Customer Reviews

Maigret and the Bum (Helen and Kurt Wolff Books)

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As others have written elsewhere (see The Madman of Bergerac), George Simenon was a prolific author of over 100 Maigret novels and many other darker psychological investigations that he called 'romans durs' or 'hard novels' (see Simenon's Dirty Snow (New York Review Books Classics)).

Set in Paris, as nearly all Maigret stories are, 'Maigret and the Bum', published in 1963, comes fairly late in the series. Maigret does not live outside of time. He shows signs of weariness and a desire to reflect back on days of a more vigorous youth as he strolls along the Seine in the book's opening pages. A down-and-out bum has had his skull cracked and been thrown in the river.

Maigret is there to investigate. Rescued by two rivermen, the bum survives and Maigret learns much about the man's past - he is, or was, a doctor. Who would try to kill a down-and-outer? Does the man's distant past hold the answer? Or was it something more recent? Can Maigret get to the bottom of it? Well, yes, but can he get the truth out of the perpetrator.

Simenon unwinds the tale in a way that compels the reader to rush to the finish; the book is only 147 pages and so the task is not so difficult. Having finished one Maigret tale, the reader wants more of Maigret's compressed psychology.

Although not commonly heard of nowadays (in the English speaking world at least) Georges Simenon was a very prolific writer of the detective genre, most famous for his Maigret series (with well over a hundred books stretching from 1931 all the way to 1972!!). Maigret is basically a French response to detectives like Sherlock Holmes. Not as interested in physical evidence and the rational, he seeks to understand the characters behind the cases and their often tragic lives. Maigret has an aspect of humanism and warmth throughout the books, especially for those less fortunate in French society. His cases present an element of uncertainty that is natural when dealing with people and are thus much more realistic than Sherlock Holmes type stories (although less satisfying "logically").

In this particular book Maigret investigates what others would probably have dismissed as a nothing case. The attempted murder of a vagrant fails as he is fished out of the river. Who would want to kill a homeless mand and who cares anyway? But contrary to this common attitude of his environment, Maigret treats this case as one of primary importance. We see Maigret's warmth and humanity as he uncovers the life of Tubib, his family that he left and the circumstances that led to this seemingly petty case.

The Maigret novels may not be profound literature but they are extremely well written, compassionate and involving detective stories.

A vagrant sleeping under a Paris bridge is brutally attacked and thrown into the Seine. He is rescued by two bargemen and Inspector Maigret is brought in to investigate the attempted murder. Who is the vagrant and why was he attacked? Another classic set up for an Inspector Maigret novel.

I recently finished reading "Maigret and the Yellow Dog" which was written in 1931, near the very beginning of the series. It was very interesting to see how Georges Simenon was beginning to create the character of Jules Maigret. It was a good story but one discovers that Inspector Maigret had not yet become fully realized. In contrast, "Maigret and the Bum" was written in 1962 and George Simenon had over thrity years of working on the Inspector Maigret character. In this novel, Simenon is much more in control. The writing is more fluid and Maigret's interior world is more developed.

Simenon wrote 75 Inspector Maigret novels and over 500 million copies have been sold. "Maigret and the Bum" is well written but it is not one of his classic, five star Maigret stories. For those who love the series, this is an ejoyable story. For someone new to Inspector Maigret there are better stories in which to become acquainted with the venerable inspector.

As the previous reviewer indicates, this book and others in the Maigret series are about humanity, smells, sights and intuition even more than physical clues. Maigret doesn't get his man in this story. But, the book is still a sheer pleasure to read. I couldn't put it down until I had finished it.

This is my first Simenon novel and, having spent a pleasant two days in Maigret's company, not likely to be my last. I can only hope that Simenon's other books have the same combination of tight plotting, sharply drawn scenes, unforgettably real characters, and deep psychological insight that were on display in "Maigret and the Bum." If so, I'm in for a long and satisfying literary relationship: there are something like a hundred of these Simenon novels.

This is a "mystery" novel where the mystery is a vehicle for a meditation on life and human nature, where the detective stands in for the philosopher. Less a whodunit in the contemporary sense, Maigret parses out the clues in the crime at hand as methodically as Socrates takes apart an opponent's argument. The crime is an attack on a homeless man living under a bridge on the Seine. Why would anyone want to murder a bum? What possible motive could there be that would be worth the risk? As for the victim, well, he refuses to help Maigret identify his attacker, even though Maigret is almost certain he knows who tried to kill him. Why won't he identify his would-be killer? Wouldn't you? Isn't it simple human nature to do so?

It's the answers to these questions, these human "mysteries" that are really what concerns Simenon the most, what constitute the real mysteries at the heart of this novel.

Readers who are looking for conventional resolutions, black-and-white judgments, shoot'em ups, and justice always done by novel's end may not be satisfied with the conclusion of "Maigret and the Bum," but for those who are okay with ambiguity and enigma, who don't need a mystery tied up with a neat bow at the end, this book will provide you with food for thought--far more satisfying fare than what you're usually served up in genre fiction.

A vagrant is knocked on the head and thrown into the Seine, and two bargemen pull him out. Maigret is perplexed. Down-and-outs in Paris mind their own business, and violence among them is rare.

Maigret examines the vagrant's sleeping quarters under a bridge and finds books and a medical journal. The other vagrants call the victim "doc."

How did a learned doctor end up a rag-and-bone man? Why the murderous attack? There's no media interest in this affair and no pressure from above to solve the case. After all, the victim is a bum, and may survive in any case. But Maigret has taken a liking to the doc and won't rest until he knows the truth.

Madame Maigret undertakes some unofficial inquiries for her husband in this case. The glimpse we get of the comfortable love between these two is quite delightful.