Maigret and the Man on the Bench

Inspector Maigret #41

by Georges Simenon, Eileen Ellenbogen (Translator)

Mondays are nobody's favorite day, but when Maigret's week begins with a corpse found stabbed to death in a Parisian alley, the Inspector immediately sees a flaw. Murders are rarely committed on Mondays. That clue, along with the victim's strange recent behavior, leads Maigret to the cause of this nasty crime-and reveals the tale of a deadly marriage.

Maigret is a registered trademark of the Estate of Georges Simenon.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, France, Noir, Detective, Thriller

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1953

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

[Ebba Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georges Simenon's Maigret is one of my "sure things". The idea of gravitating towards "sure things" is from Robin: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Maigret's character is so well outlined, so well colored, narrated and developed that you will instantly forget that Maigret is fictional. He is very determined in solving this case:

Police Department, Quai des Orfèvres in Paris, France. Santoni, a new member of Maigret's team, answers the phone. It is Inspector Neveu with the 3ème Arrondissement. Neveu urgently needs to talk to Maigret. A man was found dead. He was stabbed. His name was Louis Thouret. Why is Louis wearing yellow shoes? When he left this morning for work he was wearing his black shoes; and according to his spouse he does not own yellow shoes. And why was he not at work in the first place? And why is he wearing a very red tie?

Maigret starts to investigate with the help of Lucas, Santoni, Janvier, Lapointe and Neveu. And on his own.

Maigret is preoccupied. One night Maigret and Madame Maigret are walking down the boulevards after cinema and Madame Maigret is asking her husband whether he was in a bad mood because he did not say a single word to her the whole evening.

Madame Maigret: - Tu as beaucoup de travail ? / Do you have a lot of work?

Maigret: - Je ne sais pas encore. / I do not know yet.

One day Maigret is having the third interrogation in a row. He is so determined and focussed on solving this case that he entirely has lost track of time. It is probably (late) evening.
While Maigret is waiting for the delivery of food and beverages from the nearby Brasserie he calls his wife to let her know that he won't be home for lunch:

- Je ne rentrerai pas déjeuner.
- Je commençais à m'en douter. Tu sais l'heure qu'il est?
- Non. Cela n'a pas d'importance.
Elle éclata de rire, et il ne sut pas pourquoi.

Maigret: I won’t be home for lunch.
Madame Maigret: I was beginning to suspect that. Do you know what time it is?
Maigret: No. It doesn’t matter.
She burst out laughing, and he didn’t know why.

Maigret is my favorite inspector (besides Maresciallo Guarnaccia by Magdalen Nabb maybe). Maigret novels are a "sure thing" (to me). I like his wife and Janvier, Lapointe etc. The quality of Georges Simenon's writing is good and consistent.

Georges Simenon wrote 75 Maigret novels:
https://www.trussel.com/maig/cheklist...

But it is not necessary to follow the chronological order. You could start with reading #41. I liked reading it so much and finished it on the same day as I started reading it.

[Metodi Markov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Хареса ми и тази среща с комисаря от парижката полиция Мегре!

Какво се случва, когато един почтен човек губи работата си, а вкъщи го очаква зла и свадлива жена?

Това трябва да научи някак Мегре, за да реши случая с убийството на добрия г-н Луи.

P. S. Чудесни българска корица и превод!

[Велислав Върбанов · Rating 4 out of 5]

За пръв път прочетох книга на Жорж Сименон. Хареса ми как пише ... Авторът е успял по много фин начин да разкаже за едно долнопробно престъпление. Разследването на убийството на господин Луи беше интересно през цялото време... Обаче най-силно привлякоха вниманието ми очарователната меланхолична атмосфера и достоверното представяне на живота на обикновените хора! Комисар Мегре веднага ми стана симпатичен, определено бих прочел и други книги за този образ.





„Съвсем несъзнателно той погледна сервитьора по същия начин, по който би гледал един предполагаем престъпник.
— Бира?
— Половин бутилка червено бордо.
От любов към противоречието. Ако бяха му предложили вино, щеше да поръча бира.“


„Тогава сред безбрежното море от хора го вълнуваха и изпълваха с тръпки на романтична треска все неудачниците, такива, които му бяха изпуснали края, които се бяха предали, примирили, които се бяха оставили да ги носи течението.
С годините той се беше научил да ги разпознава. Но вече не те го вълнуваха, а другите, на едно стъпало по-горе в социалната йерархия, благопристойни и чисто облечени, ала без ярка индивидуалност, които се бореха ден след ден, за да изплуват или поне да се залъжат с илюзията, че съществуват и че животът заслужава да бъде изживян.“


„До седем часа вечерта отхвърли толкова много работа, сякаш от това зависеше съдбата на света, и приключи не само с „текущото“ дело, но и с други неща, които чакаха от седмици, дори от месеци и бяха съвсем маловажни. Когато най-после си тръгна с премрежени от толкова дълго взиране в книжата очи, стори му се, че нещо не е в ред, но трябваше да мине доста време, докато се сети да протегне ръка, за да разбере, че дъждът е спрял. Изпита странно чувство на празнота.“

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

George Simenon's Maigret stories are not about spectacles they offer us stories about humans and their flaws which lead to criminal acts which means that Maigret will start his work. The books and their story telling are pedestrian at best. You get enough time to taste and delve into the story.

A person gets killed and is found with a knife in his back. When he gets identified by h wife she remarks that somebody must have stolen his shoes and changed them into brown shoes. When delving a bit deeper into the victims life they find that the victim has lost his job 3 years earlier and never told this at home. So how did the good man spend his days without a job, where did he go each day when his wife thought he went to work. And how does this lead to his murder?-Slowly the mists clear and Maigret gets an idea what did happen and what the man did spend his day doing the last three years.

Well written as always Simenon remains a brilliant writer and his observations are quite good.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a brand new modern translation of a book I've previously read a few years ago.
Do we ever know our spouse or partner? This is a common theme in modern psychological thrillers. Here Simenon presents a twist on the murdered husband who after being found killed in an alley is not the man everyone at home believed him to be.
Clever police procedural which shows Maigret often in the office waiting for the phone to ring when all he wants to do is pound the beat and ask the questions.
He visits the scene of the crime and speaks to the main suspects. He has an assurance throughout that things are not just what they seem. Some interesting integrations and an aside in an earlier case as seen in a trial he has to give evidence in. This miffed him and seems to challenge him going forward in this book.
Packed with characters, cleverly drawn. The aspect of what we see when we pass people sitting on benches and what those who pass their time sitting around us see is a brilliant observation.
This series has been brought to the reach of everyone with each Maigret novel being released each month in their original publication order. Those who have found this great writer will found new treats re-reading them in a fresh translation. New readers have a unique chance to find Maigret for themselves. What a treat!

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mystery in Maigret and the Man on the Bench does not rise to much, but readers won’t care. The 41st novel’s main focus is the imperative to carve out a little of bit of freedom when one is bullied for years and years. Louis Touret’s social-climbing, hectoring wife checks his wallet, hectors him for being a lowly warehouse foreman, even supervises his socks and ties. But it turns out that the worm has turned, and that everything his disapproving wife, sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law think they know about Touret isn’t true. Like Maigret, you will be secretly cheering on Touret for finding a window of freedom and happiness before his untimely end. I read the novel in one sitting. Highly recommended.

[Amene · Rating 2 out of 5]

پرداخت خوب و پایان به شدت شتاب‌زده😉

[Antonella Imperiali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ma ve lo immaginate il buon caro commissario Maigret con indosso un paio di scarpe di un bel giallo “becco d’oca”?
Eppure anche lui, da giovane, ha ceduto a questa tentazione, ma, una volta a casa, nelle mani della moglie la scatola con le scarpe gialle ha ripreso la via del negozio... 😂

Ma andiamo al racconto.

Intrigante la trama (in cui le scarpe gialle giocano un ruolo fondamentale), insopportabili i protagonisti della storia (i familiari della vittima: una bella radiografia della natura umana); un po’ raffazzonata e sbrigativa la soluzione finale (l’unica cosa che mi ha delusa).

Bella l’ambientazione in una Parigi un po’ malinconica, piovosa, umida, nebbiosa.

Maigret e la sua città restano il mio angolo di relax.


🌍 LdM: Francia 🇫🇷
📖 La parola del mese (feb/21): uomo
📚 LxNL: TBR feb/21 + AZ
🔠 Alphabet Titoli

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Georges Simenon's novels featuring detective Maigret are slow, but entertainging, crime stories. This is the third one I've read & it's no exception. Maigret carries out his interviews methodically, only pausing for an occasional puff on his pipe. It's unlikely I'll read all 75 novels in the series (or the 28 short stories), but they are good to dip into once in a while.
The recent UK TV series stars Rowan Atkinson as Maigret & while he may not have the physical build of the detective his delivery of the dialogue is exactly how I imagine Maigret would speak.

[Amaranta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un paio di scarpe gialle e una cravatta rossa sono quello che stonano nel quadro della vita di un uomo semplice, abitudinario e che portano Maigret sulla pista giusta per la risoluzione del delitto.
Una Parigi bagnata, piovosa, con tetti di un nero lucente e una nebbia che si attacca addosso, con i passanti ridotti ad ombre scure nel buio delle sue strade.
Piacevole enigma da sciogliere.

[Alma · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tinha chovido todo o domingo, uma chuva fria e miudinha; os telhados e os pavimentos luziam de negro e um nevoeiro amarelado parecia insinuar-se pelos interstícios das janelas"

"Em tempos, já andara na rua o tempo suficiente para saber que cada banco tem os seus fregueses, que o ocupam às mesmas horas do dia.
Quem passa não dá por eles. Raramente se olha para as pessoas sentadas nos bancos. Mas os ocupantes, esses, conhecem-se uns aos outros."

[Anita Radeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Един лек криминален разказ от случките на комисар Мегре. В него толкова естествено са описани житейските събития, че цялата книга се чете на един дъх. Освен, че ставаме свидетели на обстановката в Париж, ние се доближаваме и до обикновения живот на главните герои. Главният респект се държи от комисар Мегре и способностите му последователно да разкрива много заплетени престъпления. Но в същото време не може да не се забележат доста влошените отношения между него и жена му, което намалява светлината на ореола му. След това чрез информация от всички негови приближени, ние ставаме индиректни свидетели и на живота на жертвата в книгата - Луи Туре. Наглед добър човек, но всъщност доста дребна душа, човек страхуващ се от жена си, който дори минава границата като извършва редица обири. През цялата книга ту защитаваш, ту оправдаваш героите, и така до разкриването на загадъчното убийство.

[The Frahorus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ci sono Maigret che mi piacciono e altri che dimentico subito dopo averli letti. Ecco, questo secondo caso è successo con questo.

Il guaio di questa indagine è proprio il finale: sembra proprio che l'autore doveva concludere la storia nel più breve tempo possibile e via!

Commissario, non si arrabbi, venga che le offro un bicchierino di Calvados!

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man is found stabbed to death in an alleyway and it is Maigret's job to find out who the man is and why was he killed, not to mention who killed him.

This takes Maigret on the usual journey of interviewing anyone who knew the man, starting with his family, then other associates and friends.

What the inspector discovers is that the man was leading a double life. What part of his life led to his being murdered?

Another fine mystery by a fine writer.

[Calzean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to compare the French Detective Maigret with those in other countries. Instead of having a cop totally focused on work Maigret takes time to dine out, take his wife to the movies, enjoy a drink or two. He is also methodical, is liked by his team and his superiors and has a patience to resolve this mystery of a man who is not what his family thinks he is. The author also has my thanks by not padding out the story and gives the reader a murder, a few red herrings, a couple of sleazy suspects and a resolution all within 200 pages.

[Three · Rating 3 out of 5]

caro Georges (mi permetto di rivolgermi a te in questo modo per l'ammirazione che ti porto e per la gentilezza con cui mi hai gratificata di una produzione immensa, che mi ha dato e mi dà momenti di grandissimo godimento letterario),
caro Georges,
ma come cavolo ti è venuto in mente un finale così scemo???

[Nanosynergy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man is found stabbed to death. In the investigation, it is discovered his life is a web of lies and deception. He has been out of work for about three years, but his wife thinks he is still working. He has an income from an unknown source. He wears different shoes when not with his family. And apparently he spent much of his time during the day sitting on a bench.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man's body is found in an alleyway. He has been stabbed in the back. Maigret quickly discovers the man's identity: a seemingly ordinary man from an ordinary bourgeois family. Why would anyone want to kill him?

As usual, Maigret winds his way through family, friends, and strangers on the path to truth. As much fun as always.

[Antje · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wie gewohnt wirkt die Handlung, die nur wenige Tage beansprucht, spannend und zugleich ruhig vor sich hin plätschernd. Das Ende enttäuschte mich ein wenig. Maigret zaubert just jemand Neues aus der Tasche, mit dem vom Leser nicht zu rechnen war und zuvor keinerlei Andeutungen gemacht wurden. Überzeugte mich nicht gänzlich.

[Bahman Bahman · Rating 2 out of 5]

داستان این کتاب از اداره پلیس شروع می شود. گویا در بلوار سن مارتین قتلی اتفاق افتاده و جنازه یک مرد که با چاقو به کشته شده در نزدیکی درب پشتی یک جواهر فروشی پیدا شده است. وقتی که افسران پلیس به صحنه جرم می رسند ...

[Cristina (Cricci) Casanova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi è piaciuto molto, come sempre, per la scrittura pulita, le descrizioni accurate dei luoghi e delle atmosfere, la profondità psicologica con cui vengono presentati i personaggi. Ho provato affetto e pena per il povero Louis e altrettanto disprezzo per la famiglia. Maigret è empatico più che mai, e come altrove cerca di immedesimarsi nella vittima, ma qui lascia trasparire anche una parte di sé e della propria giovinezza. Quelle scarpe gialle, simbolo di libertà e vita, in contrasto con il conformismo e la rispettabilità di un’esistenza scialba. Commette degli errori, anche, dimostrando la sua profonda umanità. Dopotutto è un uomo, non un supereroe.
C’è tanta tristezza. Suscita tante emozioni: rabbia, pena, comprensione. Sto ancora rimuginando sulle tante impressioni durante e dopo la lettura di questo Maigret.
Perché solo 3 stelle? Il finale non mi ha convinta per niente. Ho avuto l’impressione (e mi si spezza il cuore, perché amo immensamente Simenon e tutto quello che ha scritto) che improvvisamente dovesse mettere la parola fine, e quindi pam! ecco la soluzione. No, Georges, non puoi chiuderla così. Da te pretendo di più.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I might be entering into a Maigret obsession. The books are short and formulaic, but when a formula works, it works. Simenon depicts the vast, teeming life of Paris, then uses murder as the impetus to pluck a random person out of the crowds and give us a broad, but evocative peek into their life. In this case, we learn about Monsieur Louis, a lowly factory foreman who has improbably created a secret life for himself in within the anonymity of the city. Two details I thought were particularly insightful: 1) That Monsieur Louis chooses a mistress who shares all the worst qualities of wife; and 2) That someone is either the kind of person who sits around on a bench all day doing nothing or they are not.

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though long a fan of the French TV series starring Bruno Cremer, this was my first Maigret novel. (OK, so yeah, I cheated and read it in English.)
I noticed that barring a few small things, the films are faithful to the books.The translation was very good, giving a flavour of the period without sounding over the top or reading like a translation--as a translator myself, I know how difficult that is!

A case that looks straightforward enough--a man found stabbed in an alleyway--proves to have unexpected twists and turns. The author's love of his city comes shining through as Maigret almost wishes himself back on the beat, questioning the bench-sitters who might hold clues to the mystery. Simenon can't resist being rather snarky about people who move to "the suburbs"--in his world, who would want to? Such folk are immediately suspect!

[Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine, fast moving and atmospheric 'Maigret' novel. I don't know what more to say about it really. There are 75 'Maigret' novels in existence and I have now read about half of them. I tend to give each one three stars, apart from the occasional book that I give four, but if I could consider the entire series (so far) as a single unit I would give it five stars without doubt. The individual novels are good but not spectacular; but they gradually build up and accumulate into a greater entity that really is superb.

[Vesna · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Simenon. Enjoyed the process, the ending so-so. As Maigret himself said, the discovery of the actual killer "was the most boring part." Simenon's facile writing with atmospheric and often cinematic feel to it makes it a great page turner. For someone who is not much into genre fiction, Maigret may well become my choice for mysteries outside the "whodunit" canon.

[Fo · Rating 3 out of 5]

داستان یک قتل دیگر و مگره معروف
داستان‌های مگره اصولا داستان‌های جنایی هستند ولی از جنس پواروو یا مارپل که خیلی کاراگاهی هستند، نیست. اصولا سیمنون انقدر درگیر کارآگاهی کردن موضوع نیست ولی در مقابل خیلی به لایه‌های اجتماعی یا وضعیت روحی و روانی توجه میکند. در این داستان روابط زن و شوهر و پدر و فرزندی به چالش کشیده شده، گروه‌های اجتماعی خاص هم خیلی خوب دیده شدند

[Иван Иванов · Rating 5 out of 5]

Поредната книжка от "Галактика" е класическо криминале - от онези, в които следваме стъпка по стъпка разследването, докато полицията постепенно се приближава към убиеца. Няма зрелищни гонитби, престрелки, напрежение, драми, и въпреки това е трудно да оставиш книгата. Особено ми хареса, че героите са истински, земни хора, не някакви Холивудски шаблончета, с каквито е наводнена съвременната литература. Шапка му свалям на Жорж Сименон!

[John Purcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

How would Oblomov go about solving a murder?

In Maigret and the man on the Bench we get the chief inspector taking it easy, in no rush to chase down leads, indifferent to everything but the murdered man and his unusual choice in shoes.

Of course, I loved it.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

For several years when my children were growing up, my hobby was studying French. As part of the effort to learn the language, I read many of Georges Simenon's 75 "Maigret" novels. In most cases, the book begins when a murder has occurred; Chief Inspector Maigret finds the perpetrator--not by sniffing out physical evidence but rather by arriving at a deep understanding the victim's life and probable motive of the killer. Never have I read an author better able to create rich, round, credible characters--often several who are fully developed in the space of a mere 200 pages.

After reading so many of his books in French, I was worried about being distracted by poorly chosen words in a translation. But this edition faithfully reflects the spirit of Maigret et l'homme du banc. (The conclusion is more than usually quirky, however; perhaps that part alone may have lost a little something in the translation.)

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Shrugs, stares out at the rain]

I'm no expert on Simenon or Maigret, but I remember reading somewhere that Simenon had a system for creating a Maigret novel in a fixed amount of days. I can only assume this system involved spending much of the time creating a beautiful, twisty, mysterious 120 pages and then getting frustrated and impatient and writing the first ending that comes to mind. Great characters, though I find Maigret a little rude and thorny--maybe his humor gets a little lost in translation. Excellent mystery. Solution totally bogus.

[Shrugs, stares out at the rain some more, lights his pipe]