Maigret on the Defensive
by Georges Simenon
Book Summary Information
Author: Georges SimenonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1987-09
ISBN: 0380704099
Number of pages: 155
Publisher: Avon Books
Book Reviews of Maigret on the Defensive
Book Review: J'accuse!
Summary: 4 Stars
One of the nice things about my last trip to New York was the fact that I had enough time to visit my favorite brick and mortar bookstore (on Broadway and 12th Street), a place filled with old and out-of-print books. I left with four old Inspector Maigret stories by Georges Simenon and started "Maigret on the Defensive" on the way home.
Maigret is on the defensive because he has been accused by a young woman of an indecent assault on a young, innocent girl. The girl, Nicole Prieur, is the daughter of a highly placed government official. Maigret is summoned to the Commissioner's office. The Commissioner advises Maigret that the matter is being investigated, scoffs at Maigret's version of events, and suggests that Maigret submit his resignation before things get worse for him. As he prepares to leave the Commissioner prohibits Maigret from questioning his accuser and from mentioning the investigation to any of his colleagues.
The most compelling aspect of "Maigret on the Defensive" is not the plot, which unfolds in Simenon's typical straightforward fashion, but the narrative's look at a man responding to an assault on his integrity and character. Written in 1964 it has been 33 years since the first Maigret story (the last was published in 1972) and Maigret is beginning to feel the weight of his years. He chafes at the antics of the new Commissioner, a political appointee with absolutely no knowledge of police work. He is annoyed at the insinuation that tactics he has used for 33 years (reliance on informers amongst them) are considered obsolete and unseemly by his superior. He is mortified and angry that after his long career that someone would accuse him of acting in an indecent manner. Most of all, he seems tired and a concerned that maybe, just maybe, time has passed him by. Fortunately for Maigret, his `men' (and Mrs. Maigret in her own quiet way) have no doubt that Maigret is innocent and go to great lengths to assist Maigret in getting to the facts behind the accusation. In the hands of a lesser writer this loyalty would seem trite and more than a bit forced. In the hands of Simenon, it seems entirely natural.
I admit to being a fan of Simenon. To say he was prolific would be an understatement. He wrote over 100 Maigret stories and at least 100 other books. But he was never prolix. For all the books he wrote a reader would be hard pressed to find an unnecessary sentence. His writing is sparse, not effusive, and he never felt the need to over dramatize his characters. The emotions were all inferred and left to the reader to discover. He didn't bang you over the head with it.
"Maigret on the Defensive" is a good example of the `essential' Simenon. Recommended. L. Fleisig
Mystery & Thrillers Books
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