Naked Man: The Mystery of Georges Simonon

by Fenton Bresler

1st Robin Clark 1984 trade edition paperback fine condition In stock shipped from our UK warehouse

Genres: Biography

Paperback

Published January 1, 1984

About the author

Fenton Bresler was a barrister, newspaper columnist, television pundit and author of many books, including biographies of the Belgian novelist Georges Simenon and the judge Lord Goddard. Bresler was educated at the local grammar school, the Sorbonne in Paris and King's College, London, before being called to the bar in 1951.

Reviews

[Andrew MacDonald · Rating 2 out of 5]

A chatty biography that doesn't stand up to Pierre Assouline's more recent, more excellent, biography of Simenon. There's a bit too much of the biographer in this, a bit too many moments where I can feel Bresler's hand shaping our reading of Simenon's life. Moreover, the book was written while Simenon was still alive - which comes with so many problems I don't know where to start.

One, if the subject of the biography is still alive, there's obviously more life to be documented.

Two, the biographer necessarily has to buddy up to the subject, and there's a kind of 'pay for play' scheme going on where perhaps some of the more controversial aspects of Simenon's character gets downplayed and wiped.

Three, the effect can sometimes feel gossipy.

I'd let this book stew in the obscurity from whence I rescued it and select Assouline's more studiously crafted, though still entertaining, take on Simenon's life instead.

Sorry, Fenton.

[John Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Supposedly better Simenon biographies were published after his death, but this is a solid, quick read. His early life was far more interesting than expected. Time to get back to reading the Maigret novels.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a fan of the Maigret novels. I have a collection of them and read two or more a year, and tho they are quite short, they are usually satisfying in an easy going kind of way. Having read Simenon's massive "Intimate Memoirs" and in anticipation of reading the biography by Pierre Assouline, which got good reviews here, I found this one interesting, but since it was completed while Simenon was still living, a bit dated and obviously incomplete. I enjoyed reading about the almost Gatsby-like party held, instead of normal advertising at Simenon's request, just before the first Maigret books were released, and how it raised anticipation and probably contributed to the popularity of the books right from the beginning. Also very sad, of course, to read again about his beloved daughter's suicide and the impact it had on the rest of his life.

[Justin K. Rivers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good details and synthesis of Simenon's varying memoirs and accounts. Written before Simenon's death. Periodically, the author has some weird interjections, as if blurting out some off the cuff judgements and pronunciations. Very odd. Scan it for interesting information, but don't expect useful analysis or anything like graceful prose.

[Sasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography is written almost like a substantial, readable report. As a work of writing, it is not very commendable. However, it contains a lot of information about Simenon, which is what I was looking for.

[Yooperprof · Rating 3 out of 5]

10,000 women in his lifetime? Really?