Jules Maigret

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Maigret statue by Pieter d'Hont in Delfzijl. The unveiling was made by Simenon himself on September 3, 1966, at the place where he had written the first Maigret novel, and was attended by Maigret actors from various countries.[1]

Jules Maigret memorial plaque

Jules Maigret, (titled Commissaire) Maigret to most people, including his wife, is a fictional police detective, actually a commissaire or commissioner of the Paris "Brigade Criminelle" (Direction Rgionale de Police Judiciaire de Paris), created by writer Georges Simenon. Seventy-five novels and twenty-eight short stories about Maigret were published between 1931 and 1972, starting with Pietr-le-Leton (Latvian Pete) and concluding with Maigret et Monsieur Charles (Maigret and Monsieur Charles). The Maigret stories were also adapted for television and radio.

Contents

1 Character 2 Television adaptations 3 Radio adaptations 4 Other appearances 5 List of novels 6 List of short stories 7 References 8 External links

Character
Some of his trademark features are his pipes, his mixed approach to detecting (at times relying on pure intuition, at times on method), his laconic manner, and his fondness for alcohol. Often during an investigation, he will step into a small cafe or bar for a drink and possibly a light lunch. His drinks of choice are beer and white wine, though he has also been known to drink pastis, Armagnac, cognac, calvados, Pernod, and whiskey, as well as grog, to name just a few. This is not to say that he is a drunk, as it is a matter of personal pride that he can hold his liquor, and would be deeply embarrassed if he allowed himself to become intoxicated. Maigret almost invariably wears his heavy overcoat, even when traveling to the Riviera a fact which leads people unfamiliar with him to mark him instantly as a policeman. In the books he is described as a stocky man of average height, slightly overweight but not obese. He dislikes climbing stairs, and usually uses a police driver or cab for traveling even comparatively short distances in his investigations, though he also occasionally walks. Junior officers may be made to carry his attach. Maigret was born at Saint-Fiacre in the Allier department (where there is no such village), supposedly in 1884, although different birth years may be inferred from different books. His wife's given name is Louise, but she is almost exclusively referred to as Madame Maigret in the books. They had one child, a daughter who died at birth.[2] Without any living children of his own, Maigret nevertheless demonstrates fondness for children, treating them with kindness and patience, and often indulging them. In most of his books he and his wife live at 132 Boulevard Richard-Lenoir but in Maigret in Retirement, he is said to have retained his apartment on the Place des Vosges in the 4th arrondissement of Paris.

He is usually successful and generally confident in his police work, although he does encounter the occasional disappointment. He is most often portrayed as a mentor to his "pupil" sidekicks, usually junior Metropolitan officers or (when he is away from Paris) the local constabulary. Maigret is genuinely proud and happy when one of his junior officers meets with some professional success. The role of mindless puppet, contrasting with the brilliance of Maigret, is reserved for public prosecutors or more frequently a Juge d'instruction or Examining Magistrate. While Maigret usually conducts his investigations in France, he has also been called upon to visit Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, and the United States.[3]

Television adaptations
There have been numerous incarnations of Maigret on the small screen all around the world. He has been portrayed by French, British, Irish, Austrian, Dutch, German, Italian, and Japanese actors. In France, Jean Gabin played the part in three films and is seen by many as the best Maigret. Arguably, the most celebrated French version stars Bruno Cremer, who played him in 54 adaptations during 19912005. Jean Richard had an earlier long-running series playing the character on French television however, Simenon himself is said to have disliked Richard's Maigret because he would not take his hat off when entering a room.

Actor Rupert Davies as Maigret in Murder on Monday The Italian actor Gino Cervi played the character on Italian television, starting from 1964 up to 1972; Simenon himself considered Cervi's interpretation of the character to be possibly the best. In Japan, Kinya Aikawa played Megure, a Japanese-born equivalent to the French Maigret, reinvented in a modern Japanese setting, in Tky Megure Keishi[4], a 25episode TV Series aired from April 14 to May 29, 1978 on Asahi TV. Megure/Maigret's wife was played by Tomomi Sato, who earned the praises of Simenon himself: "The

best 'Madame Maigret' in my opinion, even including the French ones, was the 'Madame Maigret' on Japanese television. She was exactly right"[5]. One of the most popular versions of the Chief Inspector was that played by British actor Rupert Davies who made his debut on October 31, 1960. Davies took over the part after Basil Sydney, who appeared as Maigret in the original transmitted pilot, proved unavailable due to ill-health. Davies went on to star in 52 adaptations for BBC TV in the 1960s. His portrayal won two of the highest accolades: his versions were dubbed into French and played across the Channel; and Simenon himself presented Davies with a novel inscribed to his "perfect Maigret". The British television channel ITV produced an adaptation of Maigret in 1992 and 1993, in which Michael Gambon starred as Maigret. A less successful earlier version (1988) on ITV cast Richard Harris in the lead role, with a somewhat idiosyncratic reading of the character.

Radio adaptations
Maurice Denham played Chief Inspector Maigret in a series of half-hour dramatizations of the novels on BBC Radio 4 from 1992 to 2002, with Michael Gough playing Georges Simenon. The format of each play would begin with Maigret and Simenon sitting together discussing some fact or event which would then lead into Maigret's recounting a particular case, with Simenon asking questions or commenting from time to time. After Denham's death, the series was continued in 2003 with Nicholas Le Prevost playing a gruffer, more earthy Maigret and Julian Barnes playing Simenon.

Other appearances

Maigret, as he appeared in volume 5 of Case Closed Inspector Joseph Meguire/Jozo Megure from Case Closed is loosely based on Maigret, in both appearance and name. Both are police inspectors, and are known for wearing

hats and overcoats. The rendering in the Japanese syllabary for Megure and Maigret is the same (me-gu-re; in other words, the names are pronounced the same in Japanese). Maigret himself was also highlighted in volume 5 of the Case Closed manga's edition of "Gosho Aoyama's Mystery Library, a section of the graphic novels (usually the last page) where the author introduces a different detective (or occasionally, a villain) from mystery literature, television, or other media.

List of novels
List of Maigret novels by date of French-language publication. Title Train de nuit La maison d'inquitude Pietr-le-Letton 1930 1930 1931 Date English title(s) Night Train The House of Unease The Strange Case of Peter the Lett The Case of Peter the Lett Maigret and the Enigmatic Lett The Crime at Lock 14 Maigret Meets a Milord Lock 14 The Death of Monsieur Gallet Maigret Stonewalled The Crime of Inspector Maigret Maigret and the Hundred Gibbets A Battle of Nerves Maigret's War of Nerves A Man's Head A Face for a Clue Maigret and the Concarneau Murders Maigret and the Yellow Dog The Yellow Dog Maigret at the Crossroads A Crime in Holland Maigret in Holland The Sailor's Rendezvous Maigret Answers a Plea At the Gai Moulin Maigret at the Gai Moulin Guinguette by the Seine Maigret and the Tavern by the Seine Maigret to the Rescue A Spot by the Seine The Bar on the Seine The Shadow in the Courtyard Maigret Mystified

Le Charretier de la Providence M. Gallet dcd Le Pendu de Saint-Pholien La Tte d'un homme (L'Homme de la Tour Eiffel)

1931 1931 1931 1931

Le Chien jaune La Nuit du carrefour Un Crime en Hollande Au Rendez-vous des TerreNeuves La Danseuse du Gai-Moulin

1931 1931 1931 1931 1931

La Guinguette deux sous

1932

L'Ombre chinoise

1932

L'Affaire Saint-Fiacre

Chez les Flamands Le Port des brumes Le Fou de Bergerac Liberty Bar L'cluse no. 1 La femme rousse Maigret La Maison du juge Les Caves du Majestic Ccile est morte Sign Picpus Flicie est l L'Inspecteur Cadavre Maigret se fche Maigret New York

Les Vacances de Maigret Maigret et son mort

Maigret and the Countess The Saint-Fiacre Affair 1932 Maigret Goes Home Maigret on Home Ground The Flemish Shop 1932 Maigret and the Flemish Shop Death of a Harbour Master 1932 Maigret and the Death of a Harbor Master 1932 The Madman of Bergerac Liberty Bar 1932 Maigret on the Riviera The Lock at Charenton 1933 Maigret Sits It Out Lock No. 1 1933 The Redhead 1934 Maigret Returns 1940 Maigret in Exile Maigret and the Hotel Majestic 1942 The Hotel Majestic 1942 Maigret and the Spinster To Any Lengths 1944 Maigret and the Fortuneteller 1944 Maigret and the Toy Village Maigret's Rival 1944 Inspector Cadaver August 1945 Maigret in Retirement Maigret in New York Inspector Maigret in New York's March 1946 Underworld Maigret in New York's Underworld A Summer Holiday November No Vacation for Maigret 1947 Maigret on Holiday Maigret's Dead Man January 1948 Maigret's Special Murder

La Premire enqute de Maigret, October 1948 Maigret's First Case 1913 My Friend Maigret Mon ami Maigret February 1949 The Methods of Maigret Maigret chez le coroner July 1949 Maigret at the Coroner's Madame Maigret's Own Case December L'Amie de Mme Maigret Madame Maigret's Friend 1949 The Friend of Madame Maigret Les Mmoires de Maigret September Maigret's Memoirs

Maigret et la vieille dame

1950 December 1950

Maigret and the Old Lady

Maigret and the Strangled Stripper December Maigret in Montmartre Maigret au "Picratt's" 1950 Inspector Maigret and the Strangled Stripper Maigret Takes a Room Maigret en meubl February 1951 Maigret Rents a Room Inspector Maigret and the Burglar's Maigret et la grande perche May 1951 Wife Maigret and the Burglar's Wife September Inspector Maigret and the Killers Maigret, Lognon et les gangsters 1951 Maigret and the Gangsters Le Revolver de Maigret June 1952 Maigret's Revolver Maigret and the Man on the Boulevard Maigret et l'homme du banc 1953 Maigret and the Man on the Bench The Man on the Boulevard Maigret a peur March 1953 Maigret Afraid Maigret se trompe August 1953 Maigret's Mistake December Maigret l'cole Maigret Goes to School 1953 Inspector Maigret and the Dead Girl Maigret et la jeune morte January 1954 Maigret and the Young Girl Maigret and the Minister Maigret chez le ministre August 1954 Maigret and the Calame Report Maigret et le corps sans tte January 1955 Maigret and the Headless Corpse Maigret tend un pige July 1955 Maigret Sets a Trap Un chec de Maigret March 1956 Maigret's Failure September Maigret's Little Joke Maigret s'amuse 1956 None of Maigret's Business Maigret voyage August 1957 Maigret and the Millionaires December Les Scrupules de Maigret Maigret Has Scruples 1957 Maigret et les tmoins October 1958 Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses rcalcitrants Une Confidence de Maigret May 1959 Maigret Has Doubts November Maigret aux assises Maigret in Court 1959 Maigret et les vieillards June 1960 Maigret in Society Maigret and the Lazy Burglar Maigret et le voleur paresseux January 1961 Maigret and the Idle Burglar September Maigret et les braves gens Maigret and the Black Sheep 1961

Maigret et le client du samedi Maigret et le clochard La Colre de Maigret Maigret et le fantme Maigret se dfend La Patience de Maigret Maigret et l'affaire Nahour Le Voleur de Maigret Maigret Vichy Maigret hsite L'Ami d'enfance de Maigret Maigret et le tueur Maigret et le marchand de vin La Folle de Maigret Maigret et l'homme tout seul Maigret et l'indicateur Maigret et Monsieur Charles

February 1962 Maigret and the Saturday Caller Maigret and the Dosser May 1962 Maigret and the Bum June 1962 Maigret Loses His Temper Maigret and the Ghost June 1963 Maigret and the Apparition July 1964 Maigret on the Defensive The Patience of Maigret March 1965 Maigret Bides His Time February 1966 Maigret and the Nahour Case November Maigret's Pickpocket 1966 Maigret and the Pickpocket September Maigret Takes the Waters 1967 Maigret in Vichy January 1968 Maigret Hesitates June 1968 Maigret's Boyhood Friend April 1969 Maigret and the Killer September Maigret and the Wine Merchant 1969 May 1970 Maigret and the Madwoman February 1971 Maigret and the Loner Maigret and the Flea June 1971 Maigret and the Informer February 1972 Maigret and Monsieur Charles

List of short stories

List of Maigret short stories by date of publication. Title "Une erreur de Maigret" "L'amoureux de Madame Maigret" "Stan le tueur" "L'Auberge aux noys" Date 1938 1938 1938 1938 English title(s) "Maigret's Mistake" "The Stronger Vessel" "Madame Maigret's Admirer" "Stan the Killer" "The Inn of the Drowned" "The Drowned Men's Inn" "The Barge with Two Hanging Bodies" "Inspector Maigret Thinks" "Dead Man's Barge" "Two Bodies on a Barge" "The Affair of the Boulevard Beaumarchais" "The Mysterious Affair in the Boulevard Beaumarchais"

"La pniche aux deux pendus" 1938

"L'affaire du Boulevard Beaumarchais"

1938

"Monsieur Lundi"

1938

"Jeumont, 51 minutes d'arrt" 1938

"Les larmes de bougie"

1938

"Rue Pigalle" "La vieille dame de Bayeux" "L'toile du Nord" "Tempte sur la Manche" "Mademoiselle Berthe et son amant" "L'improbable Monsieur Owen" "Ceux du Grand Caf"

1938 1938 1938 1938 1938 1938 1938

"Mr. Monday" "Inspector Maigret Hesitates" "Jeumont, 51 Minutes Wait!" "Inspector Maigret Deduces" "Jeumont, 51 Minutes Stop" "Journey Into Time" "Journey Backward Into Time" "Death of a Woodlander" "Rue Pigalle" "Inspector Maigret Investigates" "In the Rue Pigalle" "The Old Lady of Bayeux" "At the toile du Nord" "Storm in the Channel" "Storm over the Channel" "Maigret and the Frightened Dressmaker" "Mademoiselle Berthe and her Lover" "The Unlikely Monsieur Owen" "The Group at the Grand-Caf" "Inspector Maigret and the Missing Miniatures" "The Three Daughters of the Lawyer" "The Open Window" "Inspector Maigret Smokes His Pipe" "The Man on the Run" "Inspector Maigret Pursues" "The Man in the Street" "Under the Hammer" "Inspector Maigret Directs" "Sale by Auction" "Death Threats" "Maigret's Pipe" "Elusive Witness" "According to the Altar Boy" "Crime in the Rue Sainte-Catherine" "The Evidence of the Altar-Boy" "The Most Obstinate Man in Paris" "The Most Obstinate Customer in the World" "The Most Obstinate Man in the World" "Maigret and the Surly Inspector"

"Le Notaire du Chteauneuf" 1938 "La fentre ouverte" "L'Homme dans la rue" 1938 1939

"Vente la bougie" "Menaces de mort" "La pipe de Maigret" "Le tmoinage de l'enfant de choeur"

1939 1942 June 1945 1946

"Le client le plus obstin du monde" "Maigret et l'inspecteur malgracieux" "On ne tue pas les pauvres types" "Sous peine de mort"

May 1946

May 1946

August 1946 "Death of a Nobody" November "Inspector Maigret's War of Nerves"

"Un Nol de Maigret"

1946 May 1950

"Death Penalty" "Maigret's Christmas"

References
1. ^ The Maigret Statue at Delfzijl 2. ^ Simenon, Maigret et l'homme du banc (Hamish Hamilton 1975), trans. Eileen Ellenbogen from Maigret et l'Homme du Banc (1953), p69. 3. ^ Simenon, Georges (1980) [English translation 1976]. "4. A Visit to the Dutchman". Maigret et le fantme [Maigret and the Apparition] (1st Harvest/HBJ ed.). New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. p. 77. ISBN 0156551276. "Maigret's schoolboy English [...] had been of little use to him in London, and still less on the two occasions when he had visited the United States" 4. ^ Tkyo Megure Keishi Japanese wiki page (Japanese) 5. ^ A picture of Kinya Aikawa as Maigret/Megure, and Simenon's quote from La Revue du Cinma n 454, November, 1989. Article retrieved on Trussel.com

External links

Simenon's Maigret (bibliography, statistics, online texts, links) Maigret at the Internet Movie Database

v t e

Maigret

Novels

The Strange Case of Peter the Lett The Crime at Lock 14 The Death of Monsieur Gallet The Crime of Inspector Maigret A Battle of Nerves A Face for a Clue Maigret at the Crossroads Maigret in Holland The Sailors' Rendezvous Maigret at the Gai-Moulin Guinguette by the Seine The Shadow in the Courtyard Maigret Goes Home The Flemish Shop Death of a Harbour Master The Madman of Bergerac Liberty Bar The Lock at Charenton Maigret Returns Maigret and the Hotel Majestic

Maigret in Exile Maigret and the Spinster To Any Lengths Maigret and the Toy Village Maigret's Rival Maigret in Retirement Maigret New York A Summer Holiday Maigret's Dead Man Maigret's First Case My Friend Maigret Maigret and the Coroner Maigret and the Old Lady Madame Maigret's Own Case Maigret's Memoirs Maigret and the Strangled Stripper Maigret Takes a Room Maigret and the Burglar's Wife Inspector Maigret and the Killers Maigret's Revolver Maigret and the Man on the Boulevard Maigret Afraid Maigret's Mistake Maigret Goes to School Inspector Maigret and the Dead Girl Maigret and the Minister Maigret and the Headless Corpse Maigret Sets a Trap Maigret's Failure Maigret's Little Joke Maigret and the Millionaires Maigret Has Scruples Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses Maigret Has Doubts Maigret in Court Maigret in Society Maigret and the Lazy Burglar Maigret and the Black Sheep Maigret and the Saturday Caller Maigret and the Dosser Maigret Loses His Temper Maigret and the Ghost Maigret on the Defensive The Patience of Maigret Maigret and the Nahour Case Maigret's Pickpocket Maigret in Vichy Maigret Hesitates Maigret's Boyhood Friend Maigret and the Killer

Maigret and the Wine Merchant Maigret and the Mad Woman Maigret and the Loner Maigret and the Flea Maigret and Monsieur Charles The Barge with Two Hanging Bodies The Affair of the Boulevard Beaumarchais The Open Window Inspector Maigret Hesitates Jeumont, 51 Minutes' Wait! Inspector Maigret's War of Nerves Journey into Time Rue Pigalle The Stronger Vessel The Old Lady of Bayeux The Inn of the Drowned Stan the Killer At the toile du Nord Storm in the Channel Maigret and the Frightened Dressmaker Inspector Maigret and the Missing Miniatures The Unlikely M. Owen The Group at the Grand Caf The Man on the Run Under the Hammer Death Threats Maigret's Pipe Not the Sort to Get Murdered Elusive Witness The Most Obstinate Man in Paris Maigret and the Surly Inspector Maigret's Christmas

Short stories

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