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Un Noël de Maigret
Une petite fille voit le soir de No͏ël un homme qui ressemble au Père No͏ël déposer une grande poupée sur son lit et partir immédiatement.
94 pages, Paperback
Published December 12, 2007
6 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Georges Simenon
2,568 books2,330 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 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 25, 2024
Un bon petit roman noir qui se lit vite et facilement. Maigret qui s'amuse et on s'amuse avec lui, toujours sous le regard bienveillant de Mme Maigret 😛
December 25, 2023
Una pequeña novela corta que estaba integrada en una antología de 3 relatos cuando se publicó, allá por 1951. En esta edición de Le Livre de Poche viene sola, ideal para leer el día de Navidad, como el nombre de la historia ya puede indicar. Un libro sencillo, con el que me estreno con Simenon y su Maigret. Me ha llamado la atención la manera de trabajar pero también su relación con su esposa, muy costumbrista y que he visto repetido en detectives posteriores. Lo dicho, una novela corta simpática y poco más.
July 5, 2018
Pour être le premier livre que je lis en français, était bien. L'histoire est court mais je l'utilisé pour practiquer la langue et apprendre nouveau vocabulaire.
November 11, 2018
Delicious!
I really enjoy the novellas that give insight into Maigret's homelife with Madame. This one was perfect for the day after a sleepless night. (Well, okay, four hours, but only from 4-8 AM after a busy day and trust me, it wasn't enough). I actually googled "poele salamandre" and now I know why Maigret refused to allow them to remove his from the office when the Quai des Orfevres went to (faulty) central heating--I wouldn't let go of one if I had it, either! It starts out rather nostalgic; the childless Maigrets are feeling a bit blue with no children to fuss over, but as Simenon repeatedly says, "Shhh...we won't talk about that." At one point the writer almost breaks the fourth wall, as Maigret's notes scribbled on the back of an envelope from Madame's useful-junk drawer are repeatedly mentioned, as if it had somehow come into Simenon's possession after the fact.
Maigret takes a real busman's holiday this Christmas day, as a busybody from across the street delivers a case to his door. She lives on the same floor as the Maigrets in the building across the way--and today she'd almost be stalker material. Madame sits and knits, listening in while he thinks it through aloud and on the phone, as usual making unobtrusive contributions with a question here and there. Lucas and le gros Torrence turn up at le patron's home to help out, and of course the case is much more important than first appearances indicate.
Madame's patience with all these men invading her house is rewarded with a wonderful, unexpected Christmas present.
Yum, yum, yum.
I really enjoy the novellas that give insight into Maigret's homelife with Madame. This one was perfect for the day after a sleepless night. (Well, okay, four hours, but only from 4-8 AM after a busy day and trust me, it wasn't enough). I actually googled "poele salamandre" and now I know why Maigret refused to allow them to remove his from the office when the Quai des Orfevres went to (faulty) central heating--I wouldn't let go of one if I had it, either! It starts out rather nostalgic; the childless Maigrets are feeling a bit blue with no children to fuss over, but as Simenon repeatedly says, "Shhh...we won't talk about that." At one point the writer almost breaks the fourth wall, as Maigret's notes scribbled on the back of an envelope from Madame's useful-junk drawer are repeatedly mentioned, as if it had somehow come into Simenon's possession after the fact.
Maigret takes a real busman's holiday this Christmas day, as a busybody from across the street delivers a case to his door. She lives on the same floor as the Maigrets in the building across the way--and today she'd almost be stalker material. Madame sits and knits, listening in while he thinks it through aloud and on the phone, as usual making unobtrusive contributions with a question here and there. Lucas and le gros Torrence turn up at le patron's home to help out, and of course the case is much more important than first appearances indicate.
Madame's patience with all these men invading her house is rewarded with a wonderful, unexpected Christmas present.
Yum, yum, yum.
December 12, 2022
3,5*
En attendant Noël.
Une petite nouvelle bien sympha.
En attendant Noël.
Une petite nouvelle bien sympha.
September 20, 2017
A collection of 3 stories centered around Christmas, with only the first one featuring Inspector Maigret. He is unwillingly dragged into a neighbor's affairs on Christmas Day, when Mademoiselle Doncoeur, who lives in the building across from the Maigrets, rings their bell with a strange story : a bedridden young girl claims that Santa was in her room that night, searching for something under the hardwood floor. A magnificent doll is the proof that someone was indeed in that room that night. While Mademoiselle Doncoeur is eager to find out what happened (and not least because she has a celebrity crush on Inspector Maigret), the girl's aunt and guardian, Madame Martin, is cold and uninterested. Her husband, a traveling salesman, was unquestionably far away during Christmas night. So what happened? Maigret solves the mystery without leaving his home, by phone calls to the inspectors on duty at the Quai des Orfevres. This is one of my favorite stories because the childless Madame Maigret is very concerned about the girl, living with a coldhearted aunt and a largely absent uncle. When the child's father, a homeless drunk who can clean himself up every once in a while to see the daughter taken in by his brother, shows up on Christmas but without a gift for his daughter, Madame Maigret provides a gold thimble from her sewing box as an impromptu gift. It's details like this that make the Maigret books so appealing.
In the second story, a telephone operator at the Paris police Central, who obsessively marks all the events reported in Paris in his little notebook, starts to notice a strange pattern during Christmas night. His notes indicate that someone is systematically wandering through a specific district, breaking the glass in police alert poles at various locations, but without stopping to talk into the telephone and inform the Police Central about the nature of the emergency. When the police realize a feared serial killer has struck that night, the telephone operator starts to fear that his own nephew might somehow be at risk. From his position behind the telephones, and with the help of the police officers on duty, the telephone operator experiences some "real police work".
In the third story, a prostitute, sitting alone in a cafe on Christmas Eve, notices a young girl who comes from a village close to her own. She feels an instant connection and thinks back with nostalgia to her own innocent youth. When two predatory men approach the inexperienced young girl and ply her with cocktails, la Grande Jeanne recognizes the signs of an impending seduction or worse. She grimly determines to do one good deed on that lonely Christmas Eve, and that is to save the girl from a disastrous mistake. And she does that in the only way she knows.
Three stories with an element of tragedy and an element of hope - less sentimental than the usual books with Christmas in the title!
In the second story, a telephone operator at the Paris police Central, who obsessively marks all the events reported in Paris in his little notebook, starts to notice a strange pattern during Christmas night. His notes indicate that someone is systematically wandering through a specific district, breaking the glass in police alert poles at various locations, but without stopping to talk into the telephone and inform the Police Central about the nature of the emergency. When the police realize a feared serial killer has struck that night, the telephone operator starts to fear that his own nephew might somehow be at risk. From his position behind the telephones, and with the help of the police officers on duty, the telephone operator experiences some "real police work".
In the third story, a prostitute, sitting alone in a cafe on Christmas Eve, notices a young girl who comes from a village close to her own. She feels an instant connection and thinks back with nostalgia to her own innocent youth. When two predatory men approach the inexperienced young girl and ply her with cocktails, la Grande Jeanne recognizes the signs of an impending seduction or worse. She grimly determines to do one good deed on that lonely Christmas Eve, and that is to save the girl from a disastrous mistake. And she does that in the only way she knows.
Three stories with an element of tragedy and an element of hope - less sentimental than the usual books with Christmas in the title!
January 22, 2019
My first Maigret book in French. At times it was difficult to understand clearly because my French vocabulary is limited. Having said that, I loved reading the book, could not put it down without finishing the last page. The story was simple, uncomplicated yet the suspense created was good enough to keep me glued to the book. This is what attracts me to Simenon's style of writing - simple, intriguing stories with suspense. It takes me back to the times when life was uncomplicated.
December 27, 2018
A lovely little short story/novella set over a single day, where Maigret (unofficially) investigates a mysterious incident which took place on Christmas night in a neighbour’s apartment. This is Maigret at his most playful and good-humoured. A perfect cosy read to delve into over a winter’s evening.
December 6, 2019
très mitigé – cette nouvelle - faisant partie d’un recueil qui en comporte trois (je parlerai des deux autres ultérieusement) – est assez invraisemblable à mes yeux – parce qu’une petite fille a cru voir le père Noel, la poupée en témoignant, tout à coup le commissaire Maigret se met à cogiter sur une histoire de disparition et de vol quelques années auparavant.
Comme pratiquement toujours chez Georges Simenon, les portraits de femmes sont désagréables au possible – la vieille voisine est une vieille fille qui fantasme sur Maigret et se mêle ouvertement de la vie de ses voisins de palier ; quant à madame Martin, elle est une femme sèche de caractère, montrant plus d’affection à la petite nièce recueillie par un mari qu’elle ne semble pas aimer beaucoup. Le seul portrait féminin positif est la dévouée madame Maigret, qui est fort soumise et parfois mièvre – elle pousse le commissaire à amener Colette chez eux avec le secret espoir que Maigret accepterait de l’adopter
Je n’ai pas non plus totalement compris pourquoi le commissaire s’acharne à harceler madame Martin, sur une intuition qu’elle cache quelque chose. Cette façon d’agir m’a paru assez invraisemblable. Bref une déception que cette première nouvelle -
les deux autres nouvelles faisant partie du recueil sont nettement plus intéressantes -
Comme pratiquement toujours chez Georges Simenon, les portraits de femmes sont désagréables au possible – la vieille voisine est une vieille fille qui fantasme sur Maigret et se mêle ouvertement de la vie de ses voisins de palier ; quant à madame Martin, elle est une femme sèche de caractère, montrant plus d’affection à la petite nièce recueillie par un mari qu’elle ne semble pas aimer beaucoup. Le seul portrait féminin positif est la dévouée madame Maigret, qui est fort soumise et parfois mièvre – elle pousse le commissaire à amener Colette chez eux avec le secret espoir que Maigret accepterait de l’adopter
Je n’ai pas non plus totalement compris pourquoi le commissaire s’acharne à harceler madame Martin, sur une intuition qu’elle cache quelque chose. Cette façon d’agir m’a paru assez invraisemblable. Bref une déception que cette première nouvelle -
les deux autres nouvelles faisant partie du recueil sont nettement plus intéressantes -
December 16, 2018
Vähemalt kord aastas võiks ju pr-keeles ka midagi lugeda. Tegelikult võiks selgelt rohkemgi. Aasta lõppu tundus see siin hästi sobivat.
Mis siis ununeb, kui vahepeal prantsuse asju ei loe - melanhoolia, seda isegi kriminovelli puhul. Lustakas on seal ainult uurimise tormiline käik, kõik muu on pisut hall, pisut kurb, pisut põgenemine. Proua Maigret tehtud ja isuäratavalt kirjeldatud toit jääb pidevalt kuhugi jahtuma ja sööjat ootama.
Ununeb ka see, kuidas elu on edasi läinud - tänapäevastes krimkades muretsetakse pidevalt selle üle, kas kõik käib protokolli kohaselt, ega mingeid reegleid ei rikuta, ega töötunnid üle ei lähe. Maigret' ajal muretseti selle pärast, et ehk on enne korterist välja minemist habe ajamata või ülikonnapüksid kortsus, aga asjaolu, et komissar läheb puhkepäeval kellegi koju ilma ametliku uurimiseta, ei tundunud küll kedagi huvitavat.
Elu edasiminemise valda läheb ka huvitavaim eluline fakt, mis lugemise käigus selgus: Pariisi (ja võib-olla siis ka muu Prantsusmaa) korterites oli köögi akna alla ehitatud jahekast - külmkappe ilmselt veel ei olnud ja kuskil tuli ju toitu hoida. Niisiis oli köögiakna all välisseina ja siseseina vahel kapp, kus vähemalt talvel oli jahe. Suvel võis seal ilmselt saia küpsetada.
Mis siis ununeb, kui vahepeal prantsuse asju ei loe - melanhoolia, seda isegi kriminovelli puhul. Lustakas on seal ainult uurimise tormiline käik, kõik muu on pisut hall, pisut kurb, pisut põgenemine. Proua Maigret tehtud ja isuäratavalt kirjeldatud toit jääb pidevalt kuhugi jahtuma ja sööjat ootama.
Ununeb ka see, kuidas elu on edasi läinud - tänapäevastes krimkades muretsetakse pidevalt selle üle, kas kõik käib protokolli kohaselt, ega mingeid reegleid ei rikuta, ega töötunnid üle ei lähe. Maigret' ajal muretseti selle pärast, et ehk on enne korterist välja minemist habe ajamata või ülikonnapüksid kortsus, aga asjaolu, et komissar läheb puhkepäeval kellegi koju ilma ametliku uurimiseta, ei tundunud küll kedagi huvitavat.
Elu edasiminemise valda läheb ka huvitavaim eluline fakt, mis lugemise käigus selgus: Pariisi (ja võib-olla siis ka muu Prantsusmaa) korterites oli köögi akna alla ehitatud jahekast - külmkappe ilmselt veel ei olnud ja kuskil tuli ju toitu hoida. Niisiis oli köögiakna all välisseina ja siseseina vahel kapp, kus vähemalt talvel oli jahe. Suvel võis seal ilmselt saia küpsetada.
December 13, 2019
Mon premier Maigret, enfin ! Je passe mon temps à lire des "detective fiction" anglais, il était temps que je me lance dans les aventures du commissaire Maigret, grand classique s'il en est. Et quoi de mieux que de choisir une entrée saisonnière dans cet univers en jetant mon dévolu sur cette nouvelle qui se passe le jour de Noël ;)
Très bonne surprise, l'écriture, l'atmosphère, tout y était. Disons, peut-être pas tant la résolution de l'affaire mais la manière d'y arriver était agréable à lire. Je tenterai sans doute un autre titre de la série plus tard.
Très bonne surprise, l'écriture, l'atmosphère, tout y était. Disons, peut-être pas tant la résolution de l'affaire mais la manière d'y arriver était agréable à lire. Je tenterai sans doute un autre titre de la série plus tard.
January 7, 2022
A collection of short holiday themed mysteries. They're all good in the Maigret way, with a lot of human psychology and a slow buildup to a resolution that's based on humanity. It's funny that Simenon sounds like he was such a monster and misogynist and yet when I read about his domestic life with Mme Maigret, I generally dont feel like it's cringeworthy. I wouldn't say he's immensely considerate of her but I also wouldn't say she seems abused or unhappy.
June 6, 2022
On sort de l'univers du quai des Orfèvres pour suivre Maigret chez lui, dans son quartier. C'est un livre court et facile à lire, l'enquête est chouette à suivre et l'histoire de Maigret et sa femme est touchante.
August 8, 2012
Three Christmas-based Maigret detective stories. In French.
December 28, 2017
Funny how decided Maigret was not to leave his home. Armchair sleuthing at its best.
December 14, 2018
Not very interesting.
September 30, 2020
Great French! Simenon might have had the best modern French usage in the world. Reading anything by him is good intermediate French reading practice.
December 28, 2025
A slight tale for sure, and I guess a genre exercise for GS: the gentle Christmas story. Very domestic (not unusual for Maigret, but this one is almost entirely set in Maigret's apartment and the block opposite). There is tenderness, again as there often is, but here only the designated villain shows serious badness. No spoilers. A quick and pleasant read on the evening of Christmas Eve.
January 4, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyable novella featuring a mysterious Père Noël, and a lovely insight into life chez Maigret.
January 1, 2026
Die gute alte Zeit!
January 15, 2022
Poslouchala jsem v provedení pro Český rozhlas a neuvěřitelně jsem si tuto ani ne hodinovou jednohubku užila. Bavili mně herci, bavil mne námět, zápletka, zvukové a hudební doprovody. A jelikož to není tak dávno, co skončily Vánoce, tak mi to ještě přišlo více méně tematické. Tohle určitě moc doporučuju. Zabavilo mne to, užila jsem si to, přišla jsem na chvilku na jiné myšlenky - splnilo to pro mne všechno, co jsem momentálně potřebovala.
January 5, 2023
Un recueil de trois nouvelles, dont la première avec le commissaire le jour de Noël.
Une enquête de Maigret qui commence avec pas grand chose. Une petite voisine d’en face qui voit un père Noël lui apporter une poupée dans la nuit et soulever les lattes du parquet.
Une lecture amusante à réserver pour les fêtes
https://www.noid.ch/un-noel-de-maigret/
Une enquête de Maigret qui commence avec pas grand chose. Une petite voisine d’en face qui voit un père Noël lui apporter une poupée dans la nuit et soulever les lattes du parquet.
Une lecture amusante à réserver pour les fêtes
https://www.noid.ch/un-noel-de-maigret/
August 11, 2016
La première moitié de l'histoire était bonne, mais je n'ai pas aimé la deuxième moitié. Il est devenu ennuyeux après quelques chapitres. La fin était prévisible.
January 18, 2021
Inte så julig, vad jag förstod
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews