La vecchia

by Georges Simenon

Sous la vote, aussi froide et humide qu'une cave, le commissaire de police s'arrta un instant, regarda l'heure son bracelet-montre et, secouant son pardessus, envoya des gouttes de neige fondue sur le carrelage o elles s'agrandirent comme sur du buvard. Il tait onze heures cinq. Quand il s'tait prsent une premire fois, neuf heures et demie, la concierge, encore jeune, presque jolie, qui occupait une loge confortable, ne s'tait pas laiss impressionner par son titre, ni par la politesse qu'il lui marquait, et lui avait rpondu avec une certaine hargne. - Je suppose que vous ne venez pas pour arrter cette demoiselle

Genres: Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1959

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

[Gabril · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Solo pochi giorni prima Sophie sentiva di non avere legami né radici, di non avere una famiglia, in pratica, e adesso si ritrovava legata a delle tombe, a dei personaggi che la guardavano come se accampassero diritti su di lei, come se avessero da dire la loro sul suo futuro.”

In questo ennesimo romanzo il prolifico Simenon sembra occuparsi di costellazioni familiari ante litteram.
La giovane, celebre e spericolata pilota sportiva Sophie, forte bevitrice e già adusa a individuare casi umani e portarseli a casa (Leila è la sua ultima inquieta coinquilina), decide di dare asilo a una vecchia signora costretta a lasciare il suo pericolante alloggio: si tratta della nonna ottantenne di cui la ragazza a malapena si ricorda.

La forzata convivenza accenderà una silenziosa miccia di rancori, rabbia e risentimenti che necessariamente sfocerà in un tragico incendio psicologico. Tra le due, infatti, si innesca un gioco sottile e perverso di rispecchiamenti che produce un fatale risucchio verso i labirinti di quelle relazioni familiari tossiche che la vecchia nei suoi racconti va rivelando.

L’abilità di Simenon come sempre consiste nel creare quasi dal nulla una situazione di progressiva tensione psicologica che culminerà nell’inevitabile tragedia.
E come riesca, in un numero contenuto di pagine, a portare chi legge in una situazione di disagio sempre più insopportabile, è una magia che, libro dopo libro, non smette di creare meraviglia.

[Alessandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

È la prima volta che un romanzo di Simenon mi delude fino a questo livello. Non me lo sarei mai aspettato ma, devo dire, che mi è sembrato proprio sciocco. Un’accozzaglia di deliri e vaneggiamenti senza senso.

[Marisol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Escritor belga, George Simenon que nos presenta este libro, con dos protagonistas mujeres fuertes, complejas y carentes de amor hacia ellas y entre ellas.

Julieta una anciana de 80 años se niega a dejar un edificio a punto de ser demolido, la policía ubica a su nieta Sophie , que perdió el rastro de su abuela hace 14 años.

Esta anécdota obliga a estas dos mujeres a vivir juntas en el departamento de Sophie, y lo qué pasa durante esa casi nula convivencia es realmente desalentador y a veces incomprensible.

Aunque tienen varias pláticas donde hablan de la historia personal y de la familiar, estos datos son usados como armas, para seguir siendo antagonistas en una rencilla que no tiene al menos una justificación plausible, ni tampoco algo que lo justifique a excepción de que las dos sean personas independientes, infelices y víctimas del desamor, pero no un desamor de pareja, uno más profundo, el propio.

El libro es interesante, las variantes que presenta en las relaciones familiares son nada convencionales, pero algo en los personajes no logro hacerlos totalmente creíbles.

Sin embargo recomiendo leerlo.

[Rick Skwiot · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Europe, I'm told, short, psychologically intense novels are known as "simenons," after the prolific author and creator of the Maigret detective series. The Grandmother is one of his best such simenons in many ways. Distilled, frank, decadent and engaging, it tells of the chance reacquaintance of a high-living Parisian celebrity and her long-lost and impoverished grandmother. Not a "cozy" read, but affecting literature.

[juli]

Psychological thriller. I both liked and disliked the book at the same time. At many points the characters were quite cruel, which made me sad - but obviously would not equal to the book being bad. But I also struggled with the fact that I could not relate to the characters. Also the consumption of alcohol made me quite uncomfortable, all the characters (except for the maid, who was always working, bless her heart) were drinking alcohol from morning till the early morning hours it seemed. The thought of the kind of hangover that would result from drinking that much made my head ache to be honest! (But maybe that is why they were drinking all the time - to escape the hangover...) So maybe I mostly disliked the book, now that I´m considering it. Would still say it´s worth the read as it is not that long and some of the observations about human connection/conflict were quite interesting.

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting character based novel about Juliette,a long lost, stubborn grandmother and her granddaughter, Sophie Emel, an independent, well off, dare devil of a young woman. Juliette is persuaded by Sophie to leave Juliette’s condemned apartment to live with Sophie in Sophie’s Paris apartment. Initially life in Sophie’s apartment is fairly peaceful, however Sophie’s lifestyle is quite different to what Juliette is used to. Sophie parties most nights and comes home early in the morning. Juliette tries to remain unobtrusive, but this does not last long, having a dominant, manipulative personality. Sophie becomes more resentful at having Juliette living with her.

Another good Simenon short novel with interesting characters and good plot momentum.

This book was first published in 1959.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Undoubtedly holds your attention with a pressure cooker quartet of female characters who don’t seem to like each other but yet can’t quite quit each other; there is a stage drama esque intensity that works quite well for over half of the novel; ultimately, though, a disappointment with an ending that just doesn’t feel right.

[Kylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to become engrossed but this is an excellent little book, concentrated both with cruelty and attachment. Reminded me of the intergenerational psychological manipulations of Ferrante's Neopoliatan novels. Glad to have not abandoned it

[Jim Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book of twisted psychological warfare between a young woman in Paris and the grandmother who comes to live with her. Riveting!

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read 2014

[Mikee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been a great book about inter-generational relationships, but the ending was unnecessarily cruel.

[nina_blublog · Rating 4 out of 5]

La “vecchia” non è una figura rassicurante da accudire; è una presenza inquietante, una forza della natura che non ha più nulla da perdere e che usa il suo passato e la sua fragilità come armi. Tra la giovane donna moderna e sbandata e la vecchia ancestrale e feroce si innesca una lotta di potere che ci ricorda quanto i legami familiari possano essere, a volte, catene che trascinano a fondo. Un grande Simenon.

[Peter · Rating 2 out of 5]

How many books did Simenon write ? 200? 300? I've read varying accounts as to the exact number, so maybe no one really knows? Seems like he would dash off a book in a week or so, then take a few days off, eating and drinking at the cafes, thinking up the next story. With so many books, he was bound to come up with one that would be less than his usual stellar quality.

After a spectacular opening, where the characters are introduced and you can just sense so many layers of meaning in their dialog, I vey quickly lost interest. The opening scenes involve a woman who finds out that her long lost grandmother is actually still alive and needs a place to live. Once she takes her in the tension seems to dissolve in the relationship, or maybe I just lost interest. Anyway, there are so many other better Simenon titles to check out like 'Monsier Monde Vanishes' or 'The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By'. There are 300 or so others, check some of those other books out instead.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written story about the sudden appearance of a long lost grandmother into the life of a single well-to-do woman, who may be a lesbian, but fears and is repelled by the thought of marriage. the granddaughter however has a habit of collecting people who need saving, and this may have contributed to her accepting to live with her grandmother.

the grandmother, Juliette, says "A woman is never a complete being. A woman is a piece of something, a piece of something that perhaps doesn't exist" I wonder what she meant??

[Chanie]

Still not sure what the Simenon wonder is. I think I'm too addicted to the overtly psychological take. His subtle construction of human interaction leaves me cold. A little bored.

Now that I've completed the novel I understand that the coldness I feel is because his characters are cold. It was an uncomfortable place to be. Glad I'm finished with his world.

[Guido Bergmans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik hou altijd van de psychologie van Simenon en zijn meerlagige, typisch Franse dialogen. Maar dit is toch niet een van zijn sterkere werken.