Notes On Death Threats and Other Stories, by Georges Simenon (Translated by Ros Schwartz)

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Penguin Classics, 2021. Format; Kindle Edition. File Size: 943 KB. Print Length: 179 pages. ASIN: B08HRDX37M. ISBN: 9780141995502

Summary: This new selection of stories featuring Inspector Maigret – three of which are published in English for the first time – takes the detective from a mysterious death in a Cannes hotel to a love triangle in the Loire countryside and a bitter rivalry within a Parisian family.

Written during the Second World War, just a few years after Simenon had published what was intended to be his last novel featuring Inspector Maigret, these tales of human frailty and deceit distil the atmosphere, themes and psychological intensity that make Simenon’s famous detective series so compelling.

Book Contents: “The Improbable Monsieur Owen”; “The Men at the Grand Café”; “ The Man on the Streets”, “Candle Auction” and “Death Threats”.

My Take: Georges Simenon, to my knowledge, wrote twenty-eight short stories. Death Threats and Other Stories contains a selection of five of which three, previously untranslated, were available translated by Stephen Trusell at the excellent website Maigret Forum. The other two were included in Maigret’s Christmas: Nine Stories. “The Unlikely M. Owen” (tr. Stephen Trussel); “The Group at the Grand Café” (tr. Stephen Trussel); “The Man in the Street” (tr. Jean Stewart) in Maigretʻs Christmas: Nine Stories; “Sale by Auction” (tr. Jean Stewart) in Maigretʻs Christmas: Nine Stories and “Death Threats” (tr. Stephen Trussel).

“The Man in the street” is one of my favourite Maigret short stories.

About the Author: Georges Simenon (1903-1989) was one of the most prolific writers of the twentieth century, capable of writing 60 to 80 pages per day. His oeuvre includes nearly 200 novels, over 150 novellas, several autobiographical works, numerous articles, and scores of pulp novels written under more than two dozen pseudonyms. Altogether, about 550 million copies of his works have been printed. He is best known, however, for his 75 novels and 28 short stories featuring Commissaire Maigret. The first novel in the series, Pietr-le-Letton, appeared in 1931; the last one, Maigret et M. Charles, was published in 1972. The Maigret novels were translated into all major languages and several of them were turned into films and radio plays. Two television series (1960-63 and 1992-93) have been made in Great Britain. During his “American” period, Simenon reached the height of his creative powers, and several novels of those years were inspired by the context in which they were written. Simenon also wrote a large number of “psychological novels”, as well as several autobiographical works. (Source: Goodreads).

About the Translator: With over 60 titles to her name, Ros Schwartz has translated a wide range of Francophone fiction and non-fiction authors including Dominique Manotti (whose Lorraine Connection (Arcadia) won the 2008 International Dagger Award), and Lebanese writer Dominique Eddé, whose Kite (Seagull Books), was longlisted for the 2013 Best Translated Book Award in the USA. In 2010 she published a new translation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince (shortlisted for the Marsh children’s book award) and she is involved in translating a number of Maigret titles for Penguin Classics’ new Simenon edition. Ros frequently publishes articles and gives workshops and talks on literary translation around the world. She is co-organiser of a 2014 translation summer school in association with City University, London. In 2009 she was made Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for her services to literature. (Source: Institut Français Royaume-uni)

Penguin UK publicity page

Further reading: Mike Grost on Georges Simenon; and The Maigret Forum.

Death Threats y otras historias de Georges Simenon

Resumen: Esta nueva selección de relatos protagonizadas por el inspector Maigret, tres de las cuales se publican en inglés por primera vez, lleva al detective de una misteriosa muerte en un hotel de Cannes hasta un triángulo amoroso en la campiña del Loira y una amarga rivalidad dentro de una familia parisina. .

Escritos durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, solo unos años después de que Simenon publicara la que pretendía ser su última novela protagonizada por el inspector Maigret, estas historias sobre la fragilidad humana y el engaño destilan la atmósfera, los temas y la intensidad psicológica que hacen que la famosa serie de detectives de Simenon sea tan cautivadora. .

Contenido del libro: “L’improbable Monsieur Owen”, 1938; “Ceux du Grand Café”, 1938; “L’Homme dans la rue”, 1939; “Vente à la bougie”, 1939 y “Menaces de mort”, 1942.

Mi opinión: Georges Simenon, que yo sepa, escribió veintiocho relatos. Death Threats and Other Stories contiene una selección de cinco de los cuales tres, previamente sin traducir, estaban disponibles traducidos por Stephen Trusell en el excelente sitio web Maigret Forum. Los otros dos se incluyeron en Maigret’s Christmas: Nine Stories. “The Unlikely M. Owen” (tr. Stephen Trussel); “The Group at the Grand Café” (tr. Stephen Trussel); “The Man in the Street” (tr. Jean Stewart) in Maigretʻs Christmas: Nine Stories; “Sale by Auction” (tr. Jean Stewart) in Maigretʻs Christmas: Nine Stories and “Death Threats” (tr. Stephen Trussel).

“L’Homme dans la rue”, 1939 es uno de mis relatos breves favoritos de Maigret.

Acerca del autor: Georges Simenon (1903-1989) fue uno de los escritores más prolíficos del siglo XX, capaz de escribir de 60 a 80 páginas diarias. Su obra incluye cerca de 200 novelas, más de 150 relatos, varias obras autobiográficas, numerosos artículos y decenas de novelas baratas escritas bajo más de dos docenas de seudónimos. En total, se han publicado alrededor de 550 millones de copias de sus obras. Sin embargo, es más conocido por sus 75 novelas y 28 cuentos protagonizados por el comisario Maigret. La primera novela de la serie, Pietr-le-Letton, apareció en 1931; la última, Maigret et M. Charles, se publicó en 1972. Las novelas de Maigret se tradujeron a los principales idiomas y varias de ellas se convirtieron en películas y novelas para la radio. En Gran Bretaña se han realizado dos series de televisión (1960-63 y 1992-93). Durante su período “americano”, Simenon alcanzó la cumbre de su capacidad creativa, y varias novelas de esos años se inspiraron en el contexto en el que fueron escritas. Simenon también escribió una gran cantidad de “novelas psicológicas”, así como varias obras autobiográficas. (Fuente: Goodreads

).