Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Short Story Wednesday: "Maigret's Christmas" by Georges Simenon

Short Story Wednesday is on the first day of December, so I am featuring a story by Georges Simenon with a Christmas theme.


On Christmas morning two women who live in Maigret's neighborhood come to Maigret's house to report an odd event. One woman is older, Mademoiselle Doncoeur, who does fine needlework; the other woman, Madame Martin, is younger, about 30. Madame Martin lives with her husband and his niece, who is recovering from an injury to her leg, and cannot get out of bed. The niece, about eight years old, has reported that Father Christmas visited her in the middle of the night and left a doll for her. She saw him looking for something under the floorboards of her room, and assumed he was trying to get to the room of a boy who lives in the apartment below. Mademoiselle Doncoeur had insisted that they tell Maigret about this, even though neither of them had met him before. Madame Martin was reluctant to report the incident to Maigret.

Thus starts Maigret's investigation of this case, done entirely from his home, with the help of men at the police station via phone calls. 

I have not read a lot of Maigret stories (full length or otherwise) recently, so I don't know much about Maigret's relationship with his wife. In both the stories I read recently, she features prominently, more so in this one. "Maigret's Christmas" is a lovely story. It ends on a sad note, but is not dark or depressing at all. I enjoyed getting to see more of Maigret's wife and their relationship in this story.



I read this story in Maigret's Christmas, a collection of stories by Georges Simenon. "Maigret's Christmas" is the first story in the book, and is lengthy for a short story, 60 pages in my edition. The story was first published in France in 1951. 

I have started the next story, which is also about 60 pages, "Seven Small Crosses in a Notebook". I have read two chapters out of five and will finish it soon. 

I have also read the last story in the book, "Maigret in Retirement", which was 105 pages long. I read that one about a week ago, and reviewed it here.


14 comments:

pattinase (abbott) said...

Am always amazed at how he could write a book in a few weeks. What a brain he must have had.

Cath said...

I've been meaning to get hold of a copy of this for several years. I need to pull my finger out and get on with it as that title story sound delightful.

Rick Robinson said...

Good one, Tracy. Bring on the holiday short stories.

TracyK said...

Patti, Simenon did write a huge number of books during his lifetime over several decades.

TracyK said...

Cath, it is a very good story, both the parts about Maigret, his wife, and their Christmas day, and the investigation. The second story I mentioned is often noted as people's favorite story in the book... I still haven't finished it.

TracyK said...

Rick, I am looking forward to more Christmas short stories the rest of this month.

Margot Kinberg said...

I'm by no means a Maigret expert, Tracy, but I do like the relationship between Maigret and his wife. And I like it a lot that he brings her character to the fore in some of the stories. Glad you enjoyed this one.

TracyK said...

Margot, I recently bought the first Maigret book, Pietr the Latvian, sort of to start from the beginning, although I won't attempt to read them in order.

Rick Robinson said...

I haven’t tried to read them in order either. By the way, I love the short story collection MAIGRET’S PIPE.

So sorry to hear of your husband’s ongoing eye problems!

TracyK said...

Rick, I will be looking for more Maigret short stories when I finish this book.

We are hoping Glen's eye problems will sort themselves out very soon. Now we are waiting to get drops to see if they help. Very frustrating.

Christine said...

I love this story, Tracy. Madame Maigret is a fascinating character!

TracyK said...

Christine, I found this book at the book sale in September, and I was so lucky to do so. Two lovely (longer) stories with Madame Maigret, and I finished the second story too, and it was equally good, although not a Maigret story.

CLM said...

Love this cover, and I think short stories are a good idea this time of year when it seems as if there are constant interruptions. I thought a few holiday-themed mysteries or romances would serve the same purpose for me but although I read them, I found most were very weak. I have one out called The Matzah Ball that got good reviews and before I could start it, a friend wrote and told me not to bother! I will probably try it anyway but it was so unexpected.

TracyK said...

This is a great cover, Constance. I would have bought the book just based on the cover, but the contents are wonderful too.

I like to read mystery books (and other fiction) set at Christmas during December, and have several short story books I am working through. I will be reading the rest of the stories in this book in December.

I just finished The Last Noel by Michael Malone, published in 2002, set between 1963 and 1998 (I think) in North Carolina. It features a friendship between a rich white girl and the African American son of the family's servants, both born near Christmas. It starts when they are seven years old. Hard to describe, but it covers the Viet Nam war, politics, civil rights, and the music over the various decades. A lovely sentimental story.

Next I am reading Spence and the Holiday Murders by Michael Allen, published in 1977.