In her informative “Introduction” to the New York Review of Books edition of Three Bedrooms in Manhattan (translated by Marc Romano and Laurence G. Blochman}, Joyce Carol Oates points out that much of Simenon’s work involves obsession. In Three Bedrooms in Manhattan it’s sexual obsession, but Oates provides plenty of examples of other obsessions Simenon explored both in his stand-alone novels like this one and in his famous Maigret mystery series. Clearly, Simenon was driven by obsessions: his claim that he had sex with 10,000 women, his compulsive work habits that produced 400 novels, and quirks that made Simenon a “difficult” person to deal with. No matter. Simenon’s noirish novels take readers to dark places even in cities that never sleep.
Darn, I almost went with this one myself. I have two of the four on hand from this series(and a third “speeding” slowly towards me).
Of course Lawrence Blochman was a mystery writer himself. I find his American-set books quite interesting and often different in tone (subtly perhaps) from his French settings. I almost went with another one of them (Red Lights/The Hitchhiker) but decided to do shorts instead.
Good choice.
Greta choice George. I really like the sound of the intro too – I’ve mainly read Simenon in Italian translations rather than in English but I’ll definitely see if I can track down this edition.
Cheers.
Sergio
I highly recommend all the NYRB editions of Simenon, Randy. Great books at a great price!
I reviewed RED LIGHTS for FFB a few months ago, Jeff. It’s one of Simenon’s more haunting books. You’ve read way more Simenon than I have, but I do have dozens of his books on my shelves waiting for me to get to them.
Sergio, if you can locate the NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS editions of Simenon’s works, I highly recommend them:
The Man Who Watched Trains Go By by Georges Simenon
The Strangers in the House by Georges Simenon
Dirty Snow by Georges Simenon
Three Bedrooms in Manhattan by Georges Simenon
Monsieur Monde Vanishes by Georges Simenon
Red Lights by Georges Simenon
he Engagement by Georges Simenon
The Widow by Georges Simenon
Tropic Moon by Georges Simenon
Pedigree by Georges Simenon
Act of Passion by Georges Simenon
I was going to do this one and could not find my copy. Just as well.
Patti, the bonus with this NYRB edition of THREE BEDROOMS IN MANHATTAN is Joyce Carol Oates’ informative introduction. I had no idea how autobiographical this novel was until JCO filled me in on the background.
I read RED LIGHTS after reading your review, George. Somehow I thought I’d read it but I had it confused with something else.
On the THREE BEDROOMS thing, I vaguely remember years and years ago someone took Blochman to task in TAD for his translating the title “wrong” in the writer’s mind. The next issue Blochman had a strong response in which he said that he knew Simenon and his wife and the latter would not have put up with anything she considered wrong.
It might have been whether it should be THREE BEDS or BEDROOMS but I no longer have the issue and my memory isn’t quite that perfect.
I just checked and my copy is a Tower paperback from 19066 that is indeed THREE BEDS, though no translator is listed. I did a quick count and seem to have 158 titles on my shelves – I’ve read about two-thirds of them – so if there are any hard to find books you particularly want to read I’ll be happy to lend them too you. (You too, Patti, of course.)
I’ll try to track down that TAD article, Jeff. The translation of the NYRB version of THREE BEDROOMS IN MANHATTAN is copyrighted 2003.
You and Art Scott have the most Simenons, Jeff. I guess I have around 100 Simenon titles. Hopefully, more Simenons will be available as ebooks. Maybe some enterprising publisher will offer all 400 of his novels in one ebook package.
I got it along with Tropic and Dirty Snow. I think this was the only one I read of the three. Perhaps that’s why it’s gone. Thanks for the newspaper article, George. I don’t expect to be at Bouchercon this year. But one never knows.
Glad the article that mentioned Megan arrived, Patti. Hope you and Phil find a way to show up at BOUCHERCON. Lunch (or dinner) is on us if you make it!
We will treat you to dinner in Albany. We are scheduled to go to Ireland, where Phil will give a lecture on the US election on October 5 at the National University in Ireland at Maynooth. Rob Kitchin set it up. Next year for sure.
We’ll put it on our calendar, Patti. Albany it is. Have fun in Ireland!