Editing Georges Simenon (section)

=== Maigret novels ===
{{Main|Jules Maigret}}
The first Maigret novel published under Simenon's name was ''Pietr-le-Letton'' (''Pietr the Latvian'') which was serialised in 1930. The last Maigret novel was ''Maigret et M. Charles'' (''Maigret and Monsieur Charles'') published in 1972.<ref>Marnham (1994). pp. 131-2, 329</ref>

The early Maigret novels generally received positive reviews and were acknowledged as an attempt to raise the standard of the French crime novel. Several critics, however, made fun of the speed with which they were written. ''[[Le Canard enchaîné|Le Canard Enchaîné]]'' told its readers, "Monsieur Georges Simenon makes his living by killing someone every month and then discovering the murderer."<ref>Marnham (1994). pp. 134, 158</ref>[[File:2003 Belgium 10 euro Georges Simenon back.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Belgium)#2003coinage|The 100 Years of Georges Simenon coin]]]]The Maigret stories are short and characterised by their simple writing style and a deliberately restricted vocabulary (which Simenon estimated was limited to 2000 words). Simenon stated that his Maigret novels were designed to be read by people of average education in a single sitting.<ref>Marnham (1994). pp. 141-2</ref><ref>Besler (1983). p. 2</ref>

[[Patrick Marnham]], [[Scott Bradfield]] and others state that the early Maigrets were innovative because the detective doesn't hunt for clues or use deduction to find the guilty party, but rather immerses himself in the life and environment of the victim and suspected criminal. In most cases, Maigret seeks to understand the criminal rather than judge him.<ref>Marnham (1994). pp. 132-3, 136.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bradfield |first=Scott |date=20 February 2015 |title=The case of Georges Simenon |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/books/review/the-case-of-georges-simenon.html |access-date=5 February 2023 |website=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>Besler (1983) p 79</ref>

Simenon stated that his Maigret stories often deal with more serious themes than those of his other novels.<ref>Besler p. 83-4</ref> Recurrent themes include political influence over the justice system, snobbery and class divisions, and the role of social background and pure chance in determining whether an individual becomes a criminal or a respected member of society.<ref>Marnham (1994) p. 135, 145-46</ref>

Marnham, Fenton Besler and others have pointed out that the plots of the Maigret novels are often implausible and internally inconsistent.<ref>Marnham (1994). pp. 135, 143</ref><ref>Besler (1983). pp. 78-79</ref> However critics have praised Simenon's ability to evoke concisely the atmosphere of a particular place and to provide insights into human psychology.<ref>Besler (1983) pp. 80-81</ref> Referring to ''The Saint-Fiacre Affair'', John Banville wrote, "The story is silly, as usual, but the evocation of the little town and its people makes such considerations irrelevant."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Banville |first=John |date=11 January 2020 |title=Maigret and the Master |pages=8 |work=Financial Times}}</ref>