجيكا. يتواعد همسًا مع الراقصة أديل، يعطيها عنوان الفندق لتوافيه لاحقًا. حين يحين موعد إقفال الملهى يتخلف مراهقان عن الخروج ويختبئان في القبو بنية سرقة الملهى. في اليوم التالي يعثر على جثة اليوناني مقتولاً، بعد أن سُرقت منه محفظته وعلبة سجائرة الذهبية.
تحوم الشبهات حول المراهقان، خصوصًا بعد أن بدا عليهما مظاهر الثراء والبذخ. حيث أن أحدهما والده ثري، ومع ذلك يقوم بسرقة أخواله. والآخر موظف في مكتب البريد، يستدين من صندوق النثريات لتغطية نفقاته.
بعد أن يظهر المحقق ميغريه من فرنسا، يخلى سبيل المراهقان. فمن هو القاتل الحقيقي؟

[Geevee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A murder in a nightclub in Liege, Belgium. The case seems rather open and shut as two very young men are quickly caught by Chief Inspector Delvigne of the Liege police.

However, as Delvigne makes further enquiries to substantiate alibis and movements, a shadowy figure was noticed by some witnesses on the night in question. Who is he? Where is he? What does he know, and what can he tell the police?

As the crime unfolds and more questions arise, the Liege police also receive some assistance from our hero, Chief Inspector Jules Maigret, who, using his experience, is able to shine the light at a different angle to help uncover the clues that led to the murder at the Gai-Moulin.

[Cristian Fassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un altro giallo magnifico del maestro dei gialli, questo ancora più eccezionale per il fatto che Simenon fa entrare il suo commissario Maigret in scena con la storia ben sviluppata a metà del libro.

C'è Liegi (Belgio), un morto, uno o più assassini, una ballerina (quella che da nome al romanzo), il racconto della gioventù bruciata.

Un commissario del posto inizia le indagini, quando arriva Maigret (che in realtà c'è sempre stato di nascosto) la storia accelera a un finale un po' fantasioso ma ugualmente avvincente.

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two fine Maigret novels back to back, this one after The Grand Banks Café. As much as I enjoyed The Grand Banks Cafe, the better book is this one. It completely threw me off pretty much from the start for more than one reason, and showed that sometimes going rogue is not a bad thing.

A post about this book and Grand Banks Cafe is here:
http://www.crimesegments.com/2020/08/...

*****

There's something about a crime novel set in the seedier parts of a city that appeals, and this one is no exception. Here it's the seamier side of Liège, which in real life is Simenon's home town, where the action takes place. The plot centers around two teens whose planned robbery of the till at the Club Gai-Moulin after closing time goes completely awry with the discovery of a body in the darkness. From there, well... best not to say too much more about what happens here.

While Simenon's series novels tend to get middling ratings from many readers, he's one of my favorite crime writers ever. When I want to read something deeply noirish, I turn to his romans durs, but when I want something a bit on the lighter side it's definitely Maigret. With Dancer at the Gai-Moulin, he offers a plot that may be somewhat incredulous, but when it comes right down to it, I just didn't care that he wasn't exactly following the mechanics of the typical detective/police novel. In fact, using the term "typical" in describing Maigret just seems wrong. I was much more taken with the very clever twists in the story as well as the seedy, noir ambience Simenon paints here, down to the "crimson plush" upholstery of a banquette in the club and the "shabby peignoir" and mules worn by the titular dancer, Adèle, in her room. And that reminds me: don't kid yourself that she has only a small part to play here. She may not show up often, but she really does take center stage in a very different sort of way. You'll understand once you've read this novel.

Only 65 more Maigret novels to go! I'll get there and probably love every second of the journey.

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although 18-year-old René Delfosse comes from a wealthy family and 16-year-old Jean Chabot has a nice office job and lives at home, the feckless pair live beyond their means as they carouse night after night at the Gai-Moulin nightclub. The teenagers have taken to raiding tills and embezzling from the petty cash fund to keep themselves in drink and dancing. Set in Liège, Belgium, author Georges Simenon’s hometown, The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin begins with Delfosse and Chabot’s amateurish attempt to hide out at the Gai-Moulin after closing in an effort to steal from the cash register; however, what the boys find aren’t Belgian francs but a dead customer!

But the next day, the corpse is found not at the Gai-Moulin, but in a wheeled laundry cart dropped off at the botanical gardens. How did that dead Ephraim Graphapoulos (for that’s his name) end up there? Who in Liège would want to kill the playboy son of a wealthy Athens banker? And why was Graphapoulos, who originally bought a ticket for a flight to London, in Liège at all?

Despite its title, Adèle Bousquet, the beautiful woman whose job it is to dance with the male patrons at the Gai-Moulin and flirtatiously entice them to spend big on drinks, does not play a big role in The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin. In addition, Chief Inspector Maigret does not announce his presence until halfway into the book, and the book suffers for it (as occurs in Dame Agatha Christie’s books that delay the appearance of Hercule Poirot). Still, the roller-coaster ride that follows makes it all worth it for the reader, and, as always with Simenon, the novel explores the vagaries of human nature as well as any psychology text. A tangled case, indeed, The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin has plenty of surprises and an extremely satisfying ending. One of my favorite Maigret novels — which is high praise, indeed!

[The Frahorus · Rating 4 out of 5]

La cosa che mi ha spiazzato di questa indagine di Maigret è stato il fatto che il nostro caro commissario di polizia appare praticamente a metà libro, per poi fingere di venire arrestato per far uscire fuori i veri colpevoli. Anche se, durante la prima parte, egli già appare diverse volte in brevi camei e, per chi lo conosce, viene descritto solo fisicamente (ad esempio l'uomo dalle spalle larghe). Dopo diversi mesi riprendo così a leggere un altro giallo di Maigret di quel grande scrittore che è Simenon, e devo dire che le indagini fuori porta del nostro commissario iniziano a piacermi quasi più di quelle parigine. In questo caso ci troveremo dentro un presunto omicidio di un uomo ricco, furti, doppi giochi, agenti segreti, ballerine di night club e tante bugie.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this from cover to cover in one sitting. It was most interesting and I never would have guessed whodunnit.

[Monthly Book Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

The host welcomed two guests: Professors Sian Reynolds and Peter France. The Maigret book chosen ("La Danseuse du Gai-Moulin" - published 1931 in France) had been recently translated into English by Sian as "The Dancer at the Gai Moulin". Peter was the editor of the “Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation”. Thus the evening provided an opportunity not just to discuss the Maigret book but also the wider question of translations of literature into English. This had been an issue the Group had grappled with on a number of occasions when non-English books had been discussed.

Simenon was born in 1903 and died in 1989. He led a colourful life, details of which you will find online. There were 193 novels written under his own name; 200 others written under 20 or so pseudonyms; 75 Maigret novels; four autobiographies; 21 volumes of memoirs. An average of four to five books a year; 80 pages a day; two weeks to write a book. At his death, world sales stood at more than 500 million copies in 55 languages, written in a vocabulary of no more than 2,000 words. And he claimed to have made love to 10,000 women, but was probably joking.

In financial terms, Simenon’s move to Maigret was a great success. In 1925, his earnings were 42,671 francs. In 1929, they were 135,460 francs. By 1931, they were 310,561 francs. By the mid-1930s, he was earning about a million francs a year. The figures matter: Simenon is one of the few serious writers whose achievements can be counted in numbers: a writer with a quantitative career, as well as qualitative achievements.

Penguin is now honouring Simenon’s spirit of excess with what seems like a lunatic project. It is publishing all 75 of the Maigret novels, one a month, in order and newly translated, over the next few years. It is the kind of project of which Simenon would heartily have approved.

Each Maigret novel is presented as a battle, or a number of battles. There is the battle between characters that has led to the mysterious death with which each story opens; the battle between Maigret and other detectives, magistrates or politicians involved in the case (all obtuse, obstructive or incompetent); and the battle of wits between Maigret and the murderer. While all this is going on the inspector frequently has to struggle against appalling weather conditions, cycling tens of miles along muddy canal paths in pouring rain, fighting wind or snow, or labouring under suffocating heat. He is endlessly tempted by drink. Women seek to seduce him. Men try to buy him off. He is deprived of sleep, punched and shot at. He moves through crowds as though ‘fighting against a strong current’. Often it looks as though everything is ‘joining forces to unsettle him’, but he hangs on, his bull-like physique sustained by beer, sandwiches, pipe tobacco, the warm stove at police headquarters and the knowledge that at home his chaste wife is patiently preparing the kind of dish that won’t spoil however long it’s kept waiting. Then there is his genius.

It doesn’t show. On the contrary, Maigret’s greatest stroke of genius is never to reveal his genius. There is no brilliant conversation. For the most part he appears boorish, uninterested, disgruntled, absolutely resistant to theory, suspicious of advanced forensics, ‘devoid of subtlety’. When asked what he’s thinking he invariably replies that he doesn’t think. Asked about ideas, he tells us he has no ideas. Presenting himself as impenetrable – a ‘lifeless bulk’, with eyes ‘dull as a cow’, ‘burly as a market porter’, ‘a pachyderm plodding inexorably toward its goal’ – he becomes more of a mystery than the mystery itself. The only intelligence that’s occasionally allowed to cross his face is a mocking irony. It’s this quality that will be fatal to the murderer, who is drawn into a battle of wills he can only lose.

Maigret proceeds by enforced proximity. He goes to the scene of the crime, which usually takes place in a small, well-defined community, at the centre of which there is very likely a seedy hotel where Maigret will book a room. He hangs around bars with the suspects, visits their homes alone and uninvited, eats with them, walks and talks with them. He establishes who’s an insider and who’s an outsider, who’s sexually satisfied and who isn’t, which women are attractive and which plain or plain ugly, whose ambitions are thwarted, who has delusions of grandeur and power. If there’s a pretty maid he may ask her bluntly whose mistress she is. When he thinks he has his man he sticks to him like a limpet, waiting for him to break down. This is a figure who often turns up in a Maigret novel: the suspect who panics, is hysterical, can’t face the truth. The book we were discussing contained many of these themes though Maigret was absent, at least as a participant, for a considerable part of the book.

Sian indicated that she had translated three Maigrets for the new Penguin series. All of them had headless women on the cover! Sian had attempted to use the language and slang of the 1930s, though this would have been very difficult for an earlier period, but no doubt she had used modern dialogue unconsciously. There was much detailed discussion of the principles and technique of translations. Several members queried why Sian had used certain words and expressions. Sian said a good translator should neither introduce nor suppress material. Translation required reading the text until you fully got it. You should always translate into your first language, though a few people were genuinely bilingual.

Sian made the point that there was a huge difference, greater than in English, between spoken and written French. The French had a strong sense of decorum in written language. English also had more words from which to choose and made extensive use of idiom, slang and ambiguity. Some words used by Simenon were no longer used for the same meaning so old dictionaries were important sources......

This is an extract from a review at http://monthlybookgroup.wordpress.com/. Our reviews are also to be found at http://monthlybookgroup.blogspot.com/

[Alan (on December semi-hiatus) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maigret at the Gai-Moulin
Review of the Penguin Classics paperback (August, 2014) a new translation* by Siân Reynolds of the French language original La Danseuse Du Gai-Moulin (1931)

The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin presents yet another complicated case for Chief Inspector Maigret. Author Simenon manages to situate the story in his home town of Liège, Belgium by having his Parisian police inspector follow a suspect over the border. Maigret is in fact incognito for the first half of the book, but regular fans will immediately recognize him from the description of a broad-shouldered man with a bowler and overcoat.


The cover of the original French language edition of "The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin" as published by Fayard in 1931. Image sourced from Maigret of the Month.

Maigret's suspect is murdered and found in a laundry basket on the street after having been already seen dead in the Gai-Moulin dance club by two youths who had planned to rob the place. The dancer of the title is a worker at the club who entertains the customers. The Belgium police are baffled by the apparent contradictions in the case and the "broad-shouldered man" who was seen at the club on the same night becomes their chief suspect. Maigret is manipulating part of the events in order to expose the culprit. It turns into yet another miraculous solution by the Chief Inspector.


French actor Jean Richard as Chief Inspector Jules Maigret. Image sourced from IMDb

I've now read a dozen of the early Maigret novellas in the past four weeks and they continue to impress with how different they are not only from each other, but also from other "Golden Age of Crime" novels of that interwar era. What is even more impressive is that the first dozen were all published in 1931 as if he wrote one every month. Perhaps it is not that surprising from an author who wrote over 500 books in his lifetime, but it still an eyeopener.

In a rare occurrence, this is Maigret #10 in both the recent Penguin Classics series of new translations (2013-2019) of the Inspector Maigret novels and short stories, and in the previous standard Maigret Series Listopia as listed on Goodreads.

Trivia and Links
* Some earlier English translations have given the title as Maigret at the Gai-Moulin.

The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin, in its German language translation Maigret und sein grösster Fall (Maigret and his Biggest Case), was adapted as a German language film in 1966, directed by Alfred Weidenmann with Heinz Rühmann in the role of Inspector Maigret. A German language trailer can be viewed on YouTube here. Author Georges Simenon introduces the trailer (in French, overdubbed in German).

The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin was adapted for French television in 1981, as Episode 51 of the long running TV series Les enquêtes du commissaire Maigret (The Investigations of Commissioner Maigret) (1967-1990) with Jean Richard as Inspector Maigret.

There is an article about the Penguin Classics re-translations of the Inspector Maigret novels at Maigret, the Enduring Appeal of the Parisian Sleuth by Paddy Kehoe, RTE, August 17, 2019.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If it's possible, I think I have at last found my favorite Maigret book. Ever. This is a faster paced yet easier to follow version of the best parts of Simenon's series. And while the classic Maigret features (the psychological issues surrounding the crime, a climactic and satisfying ending, a clueless but endearing local police officer) are still there, the novel certainly stands out for straying from the common path. First, Inspector Maigret doesn't even appear as a central character until almost 2/3 through the novel, leaving an interesting and refreshing narrative through other people's eyes for the majority of the story. It doesn't take place in Paris, the reader is not part of Maigret's knowledge of the case (or even how he became involved) until much later, and the reader is given a special insight into a few characters and their worlds that is not present in Simenon's other books. A great first read for anyone who knows nothing of Maigret, and a great refreshing change for anyone who (like me) enjoys the series but is looking for something slightly set apart from the rest.

[Marisol · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia inicia con dos jóvenes amigos que van a un club nocturno a divertirse, esa misma noche matan a una persona cuando el local está cerrado, hay varios sospechosos entre ellos estos dos amigos y un desconocido que la policía no puede identificar, tardíamente el inspector Maigret toma el caso.

Es un libro juguetón que se aleja de la exploración del alma y de los caracteres que usualmente aparecen en las tramas de Simenon, aquí hace gala de su lado más divertido, mediante situaciones absurdas, juego de identidades así como tropezones policiales.

Se explora lo arriesgada y voluble que puede ser la juventud así como lo cerca que se puede estar del peligro, sin darse cuenta.

El final está bien construido, es muy ingenioso, pero lo mejor es la explicación de cómo ocurrieron realmente los hechos detonantes, pues te da la perspectiva de cómo las teorías sobre un caso pueden alejarse mucho de lo que pasó en realidad.

[Antonella Imperiali · Rating 3 out of 5]

All’inizio ho pensato di essere incappata in un altro romanzo. Niente Parigi, ma piuttosto Liegi.
Ero un tantino disorientata... però ogni tanto appariva un tipo dalle spalle larghe. Per la conferma sono dovuta arrivare a ben oltre la metà del libro... e, sì, ero nel posto giusto... Volevo ben dire!

Vicenda ingarbugliata, con una ridda di personaggi e situazioni al limite. E un Maigret decisamente sopra le righe.

La ricetta di questa storia: un po’ di gioventù bruciata, un filo di pazzia, un pizzico di spionaggio, una buona manciata di mistero e tanto q.b. di chiacchiere e di supposizioni che mi hanno leggermente frastornata.
Ma alla fine la fantasia di Simenon ha avuto la meglio, seppure venata da una nota di tristezza.
Eppure, lei, la ballerina del Gai-Moulin, è ancora lì, più che mai presente...

Le stelle (3) questa volta non sono proprio piene, mi dispiace. 😐


✍️ G.S./Maigret
🔠 Alphabet/AZ Titoli

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I continue to enjoy Maigret. This one was unusual in that it takes place in Liege, Belgium. I wondered how Maigret, a French Inspector of Police, would be involved. This is so short that revealing even the tiniest detail might be spoilerish. I'll just say that he is there and full of surprises. He's also full of the solution.

In someone else's hands, the ending would become a thriller. Not so with Simenon. Maigret might be one of the calmest characters in print. He and his pipe. I can't take a steady diet of any author/series, but I will come back time and again to this one, so it's a good thing there are 75 or so! As short as this one is, I'm tempted to push it to 4-stars. I'll restrain myself and know that it resides with others at the top of my 3-star bunch.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one but it took a bit to warm up for me.

I think I will have a break from Maigret for a week or so, maybe continue in chains of 5 so I don't overdo it and get Maigret fatigue.

Looking forward to reading the rest of them.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not on a par with my favorite Maigret mysteries.

[lise.charmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una storia complessa e piena di colpi di scena su un omicidio, un furto, una serie di personaggi misteriosi.
Ma più di tutto, l'abilità di Simenon di portare il lettore da un locale di cattivo gusto a un piccolo bar "pulito e illuminato bene", alle strade di Liegi, ai quartieri della piccola borghesia, ai commissariati pieni di fumo e di disordine. Capace di passare da un registro altamente drammatico alla risata.
Notevole davvero.
La lettura di Battiston è un valore aggiunto.

[PuPilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ismét egy nagyon csavaros, bonyolult Maigret kötet, ami a koraiak közül való (1931-es). A felügyelő kicsit más is a tőle később megszokottól, talán valahogy lazább, aktívabb is, merészebb, nem csak a csendes, merengő megfigyelő, aki pipázva sétálgat. Nem átall beavatkozni a bűnügybe, méghozzá nem is kicsit, hogy teljesen összezavarja a tettest.
Két fiatal jómadár eldönti, hogy kirabolja a Víg Malom kasszáját, és zárás után bezárkóznak a pincébe. Azonban arra nem számít az ifjú Chabot és Delfosse, hogy a pincéből előbukkanva az aznap este ott mulató török - vagy görög? - holttestébe botlanak... Elmenekülnek, és lesik a híreket, vajon hová vezet majd a nyomozás?

Nehéz volt kibogozni a szálakat, én mindvégig a sötétben tapogatóztam csak, és nagyon meglepett a végeredmény, amit Maigret ebben a könyvben Poirot-hoz hasonló nagymonológban vezet le, amikor a szereplők majdnem kivétel nélkül egy kis szobában csoportosulnak.
Érdekes volt, hogy Maigret igazán csak a könyv felénél bukkan fel, vagy fedi fel magát, mondjuk így, bár szerintem a rutinos Simenon olvasó már kiszúrja az elején is. ;)

Sokáig velem fog maradni a hangulata, a jelenetek a Víg Malomban, a két fiatal szereplő rázós pillanatai, Grafopulosz holtteste a sötétben, és persze Adéle, akit címszereplőnek tettek meg, és aki a kötelező, pongyolás, öltözködős jelenetet hozza. ;)

U.i.: Ezt nem Rayman Zsófia fordította, de ebben is Maigret-né van, Madame Maigret helyett.
Tényleg ráférne ezekre a régi példányokra egy-egy új fordítás, és szép, új, friss Agavés kiadásuk.

[AlbertoD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sembra che in quest'inchiesta (la decima avente come protagonista Maigret) Simenon abbia utilizzato la sua vena creativa principalmente per costruire una trama intricata e colpire il lettore con le trovate (atipiche) ideate dal commissario per risolvere il caso (Maigret che si finge colpevole e che inscena un suicidio).
E, questo, a scapito dell'approfondimento dei protagonisti e dei loro drammi, che invece predomina in altre inchieste. Non è un caso che il commissario, attraverso il cui occhio solitamente assistiamo alla ricostruzione della storia personale e della psicologia dei protagonisti, sia assente per buona parte del libro (entrerà attivamente in scena solo nella seconda metà) e che, anche una volta in scena, raramente condivida le sue impressioni o metta i lettori a parte dei suoi pensieri, come invece succede in altre indagini.
Il punto di forza del libro è la caratterizzazione dell'ambiente sociale. Ad essere presa di mira è la belga Liegi (città natale di Simenon), il cui provincialismo, spietatamente rappresentato, è ciò che lo scrittore si lasciò alle spalle quando appena diciannovenne decise di trasferirsi nella cosmopolita Parigi.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

DAME AGATHA CHRISTIE AND HER PEERS
BOOK 55 - 1940
CAST - 3 stars: Jean Chabot, amost 17, has befriended Rene Delfosse, 18. They both flirt with a professional dancer Adele. Inspector Maigret enters rather on an odd note. Good cast.
ATMOSPHERE - 2 stars: This rather short novel has little time for atmosphere. Nightclubs and boarding rooms are only slightly discussed. I couldn't see them clearly, hence the 2 star rating.
CRIME - 4 stars: Jean and Rene need some extra money and hide out in the Gai-Moulin after closing. But as they approach the cash register, they see a dead body and run from the building. The next thing the reader knows is the body is no longer there. Nice twist.
INVESTIGATION - 3: Maigret does little here, other than showing up as someone else. That's a great entrance, but others do most of the investigations.
RESOLUTION - 4: This flows nicely and has a perfect ending. This feels, though, like Maigret-lite.
SUMMARY - 3.2. "Maigret at the Gai-Moulin" could have spent more time on atmosphere and the background of the cast. Still, this is an entertaining one-sit read, perfect for a train ride...or maybe a family gathering where you can pretend you're reading it for a class or book-club.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

My edition - At The Gai Moulin

Although I am a great fan of Simenon, this is probably the least enjoyable of his Maigret stories. The plot is just not believable. Can't really say why as it would be a spoiler.

Up until now I don't think I've ever rated a Maigret book at less than four stars.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good first half, but that plot really sucked bigtime. Otherwise three stars. If you're a newbie, try another Simenon to start with.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This, the 10th Inspector Maigret book by Georges Simenon, is unique for two reasons. First, it is, insofar as I know, the only Maigret mystery set in Liège, Belgium, Simenon's home town. Second, the Inspector is not really introduced until the second half of the book.

Fortunately, The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin is still recognizably a Maigret. Two young men, attempting to rob a bar, are shocked to find what appears to be the body of a customer after the staff have closed up for the night. Oddly, the customer was killed, but his body is found in a large laundry basket in a botanical garden. The two young men are being pursued by a large man whom they take to be either the police or the real murderer.

In fact, it is Maigret, who is following the victim from Paris. Having no official status in Belgium, he recommends that the local police lock him up in jail where he can think over the crime. Which he does, brilliantly as usual.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven’t read M. Simenon for years, forgot how great his stories are. If Agatha is Queen, Georges is King! Wish they could have teamed up! I can just imagine Maigret and Poirot battling it out, Belgium vs France! Mais, oui!

[tortoise dreams · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story begins with two teenagers living the high life in Liege beyond their means. Maigret doesn't show up by name till well into the book, though astute readers of the series will recognize him long before that. We learn Maigret was hired to protect a man who feared he was going to be murdered and then is killed. Maigret doesn't seem to care much. The novel is slight, more like a padded short story, with the awkward intrusion of a wannabe spy and little logic or deduction. Maigret himself acts bizarrely, as though he was a on vacation from the police force. Reportedly, Simenon wrote the book in 25 hours. The weakest of the first ten Maigret novels.

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a considerable period of time in this story, Maigret is offstage, or rather, onstage but incognito. Mostly, we follow the misfortunes of two young men who like to live it up at a seedy nightclub in Liège. We trace the results of 'the night that everyone was fooled', and a perplexing mystery it is until the final chapter.

An unusual way to frame a series novel, and a strong installment in this series. Maigret's late unveiling allows us to see how much these novels are really akin to the romans-durs, just filtered through the lens of the most brilliant police detective series ever.

[Rosenkavalier · Rating 1 out of 5]

Apprendista viveur cercasi

Coppia male assortita di apprendisti viveurs inciampa in un cadavere nel corso di un tentato furto al night club di cui sono assidui - e indebitati - clienti. Tutti i particolari in cronaca.

Terzo "Maigret" per Simenon e per me, questa volta non ha funzionato.
La storia gialla non gira e lo spiegone finale fa giustizia dei colpevoli, ma non dei buchi di sceneggiatura, rattoppati malamente con una trovata poco plausibile.
I protagonisti sono un po' troppo ovvii, due ragazzotti che non si sentono a loro agio in nessun posto, a caccia di vita facile, di locali equivoci e ragazze inequivoche.
Uno figlio di papà con gli agganci giusti, l'altro borghese minuscolo con un solo abito buono. I padri, fotocopia: il DNA sociale per Simenon non mentiva.

Alla fine resta giusto la descrizione della ballerina del titolo, la Adèle che "non era bella, soprattutto in ciabatte e con la vestaglia sgualcita", della sua squallida camera ammobiliata, del suo vestirsi e svestirsi senza troppi pudori, del suo "languore sorridente".

detto per inciso, descrizione la cui efficacia deriva evidentemente dalla vastissima esperienza che Simenon aveva della materia

Insomma, mi è parso un episodio del tutto trascurabile della saga del Commissario. Al lettore con maggiore inclinazione per la materia (i gialli o le ballerine un po' sfiorite), potrebbe forse strappare una stella in più.
Oltre, è richiesto un pizzico di spirito ultrà.

[Richard Brand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Margret stories are short and involved, but most of the time the reader is not expected to be able to solve the crimes. At least, I have found that to be true. There is a "cult" following for Simenon and the writing of these stories. This one was about a night club that was the scene of a mystery and the death of a man. I would not need to say more as it might give it away, but there are young decadent teens, arrogant rich parent, bored foreigners, and a tired and middle age dancer. I keep reading these as they are short and they have intricate plots. I am not the great fan of Maigret as some people are.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been aware of the prolific Georges Simenon for years but for some reason have not picked up his Maigret mysteries. Thank goodness for the "bag sale" at my local library! I came home with a small stack of them recently and this was the first one I picked up to read; perhaps the greatest pleasure it offered is that I know there are dozens and dozens and dozens more of Simenon's novels out there waiting for me.

. . . The characterization is great;

. . . the setting is so vivid I feel like I walked into the room;

. . . and Inspector Maigret is a jewel.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maigret doesn't even appear until the middle of the book, but his presence is felt from the beginning. Published in 1931, there's a lot in this story which fits in with the goings-on of young people today -- too much money, too little direction, disenchantment with work, partying nights, looking for excitement in the wrong places. Throw in a little espionage and moving corpses and you have a really good mystery.