Simenon

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Where to start? I'm not really so interested in his Maigret novels, more in his psychological novels, what he called romans durs. But because he wrote several hundred books there's a need to sort the wheat from the chaff. I'd love a list of what critics think his ten best novels are or whatever. I'm reading one called La chambre bleue right now - adultery and murder, it's pretty good so far, I really like his writing style. (Pretty sexually explicit for its time as well: "la tache sombre du sexe d'où sourdait un filet de sperme" - and that's on the first page!)

― underpants of the gods, Thursday, 17 May 2007 14:47 (eighteen years ago)

try "black snow" and "the man who watched trains go by" first.
the first is the best noir like,the second is the best Kafka/existentialst one.
those are 2 of the best of the best,also by most critics.

― Zeno, Thursday, 17 May 2007 16:04 (eighteen years ago)

The only one I've read is Monsieur Monde Vanishes. It was thoroughly enjoyable, but not brilliant. I'd recommend it though if you like his style.

― wmlynch, Thursday, 17 May 2007 17:46 (eighteen years ago)

Man Who Watched Trains Go By is great but the EXISTENTIALIST angle is overplayed while "really fucking funny" angle is ignored.

― C0L1N B..., Thursday, 17 May 2007 22:58 (eighteen years ago)

An off-the-top-of-my-head list of 11 great non-Maigrets (though I really dig them too), limited to those in print...

The Engagement
Black Snow/Dirty Snow (depending on the translator)
The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By
Tropic Moon
Three Crimes (semi-autobiographical)
The Blue Room
Striptease
Three Bedrooms in Manhattan
Monsieur Monde Vanishes
The Strangers in the House
Red Lights (recently semi-successfully filmed)

― James Morrison, Thursday, 17 May 2007 23:16 (eighteen years ago)

Make it 12, and add The Little Man from Archangel

― James Morrison, Sunday, 20 May 2007 03:58 (eighteen years ago)

In general, I've enjoyed most of the Simenon I've read, but didn't much care for Dirty Snow (La neige était sale). I can't exactly remember why. I don't know if there is any kind of consensus on what his best works are - there are just too many for any sane person to read, perhaps.

Most recently I picked up La maison des sept jeunes filles, which was different again from all the others I've read (not all that many, really, maybe ten) - more of a comedy - almost in the vein of Wodehouse!

― Jeff LeVine, Tuesday, 22 May 2007 18:11 (eighteen years ago)

Luc Sante on Simenon

― Jeff LeVine, Friday, 1 June 2007 18:40 (eighteen years ago)

the paris review interview is pretty neat, if i remember correct like

― thomp, Sunday, 3 June 2007 02:59 (eighteen years ago)

ooh, pdf: http://www.parisreview.com/viewinterview.php/prmMID/5020

― thomp, Sunday, 3 June 2007 03:01 (eighteen years ago)

eleven months pass...

i did not remember posting on this thread before searching for it.

i just read 'the strangers in the house', it's the best psychological novel you could ever write that also happens to be a perry mason.

also, guy wrote smth like four hundred and eight novels. i wish i could do that.

― thomp, Saturday, 17 May 2008 19:38 (seventeen years ago)

i've got a great idea for 408 books, it's just finding the time to write it

― thomp, Saturday, 17 May 2008 19:38 (seventeen years ago)

Why do you wish you could do that? It seems like a few hundred too many.

― Casuistry, Sunday, 18 May 2008 05:54 (seventeen years ago)

I think he said he could write a book in 10 days. Of course, he also said he slept with 10,000 women.

― James Morrison, Monday, 19 May 2008 04:21 (seventeen years ago)

That also seems like a few hundred too many.

― Casuistry, Monday, 19 May 2008 06:26 (seventeen years ago)

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