A Maigret Christmas Georges Simenon
Literatur Solasaldiak Tertulias literarias Literary Circle Errenteriako Biblioteka 15.12.2021
Georges Simenon Georges Joseph Christian Simenon was a prolific Belgian author with nearly 500 novels and short works under his belt. He was thecreator of the famous detective character ‘Jules Maigret’. Known for writing very fast, he used to complete his novels within about a week and a half! He was one of the highestpaid writers in the mid-twentieth century. His first novel ‘Au Pont des Arches’ was published when he was just in his late teens. He wrote this novel in just ten days, and thus, he laid the foundation for his rapid production of books. It is widely known that he used to type at least 80 pages in a day in order to quickly complete his books. As an author, he also used a wide variety of pen names, including ‘ChristianBrulls’ and ‘Gom Gut’. One of his commercial novels was written in exactly 25 hours, purely with an intention of training himself for bigger works. Georges Simenon had to undergo surgery for a brain tumor in 1984,which had a long-term impact on his health even though he was believedto have made a good recovery. He died in his sleep on 4th September 1989, in Lausanne. He was honored with a commemorative coin which read ‘The Belgian 100 Years of Georges Simenon coin,’ which was minted in 2003. The coin also had his portrait. In the same year, 21 of his books were included in the collection ‘La Pleiade’
A Maigret Christmas Christmas mysteries abound in this lighthearted holiday collection of Jules Maigret’s exploits: In one, an otherwise sensible little girl insists that she has seen Father Christmas, a statement alarming to her neighbors, Monsieur and Madame Maigret. Then, a choirboy helps the inspector solve a crime while he lies in bed with a cold; another boy, pursued by a criminal, ingeniously leaves a trail to help Maigret track him. Many of these stories feature observant and resourceful children, frightened yet resolute, who bring out a paternal streak in the childless Maigret. The rapport between the inspector and these youthful heroes imparts a delightful freshness to this holiday collection. A Maigret Christmas is a cornucopia for fans of Maigret and mysteries alike.
Reviews • “One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequaled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories.” The Guardian
Selected works Novels ·Maigret on Holiday (1947) ·My Friend Maigret (1949) ·Maigret and the Headless Corpse (1955) ·Maigret Has Scruples (1957) ·Maigret on the Defensive (1964) ·Maigret Hesitates (1967)
Interesting Links · “David Hare: the genius of Georges Simenon” https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/25/georgessimenondavid-hare-la-main-red-stage-national-theatremaigret · 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Georges Simenon: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/belgium/articles/10-thingsyoudidnt-know-about-georges-simenon/ · Literary Podcast https://elrefugiodepapel.com · Our coordinator´s blog https://donostiabookclub.blogspot.com