Keeping them all straight
From 1931 to 1972, Belgian-French author Georges Simenon published 75 novels in his Inspector Maigret series of mysteries. (There are also 28 short stories, none of which I’ve read.) The star of these books, Jules Maigret, is superintendent of the Police Judiciaire in Paris. He works out of the police headquarters on the Quai des Orfèvres, where he heads a team of detectives—Janvier, Lucas, Lapointe, and Torrence—who appear as recurring characters throughout the series. Rather unusual for a detective series born in the 1930s, Maigret is married. Madame Maigret appears in almost every book and occasionally has a major role in a case. Although his home and office are in Paris, duty often calls Maigret farther afield to locations all over France, elsewhere in Europe, and even to the United States. The variety in Maigret’s cases allows the reader glimpses into different aspects of French society: metropolitan and provincial, rich and poor, urban and rural, and various regional distinctions.
I never set out to read all these books, but I keep finding them in used book stores and library sales at very inexpensive prices. When I pick up a Maigret novel, I’m pretty sure I’m in for a good read. The worst of these novels are above average for the mystery genre, and the best of them are excellent.
When I find a Maigret novel, however, it is often difficult to tell whether I’m buying the same book twice because the English editions have been published under so many different titles. I decided I need a checklist to keep them all straight. Below is a list of all the novels in the series. The books I’ve read and reviewed are highlighted in blue. Click on the titles to read the complete reviews.
uncredited cover designs
English titles: Pietr the Latvian, The Strange Case of Peter the Lett, Maigret and the Enigmatic Lett, Suite at the Majestic
2. Le Charretier de “la Providence” (1931)
English titles: Lock 14, The Crime at Lock 14, Maigret Meets a Milord, The Carter of La Providence
3. M. Gallet décédé (1931)
English titles: The Late Monsieur Gallet, The Death of Monsieur Gallet, Maigret Stonewalled
4. Le Pendu de Saint-Pholien (1931)
English titles: The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien, The Crime of Inspector Maigret, Maigret and the Hundred Gibbets
5. La Tête d’un homme (1931)
English titles: A Man’s Head, A Battle of Nerves, The Patience of Maigret, Maigret’s War of Nerves
6. Le Chien jaune (1931)
English titles: The Yellow Dog, Maigret and the Yellow Dog, Maigret and the Concarneau Murders, A Face for a Clue
7. La Nuit du carrefour (1931)
English titles: The Night at the Crossroads, The Crossroad Murders, Maigret at the Crossroads
8. Un crime en Hollande (1931)
English titles: Maigret in Holland, A Crime in Holland
9. Au rendez-vous des Terre-Neuvas (1931)
English titles: The Grand Banks Café, The Sailors’s Rendezvous, Maigret Answers a Plea
10. La Danseuse du Gai-Moulin (1931)
English titles: The Dancer at the Gai-Moulin, At the “Gai-Moulin”, Maigret at the “Gai-Moulin”
11. La Guinguette à deux sous (1932)
English titles: Maigret and the Tavern by the Seine, The Guinguette by the Seine, Maigret to the Rescue, A Spot by the Seine, The Bar on the Seine, The Two-Penny Bar
12. L’Ombre chinoise (1932)
English titles: The Shadow Puppet, The Shadow in the Courtyard, Maigret Mystified
13. L’Affaire Saint-Fiacre (1932)
English titles: The Saint-Fiacre Affair, Maigret and the Countess, Maigret Goes Home, Maigret on Home Ground
14. Chez les Flamands (1932)
English titles: The Flemish House, The Flemish Shop, Maigret and the Flemish Shop
15. Le Port des brumes (1932)
English titles: The Misty Harbour, Death of a Harbor Master, Maigret and the Death of a Harbor Master
16. Le Fou de Bergerac (1932)
English titles: The Madman of Bergerac
17. Liberty Bar (1932)
English titles: Liberty Bar, Maigret on the Riviera
18. L’Écluse no. 1 (1933)
English titles: Lock No. 1, The Lock at Charenton, Maigret Sits it Out
19. Maigret (1934)
English titles: Maigret Returns, Maigret
20. Les Caves du Majestic (1942)
English titles: The Hotel Majestic, Maigret and the Hotel Majestic, The Cellars of the Majestic
21. La Maison du juge (1942)
English titles: Maigret in Exile, The Judge’s House
22. Cécile est morte (1942)
English titles: Cécile is Dead, Maigret and the Spinster
23. Signé Picpus (1944)
English titles: Maigret and the Fortuneteller; To Any Lengths; Signed, Picpus
24. Félicie est là (1944)
English titles: Félicie, Maigret and the Toy Village
25. L’Inspecteur Cadavre (1944)
English titles: Maigret’s Rival, Inspector Cadaver
26. Maigret se fâche (1947)
English titles: Maigret Gets Angry, Maigret in Retirement
27. Maigret à New York (1947)
English titles: Inspector Maigret in New York’s Underworld, Maigret in New York
28. Les vacances de Maigret (1948)
English titles: Maigret’s Holiday, A Summer Holiday, No Vacation for Maigret
29. Maigret et son mort (1948)
English titles: Maigret’s Dead Man, Maigret’s Special Murder
30. La première enquête de Maigret (1949)
English titles: Maigret’s First Case
31. Mon ami Maigret (1949)
English titles: My Friend Maigret, The Methods of Maigret
32. Maigret chez le coroner (1949)
English titles: Maigret at the Coroner’s, Maigret and the Coroner
33. Maigret et la vieille dame (1949)
English titles: Maigret and the Old Lady
34. L’Amie de Mme. Maigret (1950)
English titles: Madam Maigret’s Friend, Madam Maigret’s Own Case, The Friend of Madame Maigret
35. Les Mémoires de Maigret (1951)
English titles: Maigret’s Memoirs
36. Maigret au “Picratt’s” (1951)
English titles: Maigret in Montmartre, Inspector Maigret and the Strangled Stripper, Maigret at Picratt’s
37. Maigret en meublé (1951)
English titles: Maigret Takes a Room
38. Maigret et la grande perche (1951)
English titles: Maigret and the Tall Woman, Maigret and the Burglar’s Wife
Bob Silverman cover designs
English titles: Maigret, Lognon and the Gangsters; Inspector Maigret and the Killers; Maigret and the Gangsters
40. Le Revolver de Maigret (1952)
English titles: Maigret’s Revolver
41. Maigret et l’homme du banc (1953)
English titles: Maigret and the Man on the Boulevard, Maigret and the Man on the Bench, The Man on the Boulevard
42. Maigret a peur (1953)
English titles: Maigret Afraid, Maigret is Afraid
43. Maigret se trompe (1953)
English titles: Maigret’s Mistake
44. Maigret à l’école (1954)
English titles: Maigret Goes to School
45. Maigret et la jeune morte (1954)
English titles: Maigret and the Dead Girl, Maigret and the Young Girl
46. Maigret chez le ministre (1954)
English titles: Maigret and the Calame Report, Maigret and the Minister
47. Maigret et le corps sans tête (1955)
English titles: Maigret and the Headless Corpse
48. Maigret tend un piège (1955)
English titles: Maigret Sets a Trap
49. Un échec de Maigret (1956)
English titles: Maigret’s Failure
50. Maigret s’amuse (1957)
English titles: Maigret’s Little Joke, Maigret Amuses Himself, None of Maigret’s Business
51. Maigret voyage (1958)
English titles: Maigret Travels, Maigret and the Millionaires
52. Les Scrupules de Maigret (1958)
English titles: Maigret Has Scruples, Maigret’s Doubts
53. Maigret et les témoins récalcitrants (1959)
English titles: Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses
54. Une confidence de Maigret (1959)
English titles: Maigret Has Doubts, Maigret’s Secret
55. Maigret aux assises (1960)
English titles: Maigret in Court
56. Maigret et les vieillards (1960)
English titles: Maigret and the Old People, Maigret in Society
57. Maigret et le voleur paresseux (1961)
English titles: Maigret and the Lazy Burglar, Maigret and the Idle Burglar
58. Maigret et les braves gens (1962)
English titles: Maigret and the Good People of Montparnasse, Maigret and the Black Sheep
59. Maigret et le client du samedi (1962)
English titles: Maigret and the Saturday Caller
60. Maigret et le clochard (1963)
English titles: Maigret and the Bum, Maigret and the Dosser, Maigret and the Tramp
61. La Colère de Maigret (1963)
English titles: Maigret’s Anger, Maigret Loses His Temper
62. Maigret et le fantôme (1964)
English titles: Maigret and the Ghost, Maigret and the Apparition
63. Maigret se défend (1964)
English titles: Maigret Defends Himself, Maigret on the Defensive
64. La Patience de Maigret (1965)
English titles: Maigret’s Patience, Maigret Bides His Time, The Patience of Maigret
65. Maigret et l’affaire Nahour (1966)
English titles: Maigret and the Nahour Case
66. Le Voleur de Maigret (1967)
English titles: Maigret’s Pickpocket, Maigret and the Pickpocket
67. Maigret à Vichy (1968)
English titles: Maigret in Vichy, Maigret Takes the Waters
68. Maigret hésite (1968)
English titles: Maigret Hesitates
69. L’Ami d’enfance de Maigret (1968)
English titles: Maigret’s Childhood Friend, Maigret’s Boyhood Friend
70. Maigret et le tueur (1969)
English titles: Maigret and the Killer
71. Maigret et le marchand de vin (1970)
English titles: Maigret and the Wine Merchant
72. La Folle de Maigret (1970)
English titles: Maigret’s Madwoman, Maigret and the Madwoman
73. Maigret et l’homme tout seul (1971)
English titles: Maigret and the Loner
74. Maigret et l’indicateur (1971)
English titles: Maigret and the Informer, Maigret and the Flea
75. Maigret et Monsieur Charles (1972)
English titles: Maigret and Monsieur Charles
Alceu Chiesorin Nunes cover designs
No comments:
Post a Comment