Affairs of Destiny

by Georges Simenon

Translated by Stuart Gilbert. This is an omnibus edition of the following novels: (1) Newhaven-Dieppe [1933] and (2) The Woman of the Gray House [1933].

265 pages, Hardcover

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

[Melsene G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains two stories. "Newhaven-Dieppe" and "The Woman of the Gray House." The first story involves Louis Maloin, a signalman near the harbor. He witnesses a murder and dives in the water to find the suitcase with all the money. Jim Brown is the perp and he's staying at the Newhaven Hotel. What does he do? Tell the cops or not? This is a quick read and not sure justice is served.

The second book deals with Madame Pontreau, a nasty woman with 3 grown girls. She is running a farm and her son in law, an epileptic is found dead. Who killed him or was it an accident? There are other deaths too but no one you want to root for. Not sure about the legal system in France back in the day.

[Rebecca Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both stories--tales of psychological suspense and dissolution--remind me so much of Hitchcock.

For the confused, and I have been one, the first story, "Newhaven--Dieppe," is aka "The Man from London." The second, "The Woman of the Gray House," is aka "Le Haut Mal." I have not been able to identify any other title in English.

[John Marr · Rating 3 out of 5]

New Haven-Dieppe, the first of the two Simenon length novels that make up this omnibus is OK. A railroad signalman manages to recover a suitcase full of money after one thief kills another. Although a rational actor could have gone on to enjoy this money, this is Simenon and the protagonist is doomed by the twists in his own psyche to do the idiotic. This is all well and good, but unfortunately Simenon's police don't have this excuse for their own irrational behavior. At least Simenon gives his narrative an unusual perspective by showing the crime's impact on the families of the victims and the perps.

The Woman of the Grey House is about the same. A formidable middle aged woman does away with her son-in-law for the $$$ and spend the rest of the novella holding on without seemingly breaking a sweat.