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8797999's review against another edition
4.0
I quite enjoyed this one, a good cast of memorable characters and a bit more action albeit at the end.
One of the better Maigrets so far, and nice to see fresh faces pop in the Inspectors.
One of the better Maigrets so far, and nice to see fresh faces pop in the Inspectors.
srash's review
4.0
Maigret (and Simenon) return to the seedy underside of Paris, this time the strip clubs of Montmartre in this outing. As always, very atmospheric, and I enjoyed the hands-on police work. Maigret's longstanding rivalry with a local Montmartre detective, the unfortunate and lugubrious Lognon, who loves to act the martyr, will never not be hilarious to me. This particular case wasn't quite as interesting to me as some of the others, though.
Most of the Maigret novels I've read are surprisingly open-minded for their time, but this one seems the exception. Previous books have their politically incorrect moments, usually in regard to women, but Maigret is, as a general rule, remarkably non-judgmental about the people he encounters. So, I was a bit surprised by the amount of nasty homophobia in this one directed at one of the peripheral characters.
I was also surprised (but not bothered) by how relatively explicit this one was, though it is more in keeping with the general tone of the series. I have a hard time envisioning even hardcore American noir from this time being as frank about Arlette (one of the victims) and her career as a stripper as Simenon is in this book. Mid-20th century French attitudes about American-style striptease as documented in this novel (a combination of intrigue, confusion, and mild disdain) were unexpectedly amusing.
Most of the Maigret novels I've read are surprisingly open-minded for their time, but this one seems the exception. Previous books have their politically incorrect moments, usually in regard to women, but Maigret is, as a general rule, remarkably non-judgmental about the people he encounters. So, I was a bit surprised by the amount of nasty homophobia in this one directed at one of the peripheral characters.
I was also surprised (but not bothered) by how relatively explicit this one was, though it is more in keeping with the general tone of the series. I have a hard time envisioning even hardcore American noir from this time being as frank about Arlette (one of the victims) and her career as a stripper as Simenon is in this book. Mid-20th century French attitudes about American-style striptease as documented in this novel (a combination of intrigue, confusion, and mild disdain) were unexpectedly amusing.
richardhannay's review against another edition
3.0
No defrauda Simenon. Una excelente novelita, como suele con un gran desarrollo y un final algo apresurado. Escenas impagables, que justifican ellas solas el libro como la de Maigret en un local de strip-tease compartiendo una sopa caliente con los dueños y la bailarina que acaba de desnudarse..El mantel es a cuadros rojos.
tewalkerjr's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first Maigret novel I've read, but the second Simenon overall -- after Three Bedrooms in Manhattan, which I read a couple of years ago. Three Bedrooms was too claustrophobic and had too much navel-gazing even given its narcissistic protagonist in the throes of a midlife crisis. This Maigret book, by contrast, showcases a Simenon who has a much more evenhanded touch with his characters: the dialogue flows, the details included are only the telling ones, and you get a real sense not only of Paris at its seedy, sodden worst, but also of the routine work of police detectives and the distinctive human traits of the call girls, pimps, morphine addicts, and other people they encounter.
Do be aware that it is a period piece -- the misogyny is ripe, and the homophobia is overripe -- and that there are a few bumps in the road that could have been smoothed out with a few more minutes of careful editing. But that was not Simenon's way, was it? Considering the overall smooth delivery of such racy subject material (which must have seemed very edgy indeed in 1959) and the attractive subtlety of Maigret himself, it's easy to understand how Maigret became so popular among millions of readers around the world in Simenon's heyday.
Do be aware that it is a period piece -- the misogyny is ripe, and the homophobia is overripe -- and that there are a few bumps in the road that could have been smoothed out with a few more minutes of careful editing. But that was not Simenon's way, was it? Considering the overall smooth delivery of such racy subject material (which must have seemed very edgy indeed in 1959) and the attractive subtlety of Maigret himself, it's easy to understand how Maigret became so popular among millions of readers around the world in Simenon's heyday.
andreastopit's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I have only read a handful of Maigret books previously and I enjoyed them. But not this one. The homophobia was jarring and threw me out of the book completely. I would not recommend this one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
metamole's review against another edition
4.0
One of the first detective stories I read as a young boy. Nicely observed detail and Maigret is a great character
tommyro's review against another edition
4.0
All of the Maigrets are brilliant. This is one of the better ones.