Back in 2013, Penguin Press launched an ambitious project to re-translate and republish all 75 Inspector Maigret mysteries by Georges Simenon. You can read all about it here.
But back in the early 1990s, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich had the rights to the Maigret mysteries and in 1992 published Inspector Maigret’s Case Files: Murder a la Carte. This omnibus volume included four of Maigret’s mysteries: Maigret and the Pickpocket (1967), Maigret and the Toy Village (1944), Maigret’s Rival (1944), and Maigret in Vichy (1968). These just seems like random choices to me.
In Maigret and the Pickpocket, Maigret discovers his wallet and badge are missing. But shortly thereafter, the culprit confesses to the crime and leads Maigret to the body of his dead wife.
In Maigret and the Toy Village, Maigret investigates the murder of “Peg Leg” Lapie, a sailor, whose body is found in a picturesque cottage near Paris.
I liked Maigret’s Rival, where Maigret has to outthink his former colleague, Inspector Cavre (known as “Cadaver”), who now works as a private detective. A scandal surrounds a friend’s brother-in-law that results in a murder.
While on vacation, Maigret compiles a dossier on a murdered woman who was found dressed in lavender. Maigret in Vichy shows Maigret, near the end of his career, still can solve fiendish crimes.
Although this omnibus has no rhyme or reason in its selections, the result is a fun reading experience. Are you a fan of Maigret? GRADE: B+
Same translator? How are the translations? Sales figures and all four long out of print by the time?
Todd, Art Scott compared the translations from old Maigrets and the newly translated Penguins…and concluded he preferred the old translations.
I have read maybe 3 Maigret’s and I liked them. I have read about 15 of his standalones which I liked even more.
Steve, Jeff Meyerson has read all the Maigrets. I’ve read more of Simenon’s standalones, maybe a couple dozen, and just dozen Maigrets although I own them all.
I like the Maigret mysteries—they’re “comfort reads” for me (much like Christie is, although their styles are different). I also like Simenon’s standalone books, at least the ones I’ve read.
Deb, both the Christies and the Maigrets are short mysteries. Today, the trend is 400 pages or more. I prefer short and sweet these days.
I read many of the Maigret books – in German translation of course – as a teenager. An elderly friend of the family had a gigantic collection of paperbacks and almost every afternoon I went to their house to read.
I think he bought everything in the area of adventure, mystery and detective that was published by the main publishers: Goldmann, Heyne, RoRoRo etc …
Once I tried to read one of the books in the original French but soon gave up.
I realized that our French knowledge meant nothing, the courses were crap. Though we started French as our first foreign language at school (5 lessons every week) because we lived in the French occupied zone, our teachers were just ***expletive deleted***.
An example:
On one of my first holidays (after I had started to earn enough money) we went to Spain via France – and I realized that I couldn’t understand a restaurant’s menue or ask for a room for one night in a hotel!
Wolf, I attempted to learn Spanish in High School school. I took three years worth and still struggle to speak it or read it.
You can never go (completely) wrong with Simenon. Some are genius and others just very good.
Patti, you’re right. I’ve read dozens of Simenon’s books and they’ve all be at least good…and some very good. I’m always impressed when a prolific writer can keep their quality level high.
Yes, I’ve read ALL the Maigret novels and the short stories that have been translated. At one point, I bought most of the 3-in-1 Penguins they issued back in the ’70s, which had one or two Maigrets with one or two non series books, and that was where I read MAIGRET’S PICKPOCKET. TOY VILLAGE was published later, and I have a hardback of that one. I have an older British hardback of MAIGRET’S RIVAL in a book with a non series book. And I still have the Avon Classic Crime Collection paperback of MAIGRET IN VICHY.
Jeff, Simenon’s DEATH THREATS AND OTHER STORIES just arrived. I plan to review it for a future WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES. According to the information on the back cover, three of the Maigret stories included in this collection are published in English for the first time.
I know. I’ll be getting that too.
Jeff, until I saw DEATH THREATS AND OTHER STORIES on Rick Robinson’s blog, I had no idea it existed!
It always seems to me that Simenon can be read in any order. I’ve read just one of these three (Vichy).
Rick, I agree. You can read the Maigrets in any order without spoilers or confusion. But there are series where you need to read the books in order or the reading experience is spoiled.
BTW, I haven’t been posting as I’ve been ill, but I do try to read your and other blogs.
Rick, sorry to hear you’re ill. Get better soon! We miss your comments!
George – I’ve enjoyed all the Maigrets I have read (and I still have a stack ahead of me). His stand-alones seem quite different, darker, edgier – at least the ones I’ve read.
Elgin, I agree with you. Simenon’s stand-alones are darker and edgier than his Maigrets. I like both.
I read a Maigret many years ago because Art Scott praised the series! It was awful! Maybe I just chose a clunker but I’ve never been tempted to revisit the character!