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The Couple from Poitiers
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123 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1946
About the author
Georges Simenon
2,613 books2,364 followersGeorges Joseph Christian Simenon (1903 – 1989) was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 500 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known as the creator of the fictional detective Jules Maigret.
Although he never resided in Belgium after 1922, he remained a Belgian citizen throughout his life.
Simenon was one of the most prolific writers of the twentieth century, capable of writing 60 to 80 pages per day. His oeuvre includes nearly 200 novels, over 150 novellas, several autobiographical works, numerous articles, and scores of pulp novels written under more than two dozen pseudonyms. Altogether, about 550 million copies of his works have been printed.
He is best known, however, for his 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring Commissaire Maigret. The first novel in the series, Pietr-le-Letton, appeared in 1931; the last one, Maigret et M. Charles, was published in 1972. The Maigret novels were translated into all major languages and several of them were turned into films and radio plays. Two television series (1960-63 and 1992-93) have been made in Great Britain.
During his "American" period, Simenon reached the height of his creative powers, and several novels of those years were inspired by the context in which they were written (Trois chambres à Manhattan (1946), Maigret à New York (1947), Maigret se fâche (1947)).
Simenon also wrote a large number of "psychological novels", such as La neige était sale (1948) or Le fils (1957), as well as several autobiographical works, in particular Je me souviens (1945), Pedigree (1948), Mémoires intimes (1981).
In 1966, Simenon was given the MWA's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.
In 2005 he was nominated for the title of De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian). In the Flemish version he ended 77th place. In the Walloon version he ended 10th place.
Although he never resided in Belgium after 1922, he remained a Belgian citizen throughout his life.
Simenon was one of the most prolific writers of the twentieth century, capable of writing 60 to 80 pages per day. His oeuvre includes nearly 200 novels, over 150 novellas, several autobiographical works, numerous articles, and scores of pulp novels written under more than two dozen pseudonyms. Altogether, about 550 million copies of his works have been printed.
He is best known, however, for his 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring Commissaire Maigret. The first novel in the series, Pietr-le-Letton, appeared in 1931; the last one, Maigret et M. Charles, was published in 1972. The Maigret novels were translated into all major languages and several of them were turned into films and radio plays. Two television series (1960-63 and 1992-93) have been made in Great Britain.
During his "American" period, Simenon reached the height of his creative powers, and several novels of those years were inspired by the context in which they were written (Trois chambres à Manhattan (1946), Maigret à New York (1947), Maigret se fâche (1947)).
Simenon also wrote a large number of "psychological novels", such as La neige était sale (1948) or Le fils (1957), as well as several autobiographical works, in particular Je me souviens (1945), Pedigree (1948), Mémoires intimes (1981).
In 1966, Simenon was given the MWA's highest honor, the Grand Master Award.
In 2005 he was nominated for the title of De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian). In the Flemish version he ended 77th place. In the Walloon version he ended 10th place.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 19, 2014
A Simenon dur novel - a hard novel - not a Margret. Very condensed and focused on a young man's coming to maturity. I have read well over a 100 Simenon novels, and have many to read stashed away. This one was a mid-field effort, but as always it is distilled down to the essence.
February 21, 2021
A quick inconsequential read. A very young newlywed couple leaves their small town for Paris to escape having to fully reveal the fact that she's already pregnant and he's not as employed as he says he is. Not so much focused on the inner life of both the husband and wife, as the title might suggest, but rather primarily concerned with the husband, and his seeming inability to ever quite do the right thing. There's nothing overtly wrong with this book, but nothing astoundingly right either. I guess the most appealing aspect was a side character of a woman the guy has an affair with who becomes a bit of a lifecoach slash sugar momma that's actually more nuanced than a lot of Simenon women.
July 17, 2025
Le roman de la désillusion, de la pauvreté, de la fin des rêves. Ces noces de Poitiers ne font pas rêver. C’est crasse et sans espoir pour ce jeune couple qui se marie, faute de pouvoir cacher leur « faute » à l’époque où une grossesse hors mariage était impossible dans une petite ville et où l’avortement était interdit, dangereux et condamné. (Des temps révolus ? Pas sûr !)
Direction l’anonymat de Paris avec encore l’espoir de pouvoir y fonder leur famille et faire leur vie. Mais comment faire sans argent ?
Tout va mal et rien ne va mieux.
Une sombre histoire, d’une tristesse absolue
https://www.noid.ch/les-noces-de-poit...
Direction l’anonymat de Paris avec encore l’espoir de pouvoir y fonder leur famille et faire leur vie. Mais comment faire sans argent ?
Tout va mal et rien ne va mieux.
Une sombre histoire, d’une tristesse absolue
https://www.noid.ch/les-noces-de-poit...
October 16, 2025
Simenon is unimpressed by love's young dream.
Chapters I to VII are unreservedly acid.
In the closing chapter it's a bit less clear what's going on, though both the English and the French wikipedia pages conclude that the shiftless Gerard has turned over a new leaf and embraced reality, push having in due course come to shove.
That seems a legitimate-ish, if over-confident, reading. He's still lying to his mama though, and whether he is also lying to himself, or trying to convince himself, seems undecidable.
Chapters I to VII are unreservedly acid.
In the closing chapter it's a bit less clear what's going on, though both the English and the French wikipedia pages conclude that the shiftless Gerard has turned over a new leaf and embraced reality, push having in due course come to shove.
That seems a legitimate-ish, if over-confident, reading. He's still lying to his mama though, and whether he is also lying to himself, or trying to convince himself, seems undecidable.
May 27, 2019
I put off reading this book, because every time I picked it up I had a flash of how the tale would unfold. Wrong! Simenon has written some “hack” books — a few — but this isn’t one of them. From early adulthood we all try to establish our position in life. Some accept it. Others constantly struggle for more. Others give up the struggle entirely and descend into madness.
March 25, 2024
the grim adventures of gerard and linette
October 22, 2024
A book about the horrors of capitalism.
February 2, 2009
This is not the typical Simenon psychological piece. It is a very straight forward, coming-age, young adult piece. It is very much "Mr and Mrs BoJo Jones" moved to France. (Yes, I thought of calling is M and Mme Bo Jo Jones).
He is an insecure young man who's passive aggressive reaction to his mother force him to make choices with which he is not particularly happy. He is not unhappy, just disappointed.
He takes a wife, they move to Paris.
They are young, broke and expecting a child.
He encounters the glitzy people. He gets to know them and they tarnish before his eyes.
He sees their limitations.
He accepts his own.
He and his wife move on.
Yay.
He is an insecure young man who's passive aggressive reaction to his mother force him to make choices with which he is not particularly happy. He is not unhappy, just disappointed.
He takes a wife, they move to Paris.
They are young, broke and expecting a child.
He encounters the glitzy people. He gets to know them and they tarnish before his eyes.
He sees their limitations.
He accepts his own.
He and his wife move on.
Yay.
November 29, 2019
Gerard does the honourable thing and marries the girl he got pregnant. The couple move to Paris, where a friend of Gerard's has arranged a job for him and nobody will know their circumstances.
It is a dull job and not as well paid as Gerard makes out. He is also young and irresponsible, incapable or unwilling to prioritise his spending, with the result that he gets into debt, pilfers the petty cash and is soon on the brink of ruin.
The ending is less bleak than I was expecting from Simenon.
It is a dull job and not as well paid as Gerard makes out. He is also young and irresponsible, incapable or unwilling to prioritise his spending, with the result that he gets into debt, pilfers the petty cash and is soon on the brink of ruin.
The ending is less bleak than I was expecting from Simenon.
September 1, 2008
Petite histoire morale qui se déroule à Paris. Les noces du titre sont celles d'Auvinet, jeune homme qui quitte sa province de Poitiers, pour trouver, selon ce qu'en croit sa famille, une bonne position à Paris. Mais c'est le premier parmi nombreux mensonges, sur lesquels il va essayer de se construire une vie.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews