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8797999's review against another edition
4.0
A very enjoyable read, I could see what was coming with regards the conclusion. As always with Maigret books a very interesting set of characters.
3.5/5 rounded up to a 4.
3.5/5 rounded up to a 4.
katejohnson_'s review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
patrickhaines's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
frahorus's review against another edition
3.0
Il commissario Maigret si ritrova, momentaneamente, in "esilio" a Luçon, in Vandea, dove la sua noiosa routine quotidiana viene, un giorno, interrotta da una notizia da parte della pettegola Didine: nella casa del giudice vi è un cadavere. Così il nostro commissario si apposta nei dintorni dell'abitazione e trova il giudice che trascina fuori casa un sacco, dove c'è per l'appunto il cadavere di un uomo. Ma egli ammette che non è stato lui a commettere l'omicidio, così il commissario inizia ad indagare.
Come avrò già ripetuto mille volte nelle altre recensioni riguardanti il commissario Maigret, adoro leggere le sue inchieste e non mi stancherò mai di poter dire: oggi inizio un nuovo Maigret! Stavolta il nostro investigatore si ritrova di fronte a un caso con un incipit spiazzante: un uomo che cerca di disfarsi del cadavere di un altro uomo, provando a gettarlo in mare! Ritorna l'ambientazione, tanto cara a Simenon, di luoghi marittimi, stavolta un piccolo borgo marinaro, dove tra i sospetti troveremo pure un allevatore di cozze. L'indagine sembra portare il Nostro nell'ambito familiare, e anche stavolta verranno a galla diversi tradimenti e l'intuito del commissario non sbaglia colpo.
Come avrò già ripetuto mille volte nelle altre recensioni riguardanti il commissario Maigret, adoro leggere le sue inchieste e non mi stancherò mai di poter dire: oggi inizio un nuovo Maigret! Stavolta il nostro investigatore si ritrova di fronte a un caso con un incipit spiazzante: un uomo che cerca di disfarsi del cadavere di un altro uomo, provando a gettarlo in mare! Ritorna l'ambientazione, tanto cara a Simenon, di luoghi marittimi, stavolta un piccolo borgo marinaro, dove tra i sospetti troveremo pure un allevatore di cozze. L'indagine sembra portare il Nostro nell'ambito familiare, e anche stavolta verranno a galla diversi tradimenti e l'intuito del commissario non sbaglia colpo.
astrangerhere's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Not the best Simenon...
geoffreyjen's review against another edition
5.0
The English review follows the French :
Simenon sait comment surprendre par ses écrits. Il n’y a rien d’habituel dans cette histoire, tout est à l’envers. Le crime racontée par un autre, le juge imperterble, les parties de l’histoire redigée dans des lettres, ou raconté par après dans les souvenirs de Maigret. J’adore lire le tout “de travers” comme cela. Ce n’est pas la première fois que Simenon joue comme cela, et ce ne sera pas la dernière non plus. On dirai qu’il avait horreur des formules, et que même si son inpecteur suivait une formule après l’avoir créer, que Simenon s’est arrangé pour bousculer le tout par sa manière de l’écrire. La plupart des auteurs de polars suivent une formule, mais Simenon l’évite, au moins une partie du temps.
Aussi, plus que tout autre écrivain de polars. Simenon adore peindre des personnages les plus intriguantes, plein de traits ou de caractéristiques particulières. Un genre de Romain Gary du polar. Même les titres de ses chapitres relèvent de cette fascination du particularité chez les personnes. Et le dernier paragraphe du livre renforce cette lecture du livre.
** English review
Simenon knows how to surprise the reader. This is a mystery both unlike others, and yet like slso. It’s all in theway the story is told. Everything is inside out. The crime is told to Maigret by another, many of the key elements are revealed via letters, or are revealed afterwards in Maigret’s own memory. The imperturbable judge, one of the main suspects, with whom Maigret develops a kind of affinity. I love reading a mystery told in this way, unexpected in its style. This isn’t the first time Simenon plays with us via the writing, and it won’t be the last. One suspects that after creating a kind of “formula” for the way Maigret solves a crime, Simenon wanted to step out of the formula, so that he wouldn’t get bored in the writing.
Also, more than any other mystery writer, I think, Simenon loves to paint a myriad of quirky characters - he is the Romain Gary of mystery writers, or, to use an English language reference, the John Irving of whodunits. Other mystery writers focus on the character of the detective more than on the suspects and witnesses. Simenon does that too, but partly as a result of Maigret’s observations of the others. Even his chapter titles emphasize the quirkiness of his characters - the “Potato Eaters” for example. The final paragraphs of the book confirm this reading, that the characters are the heart and soul of these books.
Simenon sait comment surprendre par ses écrits. Il n’y a rien d’habituel dans cette histoire, tout est à l’envers. Le crime racontée par un autre, le juge imperterble, les parties de l’histoire redigée dans des lettres, ou raconté par après dans les souvenirs de Maigret. J’adore lire le tout “de travers” comme cela. Ce n’est pas la première fois que Simenon joue comme cela, et ce ne sera pas la dernière non plus. On dirai qu’il avait horreur des formules, et que même si son inpecteur suivait une formule après l’avoir créer, que Simenon s’est arrangé pour bousculer le tout par sa manière de l’écrire. La plupart des auteurs de polars suivent une formule, mais Simenon l’évite, au moins une partie du temps.
Aussi, plus que tout autre écrivain de polars. Simenon adore peindre des personnages les plus intriguantes, plein de traits ou de caractéristiques particulières. Un genre de Romain Gary du polar. Même les titres de ses chapitres relèvent de cette fascination du particularité chez les personnes. Et le dernier paragraphe du livre renforce cette lecture du livre.
** English review
Simenon knows how to surprise the reader. This is a mystery both unlike others, and yet like slso. It’s all in theway the story is told. Everything is inside out. The crime is told to Maigret by another, many of the key elements are revealed via letters, or are revealed afterwards in Maigret’s own memory. The imperturbable judge, one of the main suspects, with whom Maigret develops a kind of affinity. I love reading a mystery told in this way, unexpected in its style. This isn’t the first time Simenon plays with us via the writing, and it won’t be the last. One suspects that after creating a kind of “formula” for the way Maigret solves a crime, Simenon wanted to step out of the formula, so that he wouldn’t get bored in the writing.
Also, more than any other mystery writer, I think, Simenon loves to paint a myriad of quirky characters - he is the Romain Gary of mystery writers, or, to use an English language reference, the John Irving of whodunits. Other mystery writers focus on the character of the detective more than on the suspects and witnesses. Simenon does that too, but partly as a result of Maigret’s observations of the others. Even his chapter titles emphasize the quirkiness of his characters - the “Potato Eaters” for example. The final paragraphs of the book confirm this reading, that the characters are the heart and soul of these books.
han_cat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0