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alwaysamage's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.0
Listen up, Sherlock, and Hercule Poirot. Inspector Maigret has joined the table. This one took me back on how short, readable, and well-developed the story was. It's a classic gem that doesn't seem to get enough recognition. It's the seventh book in the series, but the good news is that it can be read as a standalone. I highly recommend it to all mystery fans out there who are looking for a story with the classic tropes that we all love in this genre.
jarichan's review against another edition
4.0
Ein weiter Fall für Kommissar Maigret. Und auch dieses Buch hatte alles, was ich an Maigret zu schätzen gelernt habe. Eine düstere Stimmung, ein spannender Fall und ganz viel Stimmung. Von Anfang an habe ich mitgerätselt, was für mich zu einem Krimi einfach dazu gehört. So falsch lag ich übrigens gar nicht! Maigret selbst überrascht mich immer wieder. Er wirkt oft so zurückhaltend, dass ich oft vergesse, dass er auch ganz anders kann. Aber das gehört wohl zu seinem Metier und er macht das richtig gut. Die Geschichten haben allesamt eine angenehme Länge, zögern nichts hinaus und bringen alles auf den Punkt, sorgen aber dennoch für Spannung. Ich bin immer noch froh, dass ich diese Bücher für mich entdecken durfte!
bookwomble's review against another edition
dark
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? Yes
4.0
Maigret number 7 presents a younger, more active and brash detective than I've come to know from the later books in the series, and it's fascinating to read them out of order to really feel the difference in temper, and yet still recognise the same character.
Where the later books are complex, this one is, instead, convoluted, which is not without its own attraction. This Maigret shows signs of the psychological method he will more fully develop as he matures, and I was a little shocked at the violence he was prepared to use in this case, both with his fists and his gun. At one point he's rather reckless, perhaps even displaying a touch of arrogance that the older Maigret would surely deplore.
If Simenon had intended to develop this growth of character from the outset over the course of four decades of writing, then he was a genius; if not, then he was inspired, perhaps, in a sense, possessed, by his great creation. And yet you could easily pick up any single book in the series and find it no more than a competent crime thriller. Inspired genius! Simenon hasn't let me down yet.
Where the later books are complex, this one is, instead, convoluted, which is not without its own attraction. This Maigret shows signs of the psychological method he will more fully develop as he matures, and I was a little shocked at the violence he was prepared to use in this case, both with his fists and his gun. At one point he's rather reckless, perhaps even displaying a touch of arrogance that the older Maigret would surely deplore.
If Simenon had intended to develop this growth of character from the outset over the course of four decades of writing, then he was a genius; if not, then he was inspired, perhaps, in a sense, possessed, by his great creation. And yet you could easily pick up any single book in the series and find it no more than a competent crime thriller. Inspired genius! Simenon hasn't let me down yet.
imlfox's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Gun violence
robshpprd's review against another edition
3.0
Eh. Decent mystery I guess. Ending wasn't terribly satisfying or interesting. Seems like it could make a better film than a novel; the characters are interesting. So I'm curious and hopeful about the Renoir adaptation.
ronanmcd's review against another edition
5.0
Tintin for grown ups. A very amusing, complex mystery in central France in the 1930s. Drenched in atmosphere
staticdisplay's review against another edition
3.0
the atmosphere in the house at the beginning was quite spectacular. the crimes goes a bit high drama which really shifted the tone of the story. most prominently, "the Italian Guido Ferrari" get out of here with that
srash's review against another edition
3.0
Revisiting Maigret after loving the stories as a teenager but being too far removed from reading them to remember what I had read. :)
I don't think I had read this one before, though it was my favorite episode of the Rowan Atkinson adaptation series. The book version is quite different, but that made reading this fun because I couldn't make educated guesses based on what I'd watched.
Captures what I like well about the series (the Continental tone--reminds me of Nordic Noir but less grim, the wry humor, the stellar opening scenes, refreshing lack of whimsy on the part of the detectives, an at times lyrical atmosphere that you don't often see in the genre while still being very pulpy and noirish), but it's still a fairly early work. I don't know that it's Simenon at his best, though it was fun.
This is, of course, an assumption on my part because, again, I can't remember for the life of me what I read years ago.
Still, I've resolved to read a Maigret every (other) day for the holidays, so more French murder awaits. . . .
I don't think I had read this one before, though it was my favorite episode of the Rowan Atkinson adaptation series. The book version is quite different, but that made reading this fun because I couldn't make educated guesses based on what I'd watched.
Captures what I like well about the series (the Continental tone--reminds me of Nordic Noir but less grim, the wry humor, the stellar opening scenes, refreshing lack of whimsy on the part of the detectives, an at times lyrical atmosphere that you don't often see in the genre while still being very pulpy and noirish), but it's still a fairly early work. I don't know that it's Simenon at his best, though it was fun.
This is, of course, an assumption on my part because, again, I can't remember for the life of me what I read years ago.
Still, I've resolved to read a Maigret every (other) day for the holidays, so more French murder awaits. . . .
frahorus's review against another edition
4.0
Stavolta il commissario Maigret dovrà affrontare uno strano caso in cui viene assassinato un ricettatore in un crocevia vicino a Parigi e dove in tale contrada ruotano le vite di una misteriosa famiglia danese, un assicuratore con moglie e un troppo loquace carrozziere. Chi sarà il colpevole? E la bella Elsa c'entra qualcosa?
Maigret, con la sua incredibile calma, riesce lentamente a conoscere tutti i protagonisti del crocevia e riesce, tra una fumata di pipa e un'altra, a risolvere anche questo mistero.
Maigret, con la sua incredibile calma, riesce lentamente a conoscere tutti i protagonisti del crocevia e riesce, tra una fumata di pipa e un'altra, a risolvere anche questo mistero.