Customer Reviews

The Bar on the Seine (Penguin Mysteries)

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The Bar on the Seine is translated by David Watson from a 1931 book called La Guingette a Deux Sous. It has previously been translated in 1940 by Geoffrey Sainsbury, and published variously in English as Guingette by the Seine, A Spot by the Seine, and Maigret and the Tavern by the Seine.

Maigret visits a gangster who is about to be executed, and the man hints that he knew of a murderer, from 6 years before, who frequented a bar called La Guingette a Deux Sous. Maigret has little luck finding this, until he stumbles across a man who mentions his plan to visit this tavern -- a man who, Maigret learns, is also arranging as assignation with his mistress. Maigret finds his way to the tavern, where he finds the man (a successful coal merchant) with his wife, and also the man's mistress and her husband, a struggling haberdasher, and a varied cast of characters, including a talkative heavy-drinking Englishman, and several more folks. It seems the mistress is a rackety woman who has had affairs with several of the regulars at this tavern -- and that her husband has used this knowledge to blackmail some of her lovers. So it is perhaps not a surprise when the sorry blackmailer is shot -- and when his wife's latest lover, the coal merchant, is found with a gun.

The man escapes, and Maigret tries to track him down. Meanwhile the Englishman strikes up a relationship of sorts with Maigret, while at the same time all but flaunting his attempts to help the escaped coal merchant. And Maigret learns some of the details of the haberdasher's arrangements, including his involvement with a moneylender who disappeared, significantly, six years before -- just when the gangster Maigret had talked to had hinted at knowledge of a murder. Maigret is very dissatisfied with the obvious shape of the case -- something is going on. Which of course he discovers. What works -- quite brilliantly -- in this book, one of the earliest Maigrets, is the eventually displayed, quite convincing, quite sad, character of the actual murderer. Some of the early Maigrets seem uncharacteristic of the series to me -- Maigret is at times almost an action hero -- but in this case the story reads very much like later Maigret, with the main interest being the psychology of the murderer and other related figures.

That he doth work with his adulterate money on the Seine." Dante. The Divine Comedy

"The Bar of the Seine" begins with a curious conversation between Inspector Maigret and a prisoner, Lenoir, sitting in a cell on death-row in a Parisian jail. Lenoir's execution has been set for dawn on the next day and for Maigret, the person responsible for the capture and conviction of the prisoner, this visit is something of a courtesy call. During their conversation Lenoir tells Maigret about an unsolved murder. The only real information he provides is that some unidentified bar on the River Seine would lead Maigret in the right direction. As Maigret takes his leave of Lenoir he does not take the train to meet his wife at their summer vacation spot. Instead, he defers his vacation and sets out to investigate.

Maigret finds the bar in short order and walks into a world where a slice of the Parisian middle-class comes for its rather tawdry summer weekends. Drinking, cards, boating on the Seine and indiscriminate bed-hopping are the order of the day. There has also been a murder and, as befits a story planted so firmly in the detective genre, Maigret brushes aside all distractions to solve the mystery handed to him by a condemned man.

Georges Simenon was the author of over 100 Inspector Maigret mystery stories. They were immensely popular in the 1930s through the 1960s. Inspector Maigret stories also appeared in film and TV version. Penguin Books has begun to reissue a set of Maigret mysteries. "The Bar on the Seine", one of Simenon's earlier Maigret stories, is a good place to start.

Simenon's writing is sparse and to the point. This is a short book, 154 rather small pages, and can be read in one or two sittings. But despite its brevity this reader felt engaged not only by the characters (Maigret in particular) but the settings. Simenon doesn't tell you what to think of any particular character nor does he engage in lengthy discussions on his protagonists' morality or character. He simply paints a very evocative picture and leaves the analysis for the reader.

Simenon's Maigret stories, although faithful to the detective story formula of his time, manages to hold up better over time for me than others. I think that what sets Simenon's Maigret stories apart from those of his contemporaries is the character of Maigret and down to earth settings of the stories. Maigret is not a character that is revealed to the reader immediately. Simenon doesn't set about to provide you with a character map to Maigret's personality in any one book. Rather, he grows on you over time. He has an innate disdain for higher authority that is appealing. Simenon's settings and other characters also add a dash to his Maigret mysteries. These are not parlor room mysteries where the reader has to determine which upper-class member of the gentry (or the butler) committed murder most foul in the library.

Anyone interested in a good story, simply told should enjoy Bar on the Seine. L. Fleisig

"The Bar on the Seine" is an early Inspector Maigret mystery and a very tale story indeed! The story itself--the investigation of a six-year old murder that leads to a second killing as Maigret skeptically begins a look at the earlier crime--is well told and keeps the reader turning pages until the end. But along the way, the details of daily life in Paris and the social interactions of Parisians are presented in such specific detail and so convincingly that it is like reading a newspaper of the period.

"The Bar" is a wonderful small novel and a terrific read. This book is part of a Penguin reprint of some of the Maigret stories (of which there are 75 novels and many stories). I will be among many who will attempt to read them all.

I read this little novel under the influence of cold germs, and let me assure you, Maigret is just the ticket when you're feeling weak and feverish. Immediately you're immersed in an atmosphere as soothing as a warm bath. No car chases or shoot-outs here, just the unsettling sensation of watching and waiting for something criminal to be revealed within a group of friends whose lives seem boringly respectable.

In this book Maigret loses most of his holiday observing the revels and recreations of others. More than one good man is brought down by the rather banal femme fatale.

Inspector Maigret has a curious compassion for criminals whose misdeeds arise from tawdry affairs, poorly managed finances or misguided youth. We see interesting examples of this in The Bar on The Seine.

Penguin has reissued Inspector Maigret mysteries in a winning new format which invites the reader to cozy up to a neat little page that is easy on the eyes. The trim size of these series permits you to pack these books easily into your pocket. They are lightweight and the type size is generous and airy. Distinctive covers, consisting of grainy black and white photos vaguely reflecting the general feel of the books' plot, and Georges Simenon's name, tipped to the left in dropout white on a black background, give all the books a branded look which marks them clearly for the potential Simenon fan.

As has already been articulated in other reviews, Simenon is a master reporter of human behavior. He makes no value judgments, nor does he provide elaborate details. He simply furnishes the facts, as gruesome or sordid as they may be. Here, middle-class fun seekers on holiday are busy committing adultery, being blackmailed, and killing people. Yet the Pernod keeps on being poured and the laughter and jolly times keep rolling. Inspector Maigret is the ballast on this cruise and keeps his eye ever focused on the mystery at hand. That mystery is revealed in the very first chapter as a condemned man archly hints at another murder which has gone unpunished. Maigret commits himself to collaring the culprits, and so the plot unwinds as Simenon the journalist succinctly and colorfully reports the action for us.

I read this book while on a business trip in India. My outrageous jet lag and sleepless nights provided ample time to finish this work and move on to others. I must admit, however, that I wasn't much in the mood for it, but then again, I spent much of my time trying to get some rest and being unable to. Probably the only book I would have wanted to read would have been a treatise on insomnia. Not Simenon's fault.

(Previously published under the title Maigret and the Tavern by the Seine.)

Maigret delivers the bad news in person to an inmate that clemency has been denied. Before he leaves Maigret learns of a murder six years earlier that the condemned man and a pal had witnessed. The pair blackmailed the murderer until the pigeon flew the coop, the prisoner informers Inspector Maigret but then he clams up with only a vague hint of the location and none as to the identity of the killer. Maigret hangs about and figures out the location from some overheard words. He manages to ingratiate himself into an odd mix of city folk who take a weekly holiday at this village and its bar on the Seine. Inevitably Maigret puts it all together.

This Maigret story needs a couple of implausible coincidences to make it get started, but then it flows. Why is James plying Maigret with Pernods every day in Paris? Mado, the alluring wife of one of the gang, sleeps around and her husband seems to know, but does that have anything to do with the murder(s)? The same cuckolded husband is in debt up to his eyeballs. Plausible suspects abound. This one kept me up late to get to the finish. Highly recommended.

The mystery novel becomes, in the hands of Simenon, not only a stage for characters to develop and respond to one another, but a form of social commentery as well. Magritte is a member of the working class, not living in poverty, but also not able to share in the wealth he sees others squandering. He acts with dignity, and his determined effort to solve crimes becomes inseparable from his effort to keep focused on how one should keep one's dignity, even in a corrupt society.

This is a light and an enjoyable read which I managed to digest easily in an evening sitting. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. The book is either 4 or 5 stars. In any case, it is highly entertaining, light, perhaps what one would call beach reading.

As most know, Simenon was one of the best know mystery writers of the twentieth century, having written close to 200 novels, over 150 novellas, plus several autobiographical works. He had over 500 million books in print. He started off as a city reporter as a teenager first in Liege, then later moving to Paris. He started writing in Liege at a young age. In later years he lived and worked in Canada and in America. The Paris based Inspector Maigret is his best know series with over 100 works between 1931 and 1972. Inspector Maigret has become synonymous with great Parisian detective stories. His trademark visits to smoky Parisian bars for a few drinks are part and parcel of the reading experiences.

Without revealing the plot details in this particular mystery story, the novel "The Bar of the Seine" manages to combine crime, detective work, Paris city life, and the charm of the French countryside all in one quick and enjoyable read. It has a cast of very entertaining characters, including a wealthy coal merchant and his wife, along with his mistress and others.

The story involves a confession which leads to a trip to the countryside and then the unraveling of a complex murder mystery. The setting is far from the city. The story is set in a slightly decaying house or bar on the river among weekend guests and French recreational boaters.

Recommend: 4 stars.

According to NPR commentators, Wikipedia editors, and book jacket copy-writers, Georges Simenon was one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. However, even without this quorum's endorsement, Simenon was unarguably prolific: his oeuvre includes over 200 novels, additional hundreds of novellas, and reams of pulp fiction penned under a variety of pseudonyms.

Simenon is best known for his works featuring the elegantly intellectual Inspector Maigret. According to People magazine, "Maigret ranks with Holmes and Poirot in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals." Where he stacks up against the holistic Dirk Gently is for the reader to decide.

The Bar on the Seine has a number of qualities that are endearing to any wannabe member of the modern literati. Firstly, it was written in French. This is nice, because it allows the reader to embrace multiculturalism without having to learn another language. It also provides an opportunity to talk about translation, which is bound to impress someone as long as the venue is right. (Think non-franchise coffee bar, used bookstore, or vegetarian bistro.) From here, it's easy to segue into a discussion about John Ciardi's verse interpretation of Dante's Inferno. Oooooh, literature!

Second: it's short! Like, morning commute short. There just aren't that many bona-fide classics about which one can say, "Oh yes! I read that this morning. Watson's translation was a tad dry, but satisfying nonetheless."

Finally and most importantly, The Bar on the Seine is a good story. It is gritty, layered, and above all human. The book moves swiftly, yet maintains an overarching sense of connectedness that tempers the plot's rapid pace. The hero Maigret is simultaneously anxious and aloof: he floats through the tale like a leaf on a river - sometimes serene, sometimes turbulent, but always moving. Ultimately, it is this motion that's responsible for the work's appeal.

A great Maigret story. Lots of detailed imagery as Maigret soaks up the atmosphere and lives of the group of people that send weekends at the Bar on the Seine