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Le crime du Malgracieux
Iedere keer als de eeuwige pechvogel Lognon - inspecteur 'Nurks' - met een zaak belast was, ging er iets verkeerd. Of men ontdekte op het ogenblik dat hij tot arrestatie van de schuldige wilde overgaan, dat deze van hogehand beschermd werd en dat hij met rust gelaten moest worden, óf de inspecteur werd ziek en moest zijn dossier aan een collega overdragen, of een naar promotie hunkerende rechter-commissaris nam het succes voor zijn rekening.Zou Maigret hem déze keer het gras voor de voeten wegmaaien? Lognon woonde nog wel op honderdvijftig meter afstand van de paal waarvoor Goldfinger, driehonderd meter van zijn woning, dood was aangetrofen...Inspecteur Nurks zal men zich herinneren uit "Maigret en de gangsters" (Zwarte Beertjes 81); hij is een oude bekende temidden van de vele onbekenden met wie Maigret in dit boek verder wordt opgescheept, zoals een misdienaar, een koppige cafébezoeker en een arme drommel.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1946
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About the author
Georges Simenon
2,570 books2,334 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 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 26, 2023
This may not be the best introduction to Paris’ Police Superintendent, Jules Maigret. For those who enjoy Simenon’s Paris police procedurals, here is another facet of this unique detective. In it, Maigret tries to delicately tread through the potential minefield of Paris police politics.
A diamond merchant has been killed (or committed suicide) at a police call-box late at night having just uttered a few words into the phone.
This story has its measure of Simenon’s subtle embellishment: “Quiet prevailed here, as in most of the flats in the neighborhood, behind all those lighted windows that the two men had seen, a heavy, somewhat sickly quietness, that of homes where nothing happens, where one cannot imagine anything ever happening.”
Maigret has his own case, front and center; an international criminal may be staying in Paris at a high-class hotel. London, Amsterdam and other police are being contacted. But the case doesn’t interest him as much as the one involving the little diamond merchant and his family.
It is a shame, that case is being handled by the “unfortunate” Inspector Lognon out of a local precinct and Maigret is aware of the number of cases that this inspector has “lost” to other officials so, though he could take over the case, he doesn’t. And, because he doesn’t, Maigret is frustrated.
There is the usual tension as Maigret gathers the loose ends into something of a pattern, but added to that is the tension of how he would approach the case, if only he didn’t have to be concerned about Lognon. “Maigret was sick with vexation at not being able to do all that himself, at not being able to mingle with the people who had known (the dead man) and gradually fill in his picture of the man, touch by touch.”
The restraints are put to a test, and something must give. Another gem.
A diamond merchant has been killed (or committed suicide) at a police call-box late at night having just uttered a few words into the phone.
This story has its measure of Simenon’s subtle embellishment: “Quiet prevailed here, as in most of the flats in the neighborhood, behind all those lighted windows that the two men had seen, a heavy, somewhat sickly quietness, that of homes where nothing happens, where one cannot imagine anything ever happening.”
Maigret has his own case, front and center; an international criminal may be staying in Paris at a high-class hotel. London, Amsterdam and other police are being contacted. But the case doesn’t interest him as much as the one involving the little diamond merchant and his family.
It is a shame, that case is being handled by the “unfortunate” Inspector Lognon out of a local precinct and Maigret is aware of the number of cases that this inspector has “lost” to other officials so, though he could take over the case, he doesn’t. And, because he doesn’t, Maigret is frustrated.
There is the usual tension as Maigret gathers the loose ends into something of a pattern, but added to that is the tension of how he would approach the case, if only he didn’t have to be concerned about Lognon. “Maigret was sick with vexation at not being able to do all that himself, at not being able to mingle with the people who had known (the dead man) and gradually fill in his picture of the man, touch by touch.”
The restraints are put to a test, and something must give. Another gem.
June 22, 2023
'Le Crime du Malgracieux', a short story
It is a story about the price one pays for the chance to take advantage of the only opportunity. As it is often the case with G. Simenon, the descriptions of the characters, their struggle and especially their psychological state in stressful situations are excellent
It is a story about the price one pays for the chance to take advantage of the only opportunity. As it is often the case with G. Simenon, the descriptions of the characters, their struggle and especially their psychological state in stressful situations are excellent
January 21, 2024
Another proof given by Mr. Simenon that you don't have to write hundreds of pages in order to show your literary skills.
Many readers consider Maigret obsolete, but you only have to read one of these stories and you'll love the protagonist. And Simenon's skills to create character types, like the eponymous Inspector Lognon.
Many readers consider Maigret obsolete, but you only have to read one of these stories and you'll love the protagonist. And Simenon's skills to create character types, like the eponymous Inspector Lognon.
July 18, 2022
4 Stars. This one reveals much more about the character of Superintendent Maigret than most of the other novels and short stories I've read. Or the TV versions with Rowan Atkinson and Michael Gambon. I caught it in a 1976 collection, "Maigret's Christmas." One of 9 stories. It first came out in May 1946. Maigret is working late as he awaits calls from London and Basel in the pursuit of an international criminal, and wanders over to the emergency call centre across the street from his office in the Quai des Orfevres. He enjoys hearing about his great-niece, the daughter of nephew Daniel, one of the officers staffing the phones. Then a unique call comes in from one of the Paris street call boxes. A man shouts "Merde to the cops," and a shot is heard! Maigret senses this is somehow different and rushes to Rue Caulaincourt. He finds a low-level diamond broker Michel Goldfinger dead by the box, and local Inspector Lognon in charge. It's the relationship between the by-the-book Inspector and Maigret which is so character defining and explosive too. Maigret likes to listen and follow his instincts, but Lognon exasperates him with official reports! A rare treat. (July 2021)
July 19, 2009
Classic Maigret. My first french mystery book I read in French!
October 30, 2020
An entertaining set of four short stories about Maigret. Each one saves a surprise for the conclusion. As always, Simenon creates characters and settings that draw the reader in, and even in this short format he tells a compelling story. A choirboy sees a dead body on the sidewalk on his way to early Mass...then it disappears. A perfectly normal man is shot while taking his socks off on his bedside...then we find out he wasn't normal after all. I read Maigret in the original version in order to keep my college French going. It's always a treat.
January 28, 2026
This edition is actually the first story only:
The characters were interesting, and we get to meet a bit Daniel, Maigret's nephew. And the famous killer Stan that we have already run into, in previous stories or novels.
And as usual, suspicious women!
As usual again, it's raining!:
"Derrière les grandes fenêtres sans rideaux, on voyait la pluie tomber à torrents, une pluie d’été, longue et très fluide, qui mettait des hachures claires dans la nuit."
It was a fun dynamic between a rather pathetic inspector, who is ordered at home by his wife to do all kinds of house chores when he comes back from work, and who always gets the most interesting cases pulled out from him, and Maigret's goodness and curiosity.
Will Maigret resist curiosity and let the other inspector solve the crime, or will he take care of it himself, as he knows how to do it so brilliantly?
***
Then in 2026, I finally found the edition where there are 4 short-stories, with the first one giving the title to the whole collection. Sorry, I can't find the ISBN to add that collection to Goodreads, and can't find the book either.
Actually, it ends up being one of my favorite Maigret collection so far.
Le témoignage de l’enfant de chœur is full of wonderful connections between Maigret and a young altar boy. It reminds Maigret of his own days as altar boy. Full of compassion and of course smart investigating. Maigret is the only one who takes the kid seriously, when the latter says he saw he man killed on the street, event hough now there's no body there, and no one else has seen anything.
The last thing Maigret does for the kid is so touching.
Very personal and moving. But a lot of night and cold and rain, like of course in most of his stories!
I also enjoyed Le client le plus obstiné du monde, where a customer sits for hours and hours in a café, right before a murder is commited. Who is the victim? Who is the killer? Why?
It's actually a neat Parisian vignette.
The last one, On ne tue pas les pauvres types, is sad. A guy is killed while he is sitting on his bed, scratching his feet. He seems to be the most normal of men, and poor. So, why would he be killed? Is it an accident? Was the killer targeting someone else? Why a murder?
This time, this is more like a social portrait.
All four stories have a strong psychological layer.
The characters were interesting, and we get to meet a bit Daniel, Maigret's nephew. And the famous killer Stan that we have already run into, in previous stories or novels.
And as usual, suspicious women!
As usual again, it's raining!:
"Derrière les grandes fenêtres sans rideaux, on voyait la pluie tomber à torrents, une pluie d’été, longue et très fluide, qui mettait des hachures claires dans la nuit."
It was a fun dynamic between a rather pathetic inspector, who is ordered at home by his wife to do all kinds of house chores when he comes back from work, and who always gets the most interesting cases pulled out from him, and Maigret's goodness and curiosity.
Will Maigret resist curiosity and let the other inspector solve the crime, or will he take care of it himself, as he knows how to do it so brilliantly?
***
Then in 2026, I finally found the edition where there are 4 short-stories, with the first one giving the title to the whole collection. Sorry, I can't find the ISBN to add that collection to Goodreads, and can't find the book either.
Actually, it ends up being one of my favorite Maigret collection so far.
Le témoignage de l’enfant de chœur is full of wonderful connections between Maigret and a young altar boy. It reminds Maigret of his own days as altar boy. Full of compassion and of course smart investigating. Maigret is the only one who takes the kid seriously, when the latter says he saw he man killed on the street, event hough now there's no body there, and no one else has seen anything.
The last thing Maigret does for the kid is so touching.
Very personal and moving. But a lot of night and cold and rain, like of course in most of his stories!
I also enjoyed Le client le plus obstiné du monde, where a customer sits for hours and hours in a café, right before a murder is commited. Who is the victim? Who is the killer? Why?
It's actually a neat Parisian vignette.
The last one, On ne tue pas les pauvres types, is sad. A guy is killed while he is sitting on his bed, scratching his feet. He seems to be the most normal of men, and poor. So, why would he be killed? Is it an accident? Was the killer targeting someone else? Why a murder?
This time, this is more like a social portrait.
All four stories have a strong psychological layer.
January 21, 2018
Le trame di Simenon funzionano molto bene anche sulla lunghezza del racconto lungo.
Qui ne abbiamo 4 raccolti; a me è piaciuto particolarmente quello del chierichetto. Simenon è più umano che mai nel raccontare le angosce di un bambino, come anche lui è stato eoni prima.., che si alza all'alba per andare a dire messa: la paura del buio e delle aggressioni, la pace mistica della cappella all'alba finalmente raggiunta, e così via.
Come nelle "Sept petites croix dans un carnet", Simenon sa calarsi magistralmente nell'animo infantile, apparentemente semplice ma capace di slanci impensabili per un adulto.
Inoltre, è molto stimolante dal punto di vista logico un'indagine basata sulla _mancanza_ di indizi: proprio quella che porta tutti a dubitare del racconto del ragazzino.. tranne Maigret.
Qui ne abbiamo 4 raccolti; a me è piaciuto particolarmente quello del chierichetto. Simenon è più umano che mai nel raccontare le angosce di un bambino, come anche lui è stato eoni prima.., che si alza all'alba per andare a dire messa: la paura del buio e delle aggressioni, la pace mistica della cappella all'alba finalmente raggiunta, e così via.
Come nelle "Sept petites croix dans un carnet", Simenon sa calarsi magistralmente nell'animo infantile, apparentemente semplice ma capace di slanci impensabili per un adulto.
Inoltre, è molto stimolante dal punto di vista logico un'indagine basata sulla _mancanza_ di indizi: proprio quella che porta tutti a dubitare del racconto del ragazzino.. tranne Maigret.
December 29, 2017
Quand je lis un roman dans la serie Maigret, je pense a mes voyages en France.
May 8, 2023
Ce recueil de nouvelles comprend 4 nouvelles :
Maigret et l’inspecteur Malgracieux
L’histoire d’un meurtre déguisé en suicide qui intrigue beaucoup Maigret alors que l’enquête aurait dû revenir au fameux Malgracieux.
Un commissaire gêné aux entournures et qui avance à pas feutrés en tentant de ne point empiéter sur l’enquête du susceptible Malgracieux
Le témoignage de l’enfant de choeur
Une nouvelle assez choupi, où un enfant de choeur qui rêve d’un vélo se retrouve témoin d’un meurtre.
Heureusement, le commissaire grippé qui avait, lui aussi, été enfant de choeur, l’écoute et le croit.
Le client le plus obstiné du monde
Des soeurs jumelles, un mari jaloux et alcoolique de retour d’Afrique et… Beaucoup, beaucoup de petits verres, d’alcools et de bistrots pour retrouver qui a tué.
Une balade de bistrot en bistrot… Encore un demi, commissaire ?
On ne tue pas les pauvres types
Un homme est mort, de façon un peu… Déconcertante… Un suicide avec une belle et grosse assurance vie ?
Mais aussi, un homme avec une double vie, triple, quadruple !
Alors, pourquoi est-il mort ? Et si ce n’est pas un suicide… Qui l’a tué ?
Et pour une fois (car les précédentes m’avaient bien déçu), voilà un recueil de nouvelles qui n’est pas prétexte à refourguer des brouillons, des esquisses ou des fonds de tiroirs inaboutis. Les historiettes (sans être incroyables, certes) sont sympa, parfois rigolotes ou prétexte à raconter un sujet qui n’aurait pas nécessité plus.
https://www.noid.ch/maigret-et-linspe...
Maigret et l’inspecteur Malgracieux
L’histoire d’un meurtre déguisé en suicide qui intrigue beaucoup Maigret alors que l’enquête aurait dû revenir au fameux Malgracieux.
Un commissaire gêné aux entournures et qui avance à pas feutrés en tentant de ne point empiéter sur l’enquête du susceptible Malgracieux
Le témoignage de l’enfant de choeur
Une nouvelle assez choupi, où un enfant de choeur qui rêve d’un vélo se retrouve témoin d’un meurtre.
Heureusement, le commissaire grippé qui avait, lui aussi, été enfant de choeur, l’écoute et le croit.
Le client le plus obstiné du monde
Des soeurs jumelles, un mari jaloux et alcoolique de retour d’Afrique et… Beaucoup, beaucoup de petits verres, d’alcools et de bistrots pour retrouver qui a tué.
Une balade de bistrot en bistrot… Encore un demi, commissaire ?
On ne tue pas les pauvres types
Un homme est mort, de façon un peu… Déconcertante… Un suicide avec une belle et grosse assurance vie ?
Mais aussi, un homme avec une double vie, triple, quadruple !
Alors, pourquoi est-il mort ? Et si ce n’est pas un suicide… Qui l’a tué ?
Et pour une fois (car les précédentes m’avaient bien déçu), voilà un recueil de nouvelles qui n’est pas prétexte à refourguer des brouillons, des esquisses ou des fonds de tiroirs inaboutis. Les historiettes (sans être incroyables, certes) sont sympa, parfois rigolotes ou prétexte à raconter un sujet qui n’aurait pas nécessité plus.
https://www.noid.ch/maigret-et-linspe...
May 30, 2025
Ten barre set by Simenon is just too high. The first short story was not memorable, the second one’s thought process was too silly, I didn’t like it, the third one I actually really liked. Anyways, this was my 2nd Maigret, I don’t remember the guitar one very well, and so far I think Simenon’s detective stories don’t even come close to his novels.
April 26, 2020
Recueil de 4 nouvelles où le commissaire enquête chez les petites gens. Gouteux, frais, revigorant comme ces ptits verres de blanc que Maigret s'envoie derrière le col en menant l'enquête dans les bistrots.
May 18, 2024
Als mein erster Maigret fühlt sich die Geschichte vom brummigen Inspektor wie eine kleine Zeitreise in das Paris der späten 40er an. Die Handlung ist weder besonders spannend noch überraschend, aber eine angenehme Abwechslung, die eine besondere Atmosphäre rüber bringt.
September 19, 2019
Entretenido
February 20, 2022
The journey was more satisfying than the destination.
February 23, 2025
Really a 3.5☆
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews