What do you think?
Rate this book
Havoc by Accident
Contains Talatala translated from Le blanc à lunettes, and the Breton sisters translated from Les demoiselles de Concarneau.
Translated by Stuart Gilbert. Omnibus edition of Talatala [1937] and the Breton Sisters [1936]
Translated by Stuart Gilbert. Omnibus edition of Talatala [1937] and the Breton Sisters [1936]
312 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1952
16 people want to read
About the author
Georges Simenon
2,738 books2,300 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 13, 2025
The first of the two novellas in this book was so racist as to be unreadable. Skip it. The second was psychologically interesting.
November 15, 2024
First published in 1943 as a translation, this is a collection of two shorter novels, Talatala and The Breton Sisters. It really is a book of two halves..
Talatala is one of Simenon’s African novels, and was subsequently published in a collection of three, African Trio: Talatala, Tropic Moon, Aboard the Aquitaine in 1979.
The New York Times said of it (July 1943)..
Indeed, it isn’t great. Usually Simenon’s stand-alone, those without Maigret, fit to his romans durs genre, or gritty, harrowing novels with many features of what would become the Gallic noir genre. But this isn’t anything really, and these days it suffers from being dated in its attitudes also, colonial and racist. It’s quite something, as I can’t recall reading a bad Simenon before, interesting only in that it records the attitudes of the time. Though of course, we knew those beforehand..
My GoodReads score 2 / 5.
The Breton Sisters however, is Simenon at his best.
Jules Guerec is a Breton fisherman who lives with his three sisters. One night he runs down a child in his car, and instead of stopping, chooses to drive on. His sisters, who adore him, protect him from imprudence and drain any moral doubt he shows. It may be a familiar story line, but in Simenon's hands it is a masterpiece; writing in an off-hand manner that is far more chilling than any insistence on the horror of the situation would be, steering clear of any sort of judgement and simply presenting facts. The tension builds and the reward is a classic unsettling finale. Dependant Jules, astray and fearful that his sisters will die and leave him, makes a mental not to buy the child's mother some chocolates. A simple enough sentence, but one in such a context that the reader is left aghast.
If anything deserves rediscovering this does. To my reckoning it was last in print in 1952. A bonus is that it is available on the internet archive, where lost gems rest, waiting to be reawoken. But, as good as it is, it would benefit from a new translation, and then I am sure, would go far..
I search hard for these out-of-print Simenon's and, more often than not, am duly rewarded..
My GoodReads score 5 / 5
Talatala is one of Simenon’s African novels, and was subsequently published in a collection of three, African Trio: Talatala, Tropic Moon, Aboard the Aquitaine in 1979.
The New York Times said of it (July 1943)..
Atmosphere is one of M. Simenon's strong points, yet paradoxically, the novel which gives him the most scope in this respect--"Talatala"--is the least successful. The story takes place on an African plantation, and concerns the owner of the plantation and one of those devastating Englishwomen-- rich, beautiful, well-born--whose hobbies are airplanes, opium and adultery. The hero is considerably taken with her and a few subsidiary characters shoot each other, but the story as a whole seems hardly worth the skill that is lavished upon it.
Indeed, it isn’t great. Usually Simenon’s stand-alone, those without Maigret, fit to his romans durs genre, or gritty, harrowing novels with many features of what would become the Gallic noir genre. But this isn’t anything really, and these days it suffers from being dated in its attitudes also, colonial and racist. It’s quite something, as I can’t recall reading a bad Simenon before, interesting only in that it records the attitudes of the time. Though of course, we knew those beforehand..
My GoodReads score 2 / 5.
The Breton Sisters however, is Simenon at his best.
Jules Guerec is a Breton fisherman who lives with his three sisters. One night he runs down a child in his car, and instead of stopping, chooses to drive on. His sisters, who adore him, protect him from imprudence and drain any moral doubt he shows. It may be a familiar story line, but in Simenon's hands it is a masterpiece; writing in an off-hand manner that is far more chilling than any insistence on the horror of the situation would be, steering clear of any sort of judgement and simply presenting facts. The tension builds and the reward is a classic unsettling finale. Dependant Jules, astray and fearful that his sisters will die and leave him, makes a mental not to buy the child's mother some chocolates. A simple enough sentence, but one in such a context that the reader is left aghast.
If anything deserves rediscovering this does. To my reckoning it was last in print in 1952. A bonus is that it is available on the internet archive, where lost gems rest, waiting to be reawoken. But, as good as it is, it would benefit from a new translation, and then I am sure, would go far..
I search hard for these out-of-print Simenon's and, more often than not, am duly rewarded..
My GoodReads score 5 / 5
January 11, 2026
Two amazing stories of passion and deceit and the struggle to do the right thing.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews