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Inspector Maigret #35
Le memorie di Maigret
«Lo so benissimo che questi libri sono pieni zeppi di imprecisioni tecniche. Inutile star lì a elencarle. Sappia che sono volute e gliene spiegherò la ragione ... Provi a raccontare a qualcuno una storia qualsiasi. Se non la ritocca un po', apparirà inverosimile, inventata. Con qualche aggiustatina, invece, sembrerà più vera di quanto non sia».
Enfatizzava queste ultime parole come se si trattasse di una scoperta sensazionale.
«Rendere le cose più vere di quanto non siano, tutto qua. Ed è proprio così che ho fatto con lei, l'ho resa più vero di quanto non sia!».
Sulle prime restai senza fiato. Da quel povero commissario che ero (quello «meno vero di quanto non fosse»), non seppi cosa rispondere.
Nel frattempo il giovanotto, con ampi gesti e una punta di accento belga, cercava di dimostrarmi che le mie inchieste, così come le aveva raccontate lui, erano più plausibili – non escludo che abbia detto «più esatte» – di come le avevo vissute io.
Enfatizzava queste ultime parole come se si trattasse di una scoperta sensazionale.
«Rendere le cose più vere di quanto non siano, tutto qua. Ed è proprio così che ho fatto con lei, l'ho resa più vero di quanto non sia!».
Sulle prime restai senza fiato. Da quel povero commissario che ero (quello «meno vero di quanto non fosse»), non seppi cosa rispondere.
Nel frattempo il giovanotto, con ampi gesti e una punta di accento belga, cercava di dimostrarmi che le mie inchieste, così come le aveva raccontate lui, erano più plausibili – non escludo che abbia detto «più esatte» – di come le avevo vissute io.
143 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1950
79 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Georges Simenon
2,736 books2,294 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 - 30 of 110 reviews
December 27, 2025
Do you remember those green and white Penguin Classics? If you do you’ll have to admit their translations of Simenon’s Maigret books are unsurpassed. But long out of print alas. Time was I scoured every second-hand bookstore in London to find a title I hadn’t read and eventually had to admit I’d exhausted the supply.
So it was a great pleasure for me to discover that the translations in Penguin’s new Maigret series are very good. The first one I tried was Maigret’s Memoirs and it came as quite a surprise - even though memoirs do tend to be in the first person don’t they?
But after years of reading Maigret through the eyes of Simenon, it was startling to be confronted by the retired Chief Inspector himself, describing the fresh-faced novelist M. Simm - Simenon himself, of course - who’s there to interview, then to invent, and then to shape the legend.
What’s startling at first becomes the special pleasure of hearing Maigret at last in his own voice. Remembering as a young boy, for example, how the ice crystals felt in his father’s reddish-blond whiskers as he kissed him.
Maigret as told by Simenon is always captivating enough. Maigret as told by Maigret is quite magical.
So it was a great pleasure for me to discover that the translations in Penguin’s new Maigret series are very good. The first one I tried was Maigret’s Memoirs and it came as quite a surprise - even though memoirs do tend to be in the first person don’t they?
But after years of reading Maigret through the eyes of Simenon, it was startling to be confronted by the retired Chief Inspector himself, describing the fresh-faced novelist M. Simm - Simenon himself, of course - who’s there to interview, then to invent, and then to shape the legend.
What’s startling at first becomes the special pleasure of hearing Maigret at last in his own voice. Remembering as a young boy, for example, how the ice crystals felt in his father’s reddish-blond whiskers as he kissed him.
Maigret as told by Simenon is always captivating enough. Maigret as told by Maigret is quite magical.
January 27, 2021
Okay, here goes my first ever online book review! I feel the need to submit one because I fear this book will be misunderstood. It is not a typical Maigret mystery. It is told rather tongue-in-cheek, as a memoir written by the fictional character of Maigret, and includes an account of how he met and developed a friendship with the author, Georges Simenon. See what I mean? But for those of us who feel a deep and abiding affection for Maigret, it provides additional details of his life that cannot be found in the other, more traditional mysteries. For instance, it includes the story of how Monsieur Maigret met Madame Maigret and even provides her first name, which I don't recall ever hearing in the other books. I think what Simenon has done is clever and was written as a gift to his fans, which I, for one, appreciate.
February 20, 2024
Simenon, writing as Maigret, purports to deliver Maigret's real memoirs, as opposed to all that nonsense written by his annoying frenemy Georges Simenon. It's well done; "Maigret's" voice is quite different from Simenon's, and he comes across as authentically clumsy, pedantic and dull.
But what, exactly, is the point? As other reviewers complain, the dullness is rather too authentic. Usually I can't put a Simenon down and finish it in a day or two, but this one took a week. It has the air of a private joke, but I can't figure out who it's for. The loyal fans who've read every Maigret three times and get all the Easter eggs? The real-life flics who've written over the years to complain about the details? His editor? One of his wives or mistresses? Himself? Maigret? It is a bit of a mystery.
Sacré bleu, Simenon, stop laughing at me!
But what, exactly, is the point? As other reviewers complain, the dullness is rather too authentic. Usually I can't put a Simenon down and finish it in a day or two, but this one took a week. It has the air of a private joke, but I can't figure out who it's for. The loyal fans who've read every Maigret three times and get all the Easter eggs? The real-life flics who've written over the years to complain about the details? His editor? One of his wives or mistresses? Himself? Maigret? It is a bit of a mystery.
Sacré bleu, Simenon, stop laughing at me!
October 31, 2014
Inspector Jules Maigret, the basis for Georges Simenon's famous fictional detective Inspector Jules Maigret, pens his memoirs of the early part of his career in an attempt to put right some of the liberties that Georges Simenon took with his personality and working style, not to mention his taste in clothes!
This was quite an unexpected venture from Simenon, his Maigret novels usually deemed a safe playground to work on settings and plot for his other more literary works somehow found themselves in the meta-fictional realm, a fictional character arguing with the person who wrote them. At its heart is the argument that perhaps the more honest truth in literature is the fictional truth because the honest truth sounds completely unbelievable to a reader, somewhat similar to Andre Bazin's assertion that a cinematic image is more real than the original object.
But Maigret does give some interesting back story to his own character, detailing his orphaned childhood, the accidental meeting with a senior Paris detective that set him on his path to being the famous Jules Maigret, and the many long days and nights in and around the seediest parts of Paris that provided him with a deep understanding and even respect for the criminal classes.
It's a fun addition to the series that I highly recommend fans seek out.
This was quite an unexpected venture from Simenon, his Maigret novels usually deemed a safe playground to work on settings and plot for his other more literary works somehow found themselves in the meta-fictional realm, a fictional character arguing with the person who wrote them. At its heart is the argument that perhaps the more honest truth in literature is the fictional truth because the honest truth sounds completely unbelievable to a reader, somewhat similar to Andre Bazin's assertion that a cinematic image is more real than the original object.
But Maigret does give some interesting back story to his own character, detailing his orphaned childhood, the accidental meeting with a senior Paris detective that set him on his path to being the famous Jules Maigret, and the many long days and nights in and around the seediest parts of Paris that provided him with a deep understanding and even respect for the criminal classes.
It's a fun addition to the series that I highly recommend fans seek out.
April 19, 2017
Author Georges Simenon changes his format in Maigret’s Memoirs, the 35th novel in this reliable series. Whereas the novels are usually told in third person, limited, here it’s Maigret himself — relying on some newspaper clipping-filled notebooks assembled by Madame Maigret — who relates some long-ago adventures.
On the plus side, Simenon shows himself to be an incredibly good sport: In Maigret’s Memoirs, Detective Chief Inspector Maigret recounts his meeting in 1927 with one “Georges Sim,” an upstart young puppy with an entirely undeserved high opinion of himself and his talent as a crime writer. I enjoyed the beginning very much.
On the downside, Maigret takes great pains to distinguish himself from what he considers this Sim’s clichéd portrait of the Paris police and the Police Judiciaire — especially the portrait of Maigret himself. However, Maigret’s “memoirs which aren’t really memoirs” simply aren’t nearly as entertaining as a standard Maigret novel. Maigret drones on about how he met his wife, his early years on the vice, department store, and other lowly beats. The Georges Simenon of Maigret’s Memoirs pontificates that his take on Maigret is more “true” and more interesting than Maigret’s own life. While that’s meant to sound egotistical and condescending, it turns out that Simenon is right after all: I couldn’t finish this one.
On the plus side, Simenon shows himself to be an incredibly good sport: In Maigret’s Memoirs, Detective Chief Inspector Maigret recounts his meeting in 1927 with one “Georges Sim,” an upstart young puppy with an entirely undeserved high opinion of himself and his talent as a crime writer. I enjoyed the beginning very much.
On the downside, Maigret takes great pains to distinguish himself from what he considers this Sim’s clichéd portrait of the Paris police and the Police Judiciaire — especially the portrait of Maigret himself. However, Maigret’s “memoirs which aren’t really memoirs” simply aren’t nearly as entertaining as a standard Maigret novel. Maigret drones on about how he met his wife, his early years on the vice, department store, and other lowly beats. The Georges Simenon of Maigret’s Memoirs pontificates that his take on Maigret is more “true” and more interesting than Maigret’s own life. While that’s meant to sound egotistical and condescending, it turns out that Simenon is right after all: I couldn’t finish this one.
August 21, 2022
Maigret comes along midway through all the Crime novels showing off his exploits, and proceeds to pick apart Simenon’s approach. If there’s an underlying humour to this, it’s that the credibility of the entire series is attacked - but I was moved by the serious if quick looks at what it’s like to find a sack in the Seine with a body in it of some poor woman, or how a strange bond is formed with pickpockets, prostitutes, and all the other denizens of the streets of certain sections of Paris just by spending so much time rousting them.
Like A Family Affair by Rex Stout, or Curtain by Agatha Christie, this is a book in a series that should not be read early on - and if I had done so I would probably not have rated it so highly. I’m not sure Maigret’s retirement continuity is any clearer, but at least I know to blame Simenon, not Maigret. And learning about Louise was a treat.
Thanks to Maigret, I know now what not to trust in the few books I have left in the series when it comes to Simenon’s tinkering. But, much as I respect Maigret downplaying his importance and emphasizing the group effort, and as much as I enjoyed this amusing meta humanizing, I’m ready for my Great Detective to come back.
Like A Family Affair by Rex Stout, or Curtain by Agatha Christie, this is a book in a series that should not be read early on - and if I had done so I would probably not have rated it so highly. I’m not sure Maigret’s retirement continuity is any clearer, but at least I know to blame Simenon, not Maigret. And learning about Louise was a treat.
Thanks to Maigret, I know now what not to trust in the few books I have left in the series when it comes to Simenon’s tinkering. But, much as I respect Maigret downplaying his importance and emphasizing the group effort, and as much as I enjoyed this amusing meta humanizing, I’m ready for my Great Detective to come back.
July 25, 2023
In questo romanzo il nostro commissario Maigret incontrerà per la prima volta il suo autore, proprio lui: Georges Simenon in persona, e scopriamo che lui stesso colleziona i romanzi che scrive su di lui Simenon. Una storia meta narrativa, insomma, e per la prima volta è tutta scritta in prima persona da Maigret stesso.
April 8, 2024
This was completely different to the usual Maigret stories. Rather akin to a magician doing a separate show to explain how all his tricks work. Actually I prefer just being wowed by the tricks. Not that this is without merit. It’s a bit meta at times. And has some good insights. Just not as enjoyable as a normal Margaret story.
February 7, 2020
Mi aspettavo un libro giallo, magari il ricordo di quando Maigret e Simenon si sono conosciuti, nel corso di qualche caso in seguito al quale il giornalista (allora Georges Sim) ha cominciato a seguire la sua carriera; invece è una sorta di diario in cui si parla sì della conoscenza tra Maigret e Simenon, ma anche di come Maigret ha conosciuto sua moglie Louise e di tutta la sua carriera in polizia, fino all'arrivo - neanche tanto fulmineo, passando attraverso i bassifondi e tante miserie umane - nella Squadra speciale.
Maigret cerca di rettificare l'immagine che ci siamo fatti di lui attraverso i romanzi di Simenon, perché sente che sia la sua immagine fisica (che è già stata interpretata da diversi attori sul grande schermo), che la sua personalità siano leggermente diverse da quelle che legge nei romanzi di Simenon.
È un chiaro esempio di come alcuni personaggi forti acquisiscano una vita propria che a volte sfugge e si ribella agli stessi creatori. In questo caso non soltanto Maigret, ma anche Louise (anche se poi, se lei dovesse scrivere le proprie memorie ci darebbe sicuramente una terza pirandelliana versione dei fatti) cercano di far capire al lettore che sono sottilmente differenti da come vuole farceli vedere Simenon.
«Insomma» mi ha detto Louise «non vedo poi grosse differenze».
La guardo sempre con un’aria un po’ preoccupata quando legge ciò che ho appena scritto, sforzandomi di anticipare le obiezioni che mi farà.
«Differenza rispetto a cosa?».
«Tra quello che racconti di te e quello che ha scritto Simenon».
«Ah!».
«Forse sbaglio a dirti la mia opinione».
«Ma no! Ma no!».
Ciò non toglie che, se ha ragione lei, ho fatto uno sforzo inutile. Ed è possibilissimo che abbia ragione, che io non sia stato capace di esprimermi, di presentare le cose come mi ero ripromesso.
Oppure bisogna concludere che la famosa tirata sulla verità manipolata che sarebbe più vera della nuda verità non è solo un paradosso.
Ho fatto del mio meglio. Solo, c’era un mucchio di cose che all’inizio mi sembravano essenziali, punti che avevo in mente di approfondire e che invece strada facendo ho lasciato perdere.
Maigret cerca di rettificare l'immagine che ci siamo fatti di lui attraverso i romanzi di Simenon, perché sente che sia la sua immagine fisica (che è già stata interpretata da diversi attori sul grande schermo), che la sua personalità siano leggermente diverse da quelle che legge nei romanzi di Simenon.
È un chiaro esempio di come alcuni personaggi forti acquisiscano una vita propria che a volte sfugge e si ribella agli stessi creatori. In questo caso non soltanto Maigret, ma anche Louise (anche se poi, se lei dovesse scrivere le proprie memorie ci darebbe sicuramente una terza pirandelliana versione dei fatti) cercano di far capire al lettore che sono sottilmente differenti da come vuole farceli vedere Simenon.
«Insomma» mi ha detto Louise «non vedo poi grosse differenze».
La guardo sempre con un’aria un po’ preoccupata quando legge ciò che ho appena scritto, sforzandomi di anticipare le obiezioni che mi farà.
«Differenza rispetto a cosa?».
«Tra quello che racconti di te e quello che ha scritto Simenon».
«Ah!».
«Forse sbaglio a dirti la mia opinione».
«Ma no! Ma no!».
Ciò non toglie che, se ha ragione lei, ho fatto uno sforzo inutile. Ed è possibilissimo che abbia ragione, che io non sia stato capace di esprimermi, di presentare le cose come mi ero ripromesso.
Oppure bisogna concludere che la famosa tirata sulla verità manipolata che sarebbe più vera della nuda verità non è solo un paradosso.
Ho fatto del mio meglio. Solo, c’era un mucchio di cose che all’inizio mi sembravano essenziali, punti che avevo in mente di approfondire e che invece strada facendo ho lasciato perdere.
May 17, 2021
È Simenon che ha reso celebre Maigret? O è Maigret ad aver reso famoso Simenon? 🤔
Qui i due addirittura si incontrano, si parlano, discutono, diventano amici, lo scrittore presta al commissario la sua casa!
Ma l’Autore, a volte, stravolge le situazioni... allora Jules Maigret si racconta: le sue origini, la sua famiglia, i suoi studi, l’incontro con sua moglie Louise, la gavetta in Polizia, il sogno di una brillante carriera, fino ad arrivare ad essere come noi lo conosciamo.
La scrittura è colloquiale, gli aneddoti sono sfiziosi, non ci sono indagini, si parla più di professionalità e di animo umano; è solo un memoir senza pretese, così, giusto per mettere, per amore della precisione, ove necessario, i puntini sulle i. Naturalmente la dolce metà ci aggiunge del suo!
Ma quanto si è divertito Simenon???
«La verità non sembra mai vera. [...] Provi a raccontare a qualcuno una storia qualsiasi. Se non la ritocca un po’, apparirà inverosimile, inventata. Con qualche aggiustatina, invece, sembrerà più vera di quanto non sia.»
Mi sembra di aver già letto qualcosa di simile... Ah, già, giusto! Questa frase, per certi versi, mi ha fatto venire in mente alcuni passaggi di Riccardino del nostro Maestro Camilleri.
E allora mi ha preso una nostalgia, ma una nostalgia... 😞
# Monopoli
✍️ G.S./Maigret
Qui i due addirittura si incontrano, si parlano, discutono, diventano amici, lo scrittore presta al commissario la sua casa!
Ma l’Autore, a volte, stravolge le situazioni... allora Jules Maigret si racconta: le sue origini, la sua famiglia, i suoi studi, l’incontro con sua moglie Louise, la gavetta in Polizia, il sogno di una brillante carriera, fino ad arrivare ad essere come noi lo conosciamo.
La scrittura è colloquiale, gli aneddoti sono sfiziosi, non ci sono indagini, si parla più di professionalità e di animo umano; è solo un memoir senza pretese, così, giusto per mettere, per amore della precisione, ove necessario, i puntini sulle i. Naturalmente la dolce metà ci aggiunge del suo!
Ma quanto si è divertito Simenon???
«La verità non sembra mai vera. [...] Provi a raccontare a qualcuno una storia qualsiasi. Se non la ritocca un po’, apparirà inverosimile, inventata. Con qualche aggiustatina, invece, sembrerà più vera di quanto non sia.»
Mi sembra di aver già letto qualcosa di simile... Ah, già, giusto! Questa frase, per certi versi, mi ha fatto venire in mente alcuni passaggi di Riccardino del nostro Maestro Camilleri.
E allora mi ha preso una nostalgia, ma una nostalgia... 😞
# Monopoli
✍️ G.S./Maigret
May 31, 2024
This story is a fictional biography where Jules Maigret himself writes about his life and work, and about his relation with the novelist Georges Simenon. There is no plot as Maigret writes about his childhood, how he became a policeman and his meeting with Louise and their marriage.
He describes his first meeting with Simenon or Georges Sim through his boss Guichard. Simenon was a confident novelist who had studied criminology. Maigret showed him around Police Headquarters and explained how it worked and got a feel for its atmosphere.
Sim then published a popular novel in which Maigret is the main character and from that the series was born and they also became friends. The story is a series of episodes of how Maigret developed his skills and the truth about police work. He also corrected some inaccuracies such as it was no sloe gin he drank at home but raspberry brandy.
He describes his first meeting with Simenon or Georges Sim through his boss Guichard. Simenon was a confident novelist who had studied criminology. Maigret showed him around Police Headquarters and explained how it worked and got a feel for its atmosphere.
Sim then published a popular novel in which Maigret is the main character and from that the series was born and they also became friends. The story is a series of episodes of how Maigret developed his skills and the truth about police work. He also corrected some inaccuracies such as it was no sloe gin he drank at home but raspberry brandy.
November 9, 2021
Georges Simenon's Maigret's Memoirs gives us the backstory on Chief Inspector Jules Maigret. It starts out with Maigret getting together with author Georges Simenon and answering his questions. After a while, Maigret takes over and tells how he became a flic, how he met his wife, and what his job is like. It is the only case I know of a fictional character giving his own autobiography and referring to the author who "created" him as a character in his book. While not as interesting as his typical cases as written up by Simenon, the book is not without interest.
February 22, 2018
Pour les amateurs de Maigret. J'ai bien apprécié l'astuce d'écouter Maigret critiquer Simenon et j'ai trouvé exactes ses sages observations a propos du choix et de la maîtrise d'une carrière.
December 5, 2016
An interest literary device; an author meeting his creation and writing pulp fiction based on his work as a policeman. Thus we have Maigret's Memoirs where the retired chief inspector seeks to set the record straight.
What is refreshing is that he had written 34 novels by this stage and Simenon had a number is errors to tackle like the chronology of the stories, their address, the death of one inspector who later returns etc.
These are explained in the final summing up what is most interesting is the placing of flesh on the bones of his protagonist. Never one to go into too much detail he now has the vehicle to imagine all those hidden years. Maigret's early life and career choices, his meeting of his future wife and their relationship. His apprenticeship walking the beat and how he therefore understood the criminal elements in Paris.
So much more makes this book a true delight. Having read each novel in this new enterprise by penguin classics, that of translating each title and publishing them monthly, the reflection is very meaningful.
It almost has you believing beyond the fiction. It is a recognition that the author was aware of how significant his creation had become, spawning radio and tv adaptations.
Happily he didn't rest here and there are many more books ahead to read and enjoy.
What is refreshing is that he had written 34 novels by this stage and Simenon had a number is errors to tackle like the chronology of the stories, their address, the death of one inspector who later returns etc.
These are explained in the final summing up what is most interesting is the placing of flesh on the bones of his protagonist. Never one to go into too much detail he now has the vehicle to imagine all those hidden years. Maigret's early life and career choices, his meeting of his future wife and their relationship. His apprenticeship walking the beat and how he therefore understood the criminal elements in Paris.
So much more makes this book a true delight. Having read each novel in this new enterprise by penguin classics, that of translating each title and publishing them monthly, the reflection is very meaningful.
It almost has you believing beyond the fiction. It is a recognition that the author was aware of how significant his creation had become, spawning radio and tv adaptations.
Happily he didn't rest here and there are many more books ahead to read and enjoy.
September 16, 2019
I am surprised and regret to say that this book does not deliver. I have read many Maigret memories and he is one of my favorite detectives, but this one simply did not work out.
Unlike the other novels, this one is written in first person and is not a mystery at all, but a commentary by Inspector Maigret as to how he became so famous and the irritating author, Georges Simenon, who made him so.
OK. Really a clever premise and a cute idea. Just not interesting.
It reminds me of the one Sherlock Holmes story that is written in the first person from Holmes' point of view. It fails. The only positive result was that it threw into sharp relief why hearing about Holmes from Watson's perspective is so much more effective then listening to the ramblings of a neurotic narcissist.
That's not to say first person stories cannot be really good. Erle Stanley Gardner's Detective Donald Lamb and Rex Stout's Archie Goodwin are excellent examples of successful mystery stories from the first person perspective.
Holmes' fails and sadly, so does Maigret. But I will faithfully read everything else Simenon writes about our beloved French Inspector.
Unlike the other novels, this one is written in first person and is not a mystery at all, but a commentary by Inspector Maigret as to how he became so famous and the irritating author, Georges Simenon, who made him so.
OK. Really a clever premise and a cute idea. Just not interesting.
It reminds me of the one Sherlock Holmes story that is written in the first person from Holmes' point of view. It fails. The only positive result was that it threw into sharp relief why hearing about Holmes from Watson's perspective is so much more effective then listening to the ramblings of a neurotic narcissist.
That's not to say first person stories cannot be really good. Erle Stanley Gardner's Detective Donald Lamb and Rex Stout's Archie Goodwin are excellent examples of successful mystery stories from the first person perspective.
Holmes' fails and sadly, so does Maigret. But I will faithfully read everything else Simenon writes about our beloved French Inspector.
March 14, 2017
I wish more people read and appreciated the incomparable Simenon. His Maigret crime novels from 1932 (currently all being republished in book, ebook, and audio formats by Penguin) are masterly examinations of character and humanity as well as being brilliant whodunnits. His novels get to the very soul of people.
This is a quirky one from 1950, with Maigret writing a memoir about his life and background and about his relationship with Simenon! We learn more about his boyhood, his switch from medicine to the police, and how he courted his wife. Sheer pleasure for a Maigret addict such as I am.
Sheer delight.
This is a quirky one from 1950, with Maigret writing a memoir about his life and background and about his relationship with Simenon! We learn more about his boyhood, his switch from medicine to the police, and how he courted his wife. Sheer pleasure for a Maigret addict such as I am.
Sheer delight.
August 9, 2017
Παρότι δεν είναι καθαρόαιμο αστυνομικό, η κρυστάλλινη προζα του Σιμενον, το χιούμορ και ο χαρακτήρας του Μαιγκρε με έκαναν να το αγαπήσω.
October 31, 2019
I was unsure what to think about his coming into it, a fictionalised memoir by Maigret, I was expecting a turkey but it was a triumph!
I thoroguhly enjoyed it, not a typical Maigret with no case and no investigation. Basically detailing a fictional relationship between Miagret and the author and Miagret explaining some of his history and righting some wrongs in the books. A fun read and nice change of pace. The added backstory was very nice too, especially how Maigret met Mme Maigret.
I'm sure not everyone will enjoy this one but I certainly did.
I thoroguhly enjoyed it, not a typical Maigret with no case and no investigation. Basically detailing a fictional relationship between Miagret and the author and Miagret explaining some of his history and righting some wrongs in the books. A fun read and nice change of pace. The added backstory was very nice too, especially how Maigret met Mme Maigret.
I'm sure not everyone will enjoy this one but I certainly did.
August 4, 2018
Un gioiellino. Non c'è nessuna inchiesta da dipanare, nessun mistero da svelare: Maigret si sostituisce al suo autore per raccontarsi in prima persona. Scopriamo così tanti particolari sfuggiti alla penna di Simenon, dall'infanzia in campagna, all'incontro con Louise (la signora Maigret), ai primi passi nella polizia francese, sino al trionfale approdo al luogo dei suoi sogni: il Quai des Orfèvres.
“Non ricordo con esattezza le date, e non sono di quelli che conservano scrupolosamente una qualche traccia scritta di ogni minimo fatto che li riguardi… Solo di recente mi sono tornati in mente i quaderni in cui mia moglie, per molto tempo a mia insaputa, addirittura di nascosto, ha incollato i ritagli degli articoli che parlavano di me”.
Ma perché Jules Maigret, ormai in pensione, sente il bisogno di raccontarsi?
Ecco, il "giallo" è in questa domanda e la risposta non la rivelo :-)
“Non ricordo con esattezza le date, e non sono di quelli che conservano scrupolosamente una qualche traccia scritta di ogni minimo fatto che li riguardi… Solo di recente mi sono tornati in mente i quaderni in cui mia moglie, per molto tempo a mia insaputa, addirittura di nascosto, ha incollato i ritagli degli articoli che parlavano di me”.
Ma perché Jules Maigret, ormai in pensione, sente il bisogno di raccontarsi?
Ecco, il "giallo" è in questa domanda e la risposta non la rivelo :-)
January 15, 2020
je recommande chaudement la lecture de cette fausse « vraie autobiographie » qui m’a intéressée et amusée par l’aspect souvent ironique et caustique qu’emploie Maigret à l’égard de son « père putatif ».
J’aime bien aussi le fait que le portrait de Madame Maigret soit nettement moins mièvre dans ces « mémoires » que dans les romans où parfois elle m’agace par sa timidité excessive.
J’ai eu peur à un certain moment dans la série des romans policiers de Simenon consacré à son commissaire, qu’il veuille le « tuer » comme Conan Doyle supprima ce Sherlock Holmes qui l’empêchait d’écrire autre chose. Heureusement, il n’en sera rien, Maigret partira tout simplement à la retraite.
J’ai été étonnée par la virulence de certains commentaires/certaines critiques à l’égard de ce livre, ceux qui l’ont lu estimant que cela n’avait rien à voir avec la série Maigret. Ah bon ?
Comme je l’ai dit, pour moi ce fut une lecture ludique, délassante, amusante, qui se lit réellement très rapidement.
J’aime bien aussi le fait que le portrait de Madame Maigret soit nettement moins mièvre dans ces « mémoires » que dans les romans où parfois elle m’agace par sa timidité excessive.
J’ai eu peur à un certain moment dans la série des romans policiers de Simenon consacré à son commissaire, qu’il veuille le « tuer » comme Conan Doyle supprima ce Sherlock Holmes qui l’empêchait d’écrire autre chose. Heureusement, il n’en sera rien, Maigret partira tout simplement à la retraite.
J’ai été étonnée par la virulence de certains commentaires/certaines critiques à l’égard de ce livre, ceux qui l’ont lu estimant que cela n’avait rien à voir avec la série Maigret. Ah bon ?
Comme je l’ai dit, pour moi ce fut une lecture ludique, délassante, amusante, qui se lit réellement très rapidement.
January 13, 2023
A concisely written novella in which Maigret, the police detective, writes his life story. He writes about meeting his wife, his friendship with a writer, Simenon, who has written a number of ‘Maigret’, crime fiction novels. He provides brief summaries of the types of cases he has been involved in over the years.
Readers new to Simenon’s Maigret series should begin with his famous Maigret crime fiction novels like, ‘The Yellow Dog’, or ‘Maigret and the Man on the Bench’.
This book was first published in 1951.
Readers new to Simenon’s Maigret series should begin with his famous Maigret crime fiction novels like, ‘The Yellow Dog’, or ‘Maigret and the Man on the Bench’.
This book was first published in 1951.
September 27, 2025
Molto piacevole il gioco "metaletterario" di far parlare Maigret, che finalmente dice la sua su come Simenon l'ha sempre raffigurato, lo corregge su molti punti, racconta simpatici episodii di convivenza tra le due famiglie (come quando Sim lasciò il suo appartamento in place des Vosges a disposizione dei Maigret, che avevano il loro storico appartamento in boulevard Richard Lenoir in ristrutturazione..); rievoca episodii della sua vita familiare e della sua carriera, in alcuni dei quali riconosciamo noti romanzi (come "Maigret et son mort").
Tuttavia non mi ha entusiasmato: forse si potevano toccare corde più profonde
Tuttavia non mi ha entusiasmato: forse si potevano toccare corde più profonde
June 9, 2024
The tenth 'Maigret' novel I have read and by far the most unusual. Although I enjoyed it I wouldn't recommend it as a good place for a reader to begin his explorations of Simenon's remarkable detective. It is told from the first person and the style is curiously old fashioned, to such an extent that although published in 1950 it seems more archaic in tone and substance than a Maigret adventure such as Le Pendu de Saint-Pholien written twenty years earlier.
There is no plot. It is a somewhat rambling collection of anecdotes and observations: in other words a true 'memoir'. The really curious thing about it is the way that Maigret the character takes issue with Simenon, his own creator, in a way that isn't metafictional but certainly feels like it.
I enjoyed this book but am glad to have finished it and to get back to a 'proper' Maigret book (Maigret in Court, which I have just started reading.)
There is no plot. It is a somewhat rambling collection of anecdotes and observations: in other words a true 'memoir'. The really curious thing about it is the way that Maigret the character takes issue with Simenon, his own creator, in a way that isn't metafictional but certainly feels like it.
I enjoyed this book but am glad to have finished it and to get back to a 'proper' Maigret book (Maigret in Court, which I have just started reading.)
February 1, 2019
Wow.... how disappointing.
If you love the Maigret books, the carefully crafted atmosphere built up over decades, do NOT read this book. This is awful, self-serving, and adds very little to the series. Georges Simenon appears as a character in this book, and Maigret tells about how the books Mr. Simenon writes are different from what actually happens. This breaking of the fourth wall, with Maigret actually talking about the Maigret books on his shelves, is awful and spoils the whole series - if I could unread this I would. There are a couple of interesting bits about how Maigret got his start, meeting Mrs. Maigret, etc. that a few well crafted short stories could have handled. But not worth it.
If you love the Maigret books, the carefully crafted atmosphere built up over decades, do NOT read this book. This is awful, self-serving, and adds very little to the series. Georges Simenon appears as a character in this book, and Maigret tells about how the books Mr. Simenon writes are different from what actually happens. This breaking of the fourth wall, with Maigret actually talking about the Maigret books on his shelves, is awful and spoils the whole series - if I could unread this I would. There are a couple of interesting bits about how Maigret got his start, meeting Mrs. Maigret, etc. that a few well crafted short stories could have handled. But not worth it.
April 6, 2019
Not a detective story, but worth a look in for a Maigret fan.
November 18, 2017
De jó volt bepillantani a "valódi" Maigret-hez... milyen érdekes utazás egy ilyen könyv, ahol a főhős szól a szerzőhöz és kiigazítja, kiegészíti a történéseket. Ad egy szeletet magából... Miközben tudjuk hogy ezt is a szerző írja... vagy mégsem?!
Kedvenceim a Madame Maigret-s részek voltak. A megismerkedés és a cédulkák. :)
Bővebben a blogon: http://pupillaolvas.blogspot.hu/2017/...
Kedvenceim a Madame Maigret-s részek voltak. A megismerkedés és a cédulkák. :)
Bővebben a blogon: http://pupillaolvas.blogspot.hu/2017/...
March 4, 2021
Merőben más volt, mint a többi regény, de valahol mégsem. Ez a regény az volt, amit a címe sugall: emlékiratok összessége. Nem volt benne konkrét ügy, mégis végig érdekes és izgalmas volt. Maigret hiába akarja magyarázni a bizonyítványt, nekem akkor is ugyanaz a Maigret marad. Szerettem ezt a könyvet is, mint ahogy eddig mindegyiket. 💝
January 3, 2020
Returning to library unfinished. Could not get into it.
May 9, 2022
Et si le Commissaire Jules Maigret était réel? Voici ses mémoires donc. Pour changer des cas étudiés par le commissaire, j´ai très bien aimé. Lecture de transport public idéale...
June 3, 2023
This is a very different kind of Maigret. It's the fictional account of his memoirs. A cute idea. And one that you'll enjoy if you've read a substantial number of the other Maigret books.
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