Customer Reviews

The Madman of Bergerac

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I am not mad. Salvador Dali.

That premise, so aptly stated by Salvador Dali, forms the philosophy that guides Inspector Maigret in his search for the person the inhabitants of the quaint French town of Dordogne consider to be a maniacal killer. The fact that this premise deeply offends the bourgeoisie sensibilities of the townsfolk of Dordogne seems not to matter overly much to Maigret although it certainly added to the enjoyment of reading Georges Simenon's "The Madman of Bergerac".

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 versions. Simenon also authored dozens of books that he described as "romans durs", roughly translated as`hard stories' that had a darker tone than his Maigret novels. Simenon seems to have fallen under the radar in recent decades but in recent years he seems to have been rediscovered by a new generation of mystery/detective story fans. Penguin Books has begun to reissue some of those Maigret mysteries and the New York Review of Books Press has reissued some of his `hard stories'. Penguin's latest Inspector Maigret Mystery reissue, "The Madman of Bergerac" is a fine example of the Simenon's craft and a fine example of Simenon's craftsmanship.

In the absence of a book description I think it appropriate to set out the basic plot of the book. Set in 1932, it is a warm, sunny March in Paris and since Inspector Maigret is not particularly busy and his wife is out of town he decides to take up the open invitation to visit is his retired former colleague Inspector Leduc. Leduc has a cottage near Dordogne in south-west France. Unable to sleep on the overnight train ride because of the disturbing noises made by the fellow in the upper berth, Maigret follows his berth-mate into the corridor to get some air. He is so astonished to see the man jump off the train as it slows down around a curve in the tracks on its approach to a station that he jumps off the train in pursuit. The man immediately shoots Maigret. Maigret is found and taken to hospital where he is accused by the police of being "the madman of Bergerac", a killer who has already killed two local girls. Once he is identified as a police inspector from Paris, Maigret sets out to solve the crimes. However, due to his wounds Simenon is confined to his bed. He sends for his wife to assist him and quickly begins and completes the investigation while confined to bed-rest.

As implied at the beginning of the review, Maigret insists that the killer is very likely a local who appears to one and all to be perfectly sane - apart from the fact that he every now and again commits a brutal murder. This theory is considered insulting by the townsfolk but Maigret is not deterred and the investigation continues.

Simenon's Inspector Maigret mysteries are often compared to Christie's Hercule Poirot mysteries. There are many resemblances to be sure. There are some major differences however worth noting. The chief differences seem to me to be Simenon's darker touch and his rather cynical feelings toward the more `respectable' members of French society. This is very evident in the "Madman of Bergerac" but it is not so intrusive that it gets in the way of the story and telling the story always seems to be Simenon's main focus. Simenon treats words with respect and doesn't use more than seems necessary to advance the story.

Finally, for me, the centerpiece of any detective story of this type is the character of the detective. In the case of Maigret, the more I read of him the more I enjoy his character. This was a fast-paced well written story that can be read in one or two sittings. Recommended. L. Fleisig

Reading Simenon is like eating pistachios--it soon becomes compulsive because the item consumed is so tasty. In "The Madman," Inspector Maigret is laid up in a provincial French town after being wounded by a man he was tracking (for his own, not police, reasons). Intrigued by rumors of a "madman" on the loose in this town, Simenon begins his own bedside investigation into the crime. Without benefit of even a wheelchair to survey much of the town's layout (a lá Jimmy Stewart in "Rear Window," which this novel predates by several decades), Maigret's insight into human nature is such that, within the confines of 150 or so pages, he pieces together what is happening, unraveling a host of small-town hypocricies along the way. My only complaint about the Maigret novels (and what keeps me holding back the fifth of five stars from my review) is that, unlike Simenon's "dark" novels, they have "happy endings"; i.e., the bad guy is caught. Reality often veers away from our desires for "closure," yet even with the Maigret novels, Simenon lays bare the thin skrim that separates civility from ruthlessness.

This features Inspector Maigret who followed a man off the train and was shot in the process. His description of the small town and its snobbery and foibles is wonderful. He searches for the Madman of Bergerac who is a murderer terrorizing the small town of Bergerac.

All in all a most enjoyable read.

In Georges Simenon's 16th Maigret novel, our man manages to combine a routine police assignment with pleasure trip to visit a retired colleague in Bergerac. While on the long train trip south, however, a fellow passenger arouses Maigret's suspicions and when the fellow leaps from the train in the middle of the night Maigret follows suit.

Maigret catches a bullet for his trouble and awakes in Bergerac to find himself under suspicion of murder. Two local women have been killed in separate unexplained attacks with a ghoulish twist: The assailant pierced their hearts with a needle. The arrival of Maigret's friend, the former detective Leduc, soon dispels any notion of guilt and much to the chagrin of the local authorities Maigret's injuries prevent him from traveling.

With the assistance of Madame Maigret, the intrepid Paris detective works to solve the crime from his bed! He manages to unravel quite a tangled web of deceit - just when the local prosecutor has decided that the case has been resolved by the killer's suicide. Simenon also uses the story's location to express his disdain for the rustics who inhabit Bergerac (At one point, Maigret asks his wife if the town has a movie theater. She answers affirmatively, but adds that she had seen the theater's current attraction at least three years ago in Paris!).

The Madman of Bergerac has a few loose ends and the explanation of the murders is a bit far-fetched, but Simenon weaves an excellent subplot that takes center stage and ends with a bang - or two. Simenon gives us another entertaining Maigret story and as always it will not detain the reader for more than a few hours.

Georges Simenon created 75 short novels and nearly 30 short stories featuring Inspector Maigret. With such prodigious output there was considerable danger of repetition, even monotony. And yet, the Maigret mysteries are notable for their variety.

The Madman of Bergerac is a classic example of Simenon's ability to surprise the reader. Within pages we find our friend (and indeed it is difficult not to like and to admire Maigret) shot for no apparent reason. Feverish and in pain, Maigret tries to unravel two murders from his bed in a small hotel in Bergerac before more killings occur.

Maigret (and the reader) must rely on second hand accounts and descriptions of various locales related to the murders. All that visit him - the local prosecutor, the examining magistrate, the local police inspector, and others - are convinced that these murders are the work of a madman. Maigret himself is unsure, and in expressing doubt alienates the local authorities.

Paying attention to dialogue is always important in a Maigret mystery, but with Maigret trapped in his bed, barely able to move, dialogue is even more critical. Lacking his Parisian detective staff the incapacitated Maigret proceeds by way of his intellect and deductive skills, giving us greater insight into Maigret himself. As with many Maigret mysteries, the solution is in part dependent on information provided by police agencies elsewhere. This is as it should be as these stories are an early form of the procedural mystery.

The Madman of Bergerac was first published in France in 1932. This 2003 paperback edition by Penguin Books is most welcome. The stylish cover and unique size (4.75 x 6.5 inches) lend a contemporary feeling to this reprint. The price is a little high, but nonetheless I am looking forward to more Maigret mysteries from Penguin Books.

This quick and sharp story from the prolific pen of Simenon is like comfort food put together by a master chef. A tale that reminded me of Jimmie Stewart and Grace Kelly in "Rear Window," it takes place mostly in Inspector Maigret's hotel room where he's recovering from a seemingly random gun shot to the shoulder. He was fired upon by a berserk train passenger who jumped off the train Maigret was traveling on. Maigret inexplicably jumped off after him, and from there the plot takes us to the provincial town of Bergerac, where all the leading citizens are suspects in two gruesome murders and one near miss. Why is this work so good? Because Maigret is a very thoughtful and interesting detective, because Simenon is a true craftsman with words, and because the plot is terrific. It's a quick read and a good read. And there's many more such Simenon books in the Penguin line. For all lovers of detective stories and good literature, go for it!!

It's France in the 1930s, Inspector Maigret has been shot, and incredibly he solves the case never having left his hospital bed. It's easy to read the Maigret series because the stories are short and can be read in one day.

If I hadn't read The Madman of Bergerac together with Liberty Bar, I probably would have liked it more. It's a clever idea-- Maigret manages to solve a murder from his bed after being injured from an incident on the train. It's a clever conceit, and it's a pleasure to watch Simenon manage to capture Bergerac with a stationary main character.

There's some extra interest for historians of 1930s Europe in the book, as aspects of the plot illustrate neatly how Jewish/Eastern European refugees were viewed by their Western European contemporaries.

The Madman of Bergerac was the 16th Maigret novel. Recommended.

Great dealer, excellent service buy with confidence. Great book too! funny, fast and well written. Simenon says in one sentence what many writers struggle to say in a paragraph.