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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
A rare miss as Simenon tackles America's favourite pastime: drunk driving.
Partial blame goes to the translator (presumably English?) who uses UK driving/road terms instead of American, which comes out weird given the setting. Or maybe the book is just that old.
There is one good scene that captures that weird feeling of being stranded at a roadside truckstop/restaurant.
Partial blame goes to the translator (presumably English?) who uses UK driving/road terms instead of American, which comes out weird given the setting. Or maybe the book is just that old.
There is one good scene that captures that weird feeling of being stranded at a roadside truckstop/restaurant.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Prima o poi comincerò a leggere il Simenon di Maigret. È che le sue deviazioni dalla linea principale le trovo incantevoli. In questo 'Luci nella notte' ci sono pochi protagonisti e una storia piuttosto semplice, eppure l'ho trovato di una grandissima ricchezza. Ho avuto il tempo di affezionarmi ai personaggi, al protagonista maschile - un po' altalenante, a dire il vero - ma soprattutto alla protagonista femminile. E anche il poliziotto che compare a un certo punto (senza aggiungere altro): come si fa a non volergli bene?
Wow. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.
In a brief book that will weld itself to your hands until you finish it, Simenon nails a large bunch of issues from power in marriage, masculinity, views on men and women, as well as the "romance" of th American drive.
In a brief book that will weld itself to your hands until you finish it, Simenon nails a large bunch of issues from power in marriage, masculinity, views on men and women, as well as the "romance" of th American drive.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Until reading [b:The Man Who Wasn't Maigret|565097|The Man Who Wasn't Maigret|Patrick Marnham|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1175836709s/565097.jpg|43526] yesterday I had never really felt any urge to read a Simenon that wasn't a Maigret but the amount of praise heaped upon his roman dur oeuvre and collected in his biography I knew this would be the next thing I read.
A dark noir-like tale of one mans weaknesses and the unravelling of a life over one reckless night reminding me of both [a:David Goodis|7623|David Goodis|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1260774065p2/7623.jpg] (a recent discovery of mine) and the characters contained within [b:Men Without Women|778861|Men Without Women (Arrow Classic)|Ernest Hemingway|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FA762EP2L._SL75_.jpg|764891]. It even called to mind parts of [b:American Purgatorio|611361|American Purgatorio|John Haskell|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YVBJlAv%2BL._SL75_.jpg|1271412] a more recent novel in a similar setting.
The theme of losing your mind and the discovery of yourself on the highways of America is obviously a strong and overly used one but in Red Lights Simenon manages to achieve something that is slight in mass but even more powerful for it.
It may have been written in 1953 but it feels timeless; not just in that the prose hasn't dated but that these characters, these actions, the psychological turmoil and dissatisfaction with life could just as easily be written about people in 2012.
An incredibly easy and enjoyable read, I'm stunned at the speed at which I devoured this one and look forward to reading more of the stuff Simenon thought he deserved a Nobel prize for.
A dark noir-like tale of one mans weaknesses and the unravelling of a life over one reckless night reminding me of both [a:David Goodis|7623|David Goodis|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1260774065p2/7623.jpg] (a recent discovery of mine) and the characters contained within [b:Men Without Women|778861|Men Without Women (Arrow Classic)|Ernest Hemingway|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FA762EP2L._SL75_.jpg|764891]. It even called to mind parts of [b:American Purgatorio|611361|American Purgatorio|John Haskell|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YVBJlAv%2BL._SL75_.jpg|1271412] a more recent novel in a similar setting.
The theme of losing your mind and the discovery of yourself on the highways of America is obviously a strong and overly used one but in Red Lights Simenon manages to achieve something that is slight in mass but even more powerful for it.
It may have been written in 1953 but it feels timeless; not just in that the prose hasn't dated but that these characters, these actions, the psychological turmoil and dissatisfaction with life could just as easily be written about people in 2012.
An incredibly easy and enjoyable read, I'm stunned at the speed at which I devoured this one and look forward to reading more of the stuff Simenon thought he deserved a Nobel prize for.
Into the Tunnel
Review of the No Exit Books paperback edition (January 2, 2003) of a translation by [a:Norman Denny|809296|Norman Denny|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] originally published in the Hamish Hamilton omnibus edition [b:Danger Ahead comprising: Red Lights and The Watchmaker of Everton|166860878|Danger Ahead comprising Red Lights and The Watchmaker of Everton|Georges Simenon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1698032007l/166860878._SX50_.jpg|176789728] (1955) of the French language original [b:Feux rouges|189510339|Feux rouges|Georges Simenon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1696124312l/189510339._SY75_.jpg|135632] (1953).
During a mini-binge in 2022 I read those several of Simenon's non-Maigret novels which were easily available in current print, the new translations from Penguin Books. I was intrigued by Paul Ataua's recent 5-star review of Red Lights and I managed to source a nice used copy of a 2003 edition.
Nancy and Steve Hogan are making a Labour Day weekend trip from their home on Long Island, NY to bring their 2 children back from summer camp in Maine. Steve is entering one of his black moods and begins to use every opportunity on the road to sneak a drink. The couple argue and Nancy abandons Steve at a roadside bar, leaving a note in the car that she will take a bus instead. Steve continues to drink at the bar and makes an acquaintance of a stranger. Meanwhile the radio announces that there is an escaped convict from Sing Sing Prison in the vicinity. In his reckless urge to cut loose, Steve gives the stranger a ride.
Cover for the original French language edition published by Presses de la Cite in 1953. Image sourced from Goodreads.
Awakening from a drunken stupor next morning Steve is in his car at the side of the road with a flat tire and no wallet. Reaching a garage and phoning the summer camp he learns that his wife never arrived at the destination. Where is his wife and what happened to her? Steve begins a redemption journey out of his 'tunnel' but there are yet more horrors to discover.
A beat-up copy of the cover for the 1955 omnibus edition "Danger Ahead" which included "Red Lights". The cover shows the escaped criminal riding in the car with Steve Hogan. Image sourced from Goodreads.
This was a superb drama which built suspense very gradually from what began as a somewhat foolish alcoholic binge. I thought it was one of the best of Simenon.
Red Lights is the 8th of my readings of Georges Simenon's romans durs* (French: hard novels) which was his nickname for his non-Chief Inspector Maigret fiction. This is like [a:Graham Greene|2533|Graham Greene|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1254688603p2/2533.jpg], who divided his work into his "entertainments" and his actual "novels." Similar to Greene, the borders between the two areas are blurred as we are often still dealing with crime and the issues of morals and ethics. Simenon's romans durs are definitely in noir territory though, as compared to the sometimes lighter Maigrets where the often cantankerous Chief Inspector provides a solution and the guilty are brought to justice.
Trivia and Links
* There is an almost complete selection of 102 books in the Goodreads' Listopia of Simenon's romans durs which you can see here. Other sources say there are at least 117 of them, such as listed at Art and Popular Culture and in the Library Thing "Non-Maigret Series" listing.
Feux rouges was adapted for the same-titledFrench language film in 2004 directed by Cédric Kahn, starring Jean-Pierre Darroussin and Carole Bouquet. An English language subtitled trailer for the film can be seen on YouTube here.
There is a plot summary for Red Lights at its Wikipedia page here with plot spoilers obviously.
Review of the No Exit Books paperback edition (January 2, 2003) of a translation by [a:Norman Denny|809296|Norman Denny|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] originally published in the Hamish Hamilton omnibus edition [b:Danger Ahead comprising: Red Lights and The Watchmaker of Everton|166860878|Danger Ahead comprising Red Lights and The Watchmaker of Everton|Georges Simenon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1698032007l/166860878._SX50_.jpg|176789728] (1955) of the French language original [b:Feux rouges|189510339|Feux rouges|Georges Simenon|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1696124312l/189510339._SY75_.jpg|135632] (1953).
He called it 'going into the tunnel', an expression of his own, for his private use, which he never used in talking to anyone else, least of all to his wife.
During a mini-binge in 2022 I read those several of Simenon's non-Maigret novels which were easily available in current print, the new translations from Penguin Books. I was intrigued by Paul Ataua's recent 5-star review of Red Lights and I managed to source a nice used copy of a 2003 edition.
Nancy and Steve Hogan are making a Labour Day weekend trip from their home on Long Island, NY to bring their 2 children back from summer camp in Maine. Steve is entering one of his black moods and begins to use every opportunity on the road to sneak a drink. The couple argue and Nancy abandons Steve at a roadside bar, leaving a note in the car that she will take a bus instead. Steve continues to drink at the bar and makes an acquaintance of a stranger. Meanwhile the radio announces that there is an escaped convict from Sing Sing Prison in the vicinity. In his reckless urge to cut loose, Steve gives the stranger a ride.
Cover for the original French language edition published by Presses de la Cite in 1953. Image sourced from Goodreads.
Awakening from a drunken stupor next morning Steve is in his car at the side of the road with a flat tire and no wallet. Reaching a garage and phoning the summer camp he learns that his wife never arrived at the destination. Where is his wife and what happened to her? Steve begins a redemption journey out of his 'tunnel' but there are yet more horrors to discover.
A beat-up copy of the cover for the 1955 omnibus edition "Danger Ahead" which included "Red Lights". The cover shows the escaped criminal riding in the car with Steve Hogan. Image sourced from Goodreads.
This was a superb drama which built suspense very gradually from what began as a somewhat foolish alcoholic binge. I thought it was one of the best of Simenon.
Red Lights is the 8th of my readings of Georges Simenon's romans durs* (French: hard novels) which was his nickname for his non-Chief Inspector Maigret fiction. This is like [a:Graham Greene|2533|Graham Greene|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1254688603p2/2533.jpg], who divided his work into his "entertainments" and his actual "novels." Similar to Greene, the borders between the two areas are blurred as we are often still dealing with crime and the issues of morals and ethics. Simenon's romans durs are definitely in noir territory though, as compared to the sometimes lighter Maigrets where the often cantankerous Chief Inspector provides a solution and the guilty are brought to justice.
Trivia and Links
* There is an almost complete selection of 102 books in the Goodreads' Listopia of Simenon's romans durs which you can see here. Other sources say there are at least 117 of them, such as listed at Art and Popular Culture and in the Library Thing "Non-Maigret Series" listing.
Feux rouges was adapted for the same-titledFrench language film in 2004 directed by Cédric Kahn, starring Jean-Pierre Darroussin and Carole Bouquet. An English language subtitled trailer for the film can be seen on YouTube here.
There is a plot summary for Red Lights at its Wikipedia page here with plot spoilers obviously.
Red Lights by Belgian author Georges Simenon takes place in 1950s America, where nearly everyone drives a car and the highways are jam packed. And that's Red Lights as in all the red tail lights a driver sees when driving at night. “What got on his nerves was the incessant hum of wheels on either side of him, the headlights rushing to meet him every hundred yards, and also the sensation of being caught in a tide, with no way of escaping either to right or to left, or even of driving more slowly, because his mirror showed a triple string of lights following bumper-to-bumper behind him.”
Red Lights is vintage Simenon, a psychological study of a man pushed beyond his normal limits and conventional day-to-day routine, the type of non-Inspector Maigret novel the author himself termed romans durs or “hard novel,” as in hard on both his characters within the novel and readers of the novel. And it’s the sequence of psychological states of main character Steve Hogan during the time leading up to the story’s dramatic crisis I find particularly fascinating.
Steve’s private term – “going into the tunnel” – not a fit of rage but a slow burn down, a subterranean brick and mortar passageway into the dark recesses of his own psyche with prods, presses and jabs from the suffocating outside world serving as the bricks and intake of hard liquor as the mortar.
It all started in Manhattan after a long hot day at the office – as per usual, Steve meets his wife Nancy at their favorite midtown watering hole and, also as per usual, Nancy looks as fresh as fresh can be while Steve knows he looks like a sweaty beaten down dog. It’s the evening they will have to drive up to Maine to bring their two kids back from summer camp. Highway hell in the summer. Doesn’t this rate another drink? Nope. Nancy can sense he wants one for the road and tells him its time to leave.
Bumper-to-bumper traffic as soon as they get in their car and head for home on Long Island before the long trip north. No problem – once home Steve tells Nancy he’ll be back in a minute after he fills up the tank with gas and has the tires checked. While the car is being taken care of at the station, Steve pops in at a bar next door to have some whiskey. Steve knows he gets more annoyed with Nancy after he drinks but, damn, he has a hellish drive ahead of him.
Steve and Nancy get on the road with thousands of other cars crawling along in traffic; Steve can see each car has another Steve or Bill behind the wheel and another Nancy or Mary in the passenger seat. Enough to make a guy feel like a faceless nobody. And Nancy doesn’t have to give orders - map on her lap, Steve knows she is the one in charge, the one who will always know which turn to make and which roads to take. Switching from one slow lane to another even slower lane, one thing’s for sure – Steve needs another drink.
Back in the car, after his much needed drink (actually two stiff drinks), feeling manlier than ever, Steve has his own ideas about which way they should turn. Do you want to start a quarrel, Nancy? And don’t tell me I nearly went off the road! Simenon writes: “He was laboriously struggling to express something he felt, which he was convinced he had felt every day of his life throughout the eleven years they had been married. It was not the first time it happened, but now he was sure he had made a discovery that would enable him to explain everything. She would have to understand sometime, wouldn’t she? And the day she understood, maybe she’d try and treat him like a grown man.”
A few more bad turns, miles away from the main highway, Steve demands to stop for yet another drink. Nancy threatens if he does stop, she will leave. Steve stops, walks in the bar, knowing he has to teach Nancy a lesson. After a few much needed shots, Steve returns to his car – Nancy is gone. But he does have a passenger – one Sid Halligan, an escapee from Sing Sing prison. Turns out, Steve finds somebody he can really talk to, someone who appreciates and understands sometimes it is necessary to “go off the tracks.”
What makes Simenon a great writer is his uncanny ability to make every single sentence count. We live through Steve’s going into his tunnel and off the tracks – Steve’s every move, his every thought, his shifting liquor-fueled emotions and feelings. Roger Ebert judged Simenon’s prose style as pure as running water. And as Anita Brookner writes in her Introduction: “Simenon deliberately scaled down his vocabulary to ensure that no potential reader, however humble, was excluded.” Are you an avid Simenon fan? Are you new to Simenon? Either way, Red Lights will make for one rewarding read, and that's for certain.
"He needed a mouthful of whiskey if he was to drive even passably well. His very safety required it. He was so feverish that he was continually afraid of jerking the wheel and colliding with the cars in the next lane." -- Georges Simenon, Red Lights
Pretty good psychological drama with a bit of suspense. It was written in the 1950s, and one thing that struck me is that when the main character uses a pay phone, he repeatedly gets the same switchboard operator, who remembers and recognizes him. Remember when the world was so small and intimate? It seems like we are all connected now, but it's an illusion.