Scan barcode
kingarooski's review against another edition
4.0
Maigret books are a perfect short read with resolutions and closure. In this one, Maigret tracks down the killer of a woman amonth the carters and barge owners near the locks. Tidy and well-paced.
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
4.0
The second in the Maigret series (although there's some suggestion it could be the fourth although I've done zero fact checking one way or the other), this one really re-affirmed my decision to go right back to the start, and work my way through the audio versions of this series (the anti-semitism and casual racism in the first one nearly derailed the quest). Of course the timing of this series has to be taken into account so this time, so the vaguely censorial nature of the commentary of the victim, and the "set" she socialised in was sort of to be expected, although the slight sense of "longing" that came through in Maigret's observations wasn't what I'd expected at all.
Considerably more observational and reflective than the earlier entry as well, this is Maigret as I remember him. Standing in the pouring rain, or leaping onto a bicycle and heading up and down the canals, he's dogged and determined, but he's also almost funny in some places. And there are digs all the way through - brazen fleshed womenfolk protecting their men; a louche British colonel and his mistress; a retinue of people attached to the pleasure yacht that stands out amongst the working canal boats; and the hedonistic lifestyle of the pleasure seekers as opposed to the workers of the canal. At the centre of it all the pipe in mouth, pensive Maigret, sorting his way through a myriad of small, inconsequential bits of information to find the solution to how and why a well-dressed, glamorous woman like Mary Lampson (third wife of the aforementioned British colonel) ended up strangled in a stable wearing, of all things, her pearl earrings, a stylish bracelet and white buckskin shoes.
All in all this outing was considerably more enjoyable than the earlier novel - it flowed really well, it was well constructed for audio, with a plot that you could really keep up with, and a storyline full of observations and descriptions that really drew out the sense of place and time (it seems Simenon was a boat enthusiast himself so he must have written what he knew about the people and canal life).
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/carter-la-providence-georges-simenon
Considerably more observational and reflective than the earlier entry as well, this is Maigret as I remember him. Standing in the pouring rain, or leaping onto a bicycle and heading up and down the canals, he's dogged and determined, but he's also almost funny in some places. And there are digs all the way through - brazen fleshed womenfolk protecting their men; a louche British colonel and his mistress; a retinue of people attached to the pleasure yacht that stands out amongst the working canal boats; and the hedonistic lifestyle of the pleasure seekers as opposed to the workers of the canal. At the centre of it all the pipe in mouth, pensive Maigret, sorting his way through a myriad of small, inconsequential bits of information to find the solution to how and why a well-dressed, glamorous woman like Mary Lampson (third wife of the aforementioned British colonel) ended up strangled in a stable wearing, of all things, her pearl earrings, a stylish bracelet and white buckskin shoes.
All in all this outing was considerably more enjoyable than the earlier novel - it flowed really well, it was well constructed for audio, with a plot that you could really keep up with, and a storyline full of observations and descriptions that really drew out the sense of place and time (it seems Simenon was a boat enthusiast himself so he must have written what he knew about the people and canal life).
https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/carter-la-providence-georges-simenon
jonathanrobert'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? No
2.0
itzami's review against another edition
3.0
Coming from more recent books of Maigret’s stories, you can really tell that this one was done really at the start. It lacks Maguire’s personality in it but the scenery descriptions are amazing.
It’s interesting that you can see Simenon’s writing evolving and how Maigret is being shaped with each book.
The story was fine, but the narrative was confusing sometimes! There were a lot of jumps between places, one paragraph after another and it made the reading a bit chaotic.
In any case, it’s a fun read.
It’s interesting that you can see Simenon’s writing evolving and how Maigret is being shaped with each book.
The story was fine, but the narrative was confusing sometimes! There were a lot of jumps between places, one paragraph after another and it made the reading a bit chaotic.
In any case, it’s a fun read.
dcsilbertrust's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
megmitch86's review against another edition
I typically really like Simenon (awkward breast fixation aside) but this one gets a big old "what the hell is happening here" from me. The man clearly loved boats even more than boobs. Barges and locks, barges and locks. Remember the guy we all dated in college who'd watch the game (any game, didn't matter) over your head on restaurant TVs? That's Simenon, but with boats.
comrade_pikachu's review against another edition
2.25
There is so much tiresome detail about the lock and barge systems of early 20th century France. Clues were found randomly scattered where the detective was looking…
The characters were the only interesting part of the book, and none are very memorable. The title also annoyed me; it gives too much away.
The characters were the only interesting part of the book, and none are very memorable. The title also annoyed me; it gives too much away.
weymouthreader843's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
fern17's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0