SIMENON SIMENON. AN INTERESTING POSTSCRIPT

How Assouline asked three people to respond as Simenon would have

SIMENON SIMENON. UN POST-SCRIPTUM INTERESSANT 

Comment Assouline a demandé à trois personnes de répondre comme Simenon l’aurait fait 

SIMENON SIMENON. UN POST-SCRIPTUM INTERESSANTE

Come Assoluine ha chiesto a tre persone di rispondere come l'avrebbe fatto Simenon

Pierre Assouline appended an additions to his extensive biography Simenon. It is not included in the English translation. Anglophones may find the translated extraction below of interest.

After his biography’s publication in 1992, Assouline submitted television interviewer Bernard Pivot’s “ritual questionnaire,” which asks respondents to put themselves in Simenon’s shoes, to the three “people who had known him best.” 

Specifically, Assouline solicited Marc Simenon [MS], his oldest son, and Teresa Sburelin [TS], his “companion” who called him “Georges,” and Joyce Aitken [JA], his “collaborator” who called him “Boss.” The latter two teamed up in their responses. 

1. Your favorite word? 

[MS] Artisan. Humble. Father. Son. Mankind. And, in another train of thought: Soft. Voluptuousness. Mademoiselle. Flavor. 

 [TS & JA] Sincerity. Humility. 

2. The word you detest? 

[MS] Wait. Failure. Poverty. Potentate. Amateurism. 

[TS & JA] Solitude. Servants. 

3. Your favorite drug? 

[MS] Pipe tobacco. La Femme !! 

 [TS & JA] Nature walks. 

4. The sound, the noise you love? 

[MS] (The one he has in his head) (The noise of silence) Birds. 

[TS & JA] Silence. 

5. The sound, the noise you detest? 

 [MS] (All) Machines. Klaxon. Siren… As you know, he detested noise in general. 

[TS & JA] An organ. 

6. Your swear word, dirty word, or favorite blasphemy? 

[MS] Nom de Dieu. Shit. Scoundrel. Bastard. 

[TS & JA] We never heard him swear. He used to reprimand us on “s…” 

7. Man or woman to illustrate a new dollar bill? 

[MS] Charlie Chaplin. Einstein. 

[TS & JA] Stick with Montaigne. 

8. The occupation you would not liked to have had? 

 [MS] Priest. Politician. Banker. 

[TS & JA] Prosecutor. 

9. The plant, tree, or animal into which you would like to be reincarnated? 

 [MS] Saint Bernard. Jonquil. Elephant. 

 [TS & JA] No response. 

10.  If God exists, what would you like, after your death, to hear him say to you? 

[MS] If it’s morning: “Good morning!” If it’s nighttime: “Good evening!” 

[TS & JA] We would not be there to hear it. 

David P Simmons 

SIMENON SIMENON. LE TIERCE DE MAIGRET 

Un choix de trois romans de la saga, sur un thème particulier 

Trois enquêtes à Montmartre 

Montmartre est un des lieux favoris d'enquête pour Maigret. Nombreux sont les romans dans lesquels il se rend à cet endroit, et nous en retiendrons trois parmi les plus caractéristiques.

"Il était un peu plus de onze heures et la vie de nuit n'avait pas encore commencé […], les cabarets ne faisaient qu'allumer leurs enseignes au néon et les portiers en livrée n'étaient pas à leur poste." (Maigret au Picratt's)

"une petite scène caractéristique de la vie de Montmartre. […] une jeune femme sortait précipitamment d'un petit hôtel, en robe de soirée noire, une écharpe de tulle jetée sur ses épaules nues." (La colère de Maigret)

"il y avait des peintres le long des trottoirs et les petites tables à nappes à carreaux rouges étaient prêtes pour les touristes." (Maigret et l'indicateur) 

SIMENON SIMENON. LA TRIPLETTA DI MAIGRET 

Una scelta di tre romanzi della serie, su un tema particolare 

Tre inchieste a Montmartre 

Montmartre è uno dei luoghi più abituali delle inchieste di Maigret. Sono numerosi i romanzi nei quali il commissario si reca in questo quartiere, e noi ne scegliamo tre tra i più caratteristici.

“Erano da poco passate le undici e la vita notturna non era ancora iniziata […], i cabaret non facevano che illuminare le loro insegne al neon e i portieri in livrea non erano ancora al loro posto.” (Maigret al Picratt’s)

“una piccola scena caratteristica della vita di Montmartre […] una giovane donna usciva precipitosamente da un piccolo hotel, in un vestito da sera nero, con una sciarpa di tulle sulle spalle nude” (La collera di Maigret)

“c’erano dei pittori lungo i marciapiedi e i tavolini con le tovaglie a quadretti rossi erano pronti per i turisti” (Maigret e l’informatore) 

SIMENON SIMENON. MAIGRET'S TRIFECTA 

A choice of three novels of the saga, on a particular theme 

Three investigations in Montmartre 

Montmartre is one of Maigret's favourite places of investigation. There are numerous novels in which he gets to this spot, and we'll choose three among the most typical.

"It was a little after eleven o'clock and night life hadn't yet begun […], cabarets were just lighting their neon signs and liveried doormen weren't at their post." (Maigret at Picratt's)

"a little typical scene of Montmartre life. […] a young woman was rushing out of a small hotel, in black evening dress, a tulle scarf thrown on her naked shoulders." (Maigret Loses His Temper)

"there were painters along the sidewalks and the small tables with red checkered tablecloths were ready for the tourists." (Maigret and the Informer) 

by Simenon Simenon