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Penguin Classics, 2015. Format: Kindle edition. File size: 709 KB. Print length: 176 pages. First published in French as Les caves du Majestic by Éditions Gallimard 1942. This translation by Howard Curtis first published 2015. ISBN 978 0 141 98067 6. ASIN: B00SNZMCQY
Maigret comes to the Hotel Majestic, a luxury hotel on the Champs-Élysées, to investigate a crime. In the cellars of the Majestic has appeared the body of Mrs Clark, the French wife of a wealthy American industrialist on holiday in Paris, while her husband is carrying on business contacts in Europe. The family is accompanied by their seven-year-old son, a governess and a maid. It so happens that Mr Clark had left for Rome the previous morning. Mrs Clark’s body was found naked in a locker in the basement area by a Prosper Donge, the head coffee maker of the Hotel. Maigret spends most of the day interrogating the hotel staff except for Prosper Donge, whom he follows on a bicycle up to his home. He lives with a woman, who soon tells Maigret she is not his wife. The woman concerned is called Charlotte and she used to be a dancer, and afterwards a hostess on the Côte d’Azur. At this point, we discover that Mrs Clark, some years ago, was known as Émilienne, or rather Mimi, a hostess in Cannes in a nightclub that in those days was called the Belle Étoile. And Maigret travels to Cannes in order to find out if the past of Mimi aka Mrs Clark. can shed some light that might help solve the crime.
The Cellars of the Majestic aka Maigret and the Hotel Majestic aka The Hotel Majestic is a Georges Simenon’s Maigret novel written in December 1939 after a gap of six years since his last Maigret book, entitled Maigret, in November 1933. See my review here. Gallimard first published Les Caves du Majestic in their weekly magazine “Marianne“, in serial form, from April until October 1940 before issuing it in book form, with two more new Maigret novels, in the autumn of 1942, the volume containing the three novels [Cécile est morte – Les Caves du Majestic – La Maison du juge] being entitled Maigret Revient (Maigret Returns). Strictly speaking it should be regarded as Inspecto Maigret #20 since both Cécile est morte (Inspector Maigret #20) and La Maison du juge (Inspector Maigret #22), were written in 1940, if I’m not mistaken. By the way although Simenon chose a luxury hotel as the main setting for this novel, the real name of the hotel that inspired him this book is Hôtel Claridge at 74 Avenue des Champs Élysées (8th arrondissement). The site of the Hôtel Claridge is confirmed in the novel by the mention of the Rues de Berri and de Ponthieu. While it is true that there was a Hôtel Majestic at 19 Avenue Kléber (16th arrondissement), on one of the twelve avenues that radiate from the Arc de Triomphe, as far as I know this hotel was converted to government offices in 1936.
The Cellars of the Majestic is an excellent example of the genius of Georges Simenon. As customary in his novels, Inspector Maigret doesn’t solve his cases by using a deductive process, but rather, by immersing himself in the lives of the characters involved in the plot. Maigret doesn’t waste time beating around the bush. And the prose of Simenon is succinct and goes right to the point. He writes with a wonderful economy of words without leaving anything out. His books are often quite brief but, in very few pages, Simenon says more than many other writers in a novel of larger extension. In this particular instalment, the plot has been carefully elaborated, the characters seem real, and the story turns out to be truly engaging. Without leaving the gloomy tone to which we are used, it seems to me that, in a sense, The Cellars of the Majestic is much less somber than his immediately previous novels in the series. All in all a magnificent novel and, as such, highly recommended.
My rating: A+ (Don’t delay, get your hands on a copy of this book)
Georges Simenon (1903–1989) began working as a reporter for a local newspaper at the age of sixteen, and at nineteen he moved to Paris to embark on a career as a novelist. He went on to write seventy-five Maigret novels and twenty-eight Maigret short stories.
Other Maigret novels reviewed at A Crime is Afoot:
- The Yellow Dog (1931) Inspector Maigret #5 by Georges Simenon
- The Madman of Bergerac (1932) Inspector Maigret #15 by Georges Simenon
- Liberty Bar (1932) Inspector Maigret #17 by Georges Simenon
- Lock Nº 1 (1933) Inspector Maigret #18 by Georges Simenon
- Maigret, aka Maigret Returns (1934) Inspector Maigret #19 by Georges Simenon
Penguin Books Limited publicity page
Penguin Random House publicity page (Read an excerpt)
Les caves du Majestic (in French)
Maigret of the Month: August, 2005
A Tribute to the Writings of Georges Simenon
The official Georges Simenon website, by John Simenon
Los sótanos del Majestic de Georges Simenon
Maigret llega al Hotel Majestic, un hotel de lujo en los Campos Elíseos, para investigar un crimen. En los sótanos del Majestic ha aparecido el cuerpo de la señora Clark, la esposa francesa de un rico industrial norteamericano de vacaciones en París, mientras que su marido realiza negocios en Europa. La familia está acompañado por su hijo de siete años de edad, una institutriz y una criada. Se da la circunstancia de que el Sr. Clark se había ido a Roma la mañana anterior. El cuerpo de la señora Clark fue encontrado desnudo en un armario en el sótano por un tal Prósper Donge, el encargado jefe de la elaboración del café del hotel. Maigret pasa la mayor parte del día interrogando al personal del hotel a excepción de Prósper Donge, a quien sigue en bicicleta hasta su casa. Vive con una mujer, que pronto le dice a Maigret que no es su esposa. La mujer en cuestión se llama Charlotte y ella solía ser una bailarina, y después una chica de alterne en la Costa Azul. En este punto, descubrimos que la señora Clark, hace unos años, era conocida como Émilienne, o más bien Mimi, una chica de alterne en un club nocturno de Cannes que en aquellos días se llamaba la Belle Etoile. Y Maigret viaja a Cannes con el fin de averiguar si el pasado de Mimi, ahora señora Clark, puede arrojar alguna luz que pudiera ayudar a resolver el crimen.
Los sótanos del Majestic también conocido como Maigret y el Hotel Majestic también conocido como El Hotel Majestic es una novela de Maigret de Georges Simenon escrita en diciembre de 1939 después de un intervalo de seis años desde su último libro de Maigret, titulado Maigret, en noviembre de 1933. Ver mi reseña aquí. Gallimard publicó Les Caves du Majestic en su revista semanal “Marianne“, por entregas de abril a octubre de 1940 antes de su publicación en forma de libro, con otras dos nuevas novelas más de Maigret, en el otoño de 1942, el volumen que contiene los tres novelas [Cécile est morte – Les Caves du Majestic – La Maison du juge] lleva por título Maigret Revient (El regreso de Maigret). En sentido estricto debe ser considerada como la entrega número 20 de Miagret ya que los otros dos libros Cécile est morte (Inspector Maigret # 20) y La Maison du juge (Inspector Maigret # 22), fueron escritos en 1940, si no me equivoco. Por cierto, aunque Simenon eligió un hotel de lujo como el escenario principal de esta novela, el verdadero nombre del hotel que le inspiró este libro es Hôtel Claridge en el 74 de la avenida de los Campos Elíseos (distrito 8). La ubicación del hotel Claridge se confirma en la novela con la mención de las Rues de Berry y de Ponthieu. Si bien es cierto que hubo un Hotel Majestic en el 19 de la Avenue Kléber (distrito 16), en una de las doce avenidas que salem del Arco de Triunfo, por lo que yo sé este hotel se convirtió en dependencias del Gobierno en el 1936.
Los sótanos del Majestic es un excelente ejemplo del genio de Georges Simenon. Como es habitual en sus novelas, el inspector Maigret no resuelve sus casos mediante el uso de un proceso deductivo, sino más bien, sumergiéndose en las vidas de los personajes que intervienen en la trama. Maigret no pierde el tiempo dándole vueltas al asunto. Y la prosa de Simenon es sucinta y va directamente al grano. Escribe con una maravillosa economía de palabras sin dejar nada fuera. Sus libros son a menudo bastante breves, pero, en muy pocas páginas, Simenon dice más que muchos otros escritores en una novela de mayor extensión. En esta entrega en particular, la trama ha sido cuidadosamente elaborada, los personajes parecen reales, y la historia resulta ser realmente atractiva. Sin abandonar el tono sombrío al que estamos acostumbrados, me parece que, en cierto sentido, Los sótanos del Majestic es mucho menos lúgubre que sus novelas inmediatamente anteriores de la serie. En suma, una magnífica novela y, como tal, muy recomendable.
Mi valoración: A+ (No se demore, consiga un ejemplar de este libro)
Georges Simenon (1903-1989) comenzó a trabajar como reportero para un periódico local a la edad de dieciséis años, y a los diecinueve se trasladó a París para embarcarse en una carrera como novelista. A continuación escribió setenta y cinco novelas de Maigret y veintiocho cuentos protaonizados por Maigret.
Otras novelas de Maigret reseñadas en A Crime is Afoot:
- El perro canelo (1931) Inspector Maigret #5 de Georges Simenon
- El loco de Bergerac (1932) Inspector Maigret #15 de Georges Simenon
- Maigert y el Liberty Bar (1932) Inspector Maigret #17 de Georges Simenon
- La esclusa número uno (1933) Inspector Maigret #18 de Georges Simenon
- Maigret (1934) Inspector Maigret #19 de Georges Simenon
The story initiates at an advertising company, called Pym Publicity Ltd. and begins when a new copy-writer starts working at the agency. The man in question, a certain Mr Death Bredon, is being introduced to the rest of the personnel. He’s going to take over the job of the unfortunate Mr Victor Dean whom, just a few days ago, fell down through an iron spiral staircase on the company premises, dying immediately as a consequence of the injuries suffered. Some chapters later, the reader finds out that Mr Bredon is none other than Lord Peter Wimsey, disguised as his disreputable cousin Mr Bredon with whom he bears an incredible resemblance. The fact is that the day after the accident that caused Dean’s death, his sister Miss Pamela Dean sent to Mr Pym a fragment of a half-finished letter, which she had found on her brother’s desk, warning him that something of suspect nature, is going on in the advertising agency. Consequently Mr Pym, through common friends, has got in touch with Lord Peter Wimsey, asking him to investigate. As the story progresses, Lord Peter Wimsey will see himself caught into a complex network of blackmailers and drug pedlars.
Another favourite cheese of mine is Queso Zamorano, a sheep’s milk cheese made in the province of Zamora, Spain. This is a hard cheese which is typically aged about 6 months. The cheeses are turned often and rubbed with olive oil, giving the cheese its characteristic dark colour. This cheese owes its flavour character to the breed of sheep, the “small, scruffy” Churra and the Castellana sheep, predominant in the region, to the cold and humid climate conditions, and to its long aging in cellars. Zamorano has a “very creamy, sweet, savoury flavour,” with “a hint of piquancy.” Others describe it as hardy and nutty. The shape is cylindrical with “a distinctive zigzag pattern,” similar to Castellano or Manchego, which it resembles in taste also. The size is approximately 11 kg (24 lb). Zamorano cheese is protected by its Denominación de Origen, which specifies its production, ingredients, and maturation. (Source: Wikipedia)
A Crime is Afoot 