Jules Maigret
Jules Maigret, or simply Maigret, is a fictional French police detective, a commissaire of the Paris Brigade Criminelle, created by writer Georges Simenon. The character's full name is Jules Amedée François Maigret.
75 novels and 28 short stories about Maigret were published between 1931 and 1972, starting with Pietr-le-Letton and concluding with Maigret et Monsieur Charles. The Maigret stories were also adapted for television and radio. Penguin Books published new translations of 75 books in the series over as many months; the project was begun in November 2013, by translators David Bellos, Anthea Bell, and Ros Schwartz.
Character
Creation
The character of Maigret was invented by Simenon while drinking in a cafe by a Dutch canal and imagining a Parisian policeman: "a large powerfully built gentleman...a pipe, a bowler hat, a thick overcoat." Maigret was reputed to be based on, an actual French detective although Simenon himself variously claimed not to remember the inspiration or that Maigret was influenced by Simenon's own father.Biographers Thomas Narcejac and Fenton Bresler both see Simenon himself in his creation.
Description
Maigret is described as a large, broad shouldered man — he is gruff, but patient and fair. Recurring characters in the series include Maigret's wife Louise and in particular "The Faithful Four", a group consisting of his four loyal police colleagues.Maigret doesn't like his first name being used and prefers to be simply called "Maigret". Even Maigret's wife restricts herself to calling him "Maigret", only calling him by his first name a handful of times.
He was from the village of Saint-Fiacre in the Allier Department where his father Evariste Maigret was the bailiff for the local landowner; see Simenon's novel Maigret's Failure, about a school bully and contemporary, "Fatty" Ferdinand Fumal from the same village.
List of novels
List of Maigret novels with date of French-language publication as well as the Penguin reissue dates and titles.| Title | Date | Penguin UK Reissue Date | Reissue # | Reissue Title | Other English title |
| Pietr-le-Letton | 1931 | 7 Nov 2013 | 1 | Pietr the Latvian | The Strange Case of Peter the Lett The Case of Peter the Lett Maigret and the Enigmatic Lett |
| Le Charretier de la Providence | 1931 | 6 Feb 2014 | 4 | The Carter of La Providence | The Crime at Lock 14 Maigret Meets a Milord Lock 14 |
| M. Gallet décédé | 1931 | 5 Dec 2013 | 2 | The Late Monsieur Gallet | The Death of Monsieur Gallet Maigret Stonewalled |
| Le Pendu de Saint-Pholien | 1931 | 2 Jan 2014 | 3 | The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien | The Crime of Inspector Maigret Maigret and the Hundred Gibbets |
| La Tête d'un homme | 1931 | 3 July 2014 | 9 | A Man's Head | A Battle of Nerves Maigret's War of Nerves |
| Le Chien jaune | 1931 | 6 Mar 2014 | 5 | The Yellow Dog | A Face for a Clue Maigret and the Concarneau Murders Maigret and the Yellow Dog |
| La Nuit du carrefour | 1931 | 3 Apr 2014 | 6 | Night at the Crossroads | Maigret at the Crossroads The Night at the Crossroads |
| Un Crime en Hollande | 1931 | 1 May 2014 | 7 | A Crime in Holland | Maigret in Holland |
| Au Rendez-vous des Terre-Neuves | 1931 | 5 June 2014 | 8 | The Grand Banks Cafe | The Sailors' Rendezvous Maigret Answers a Plea |
| La Danseuse du Gai-Moulin | 1931 | 7 Aug 2014 | 10 | The Dancer at the Gai Moulin | At the Gai Moulin Maigret at the Gai Moulin |
| La Guinguette à deux sous | 1932 | 4 Sep 2014 | 11 | The Two-Penny Bar | 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 |
| L'Ombre chinoise | 1932 | 2 Oct 2014 | 12 | The Shadow Puppet | The Shadow in the Courtyard Maigret Mystified |
| L'Affaire Saint-Fiacre | 1932 | 6 Nov 2014 | 13 | The Saint-Fiacre Affair | Maigret and the Countess Maigret Goes Home Maigret on Home Ground |
| Chez les Flamands | 1932 | 4 Dec 2014 | 14 | The Flemish Shop | Maigret and the Flemish Shop The Flemish House |
| Le Port des brumes | 1932 | 5 Feb 2015 | 16 | The Misty Harbour | Death of a Harbour Master Maigret and the Death of a Harbor Master The Port of Shadows |
| Le Fou de Bergerac | 1932 | 1 Jan 2015 | 15 | The Madman of Bergerac | The Madman of Bergerac |
| Liberty Bar | 1932 | 5 Mar 2015 | 17 | Liberty Bar | Maigret on the Riviera |
| L'Écluse nº 1 | 1933 | 2 Apr 2015 | 18 | Lock No. 1 | The Lock at Charenton Maigret Sits It Out |
| La femme rousse | 1933 | The Redhead | |||
| Maigret | 1934 | 7 May 2015 | 19 | Maigret | Maigret Returns |
| La Maison du juge | 1942 | 6 Aug 2015 | 22 | The Judge's House | Maigret in Exile |
| Les Caves du Majestic | 1942 | 2 July 2015 | 21 | The Cellars of the Majestic | Maigret and the Hotel Majestic The Hotel Majestic |
| Cécile est morte | 1942 | 4 June 2015 | 20 | Cecile is Dead | Maigret and the Spinster |
| Signé Picpus | 1944 | 3 Sep 2015 | 23 | Signed, Picpus | Maigret and the Fortuneteller |
| Félicie est là | 1944 | 5 Nov 2015 | 25 | Félicie | Maigret and the Toy Village |
| L'Inspecteur Cadavre | 1944 | 1 Oct 2015 | 24 | Inspector Cadaver | Maigret's Rival |
| Maigret se fâche | 1947 | 3 Dec 2015 | 26 | Maigret Gets Angry | Maigret in Retirement |
| Maigret à New York | 1947 | 7 Jan 2016 | 27 | Maigret in New York | Inspector Maigret in New York's Underworld Maigret in New York's Underworld |
| Les Vacances de Maigret | November 1947 | 4 Feb 2016 | 28 | Maigret's Holiday | A Summer Holiday No Vacation for Maigret Maigret on Holiday |
| Maigret et son mort | January 1948 | 3 Mar 2016 | 29 | Maigret's Dead Man | Maigret's Special Murder |
| La Première enquête de Maigret, 1913 | October 1948 | 7 Apr 2016 | 30 | Maigret's First Case | Maigret's First Case |
| Mon ami Maigret | February 1949 | 5 May 2016 | 31 | My Friend Maigret | The Methods of Maigret |
| Maigret chez le coroner | July 1949 | 2 June 2016 | 32 | Maigret at the Coroner's | |
| L'Amie de M Maigret | December 1949 | 4 Aug 2016 | 34 | Madame Maigret's Friend | Madame Maigret's Own Case The Friend of Madame Maigret |
| Les Mémoires de Maigret | September 1950 | 1 Sep 2016 | 35 | Maigret's Memoirs | |
| Maigret et la vieille dame | December 1950 | 7 July 2016 | 33 | Maigret and the Old Lady | |
| Maigret au "Picratt's" | December 1950 | 6 Oct 2016 | 36 | Maigret at Picratt's | Maigret and the Strangled Stripper Maigret in Montmartre Inspector Maigret and the Strangled Stripper |
| Maigret en meublé | February 1951 | 3 Nov 2016 | 37 | Maigret Takes a Room | Maigret Rents a Room |
| Maigret et la grande perche | May 1951 | 1 Dec 2016 | 38 | Maigret and the Tall Woman | Inspector Maigret and the Burglar's Wife Maigret and the Burglar's Wife |
| Maigret, Lognon et les gangsters | September 1951 | 5 Jan 2017 | 39 | Maigret, Lognon and the Gangsters | Inspector Maigret and the Killers Maigret and the Gangsters |
| Le Revolver de Maigret | June 1952 | 2 Feb 2017 | 40 | Maigret's Revolver | |
| Maigret et l'homme du banc | 1953 | 2 Mar 2017 | 41 | Maigret and the Man on the Bench | Maigret and the Man on the Boulevard The Man on the Boulevard |
| Maigret a peur | March 1953 | 6 Apr 2017 | 42 | Maigret is Afraid | Maigret Afraid |
| Maigret se trompe | August 1953 | 4 May 2017 | 43 | Maigret's Mistake | |
| Maigret à l'école | December 1953 | 1 June 2017 | 44 | Maigret Goes to School | |
| Maigret et la jeune morte | January 1954 | 6 July 2017 | 45 | Maigret and the Dead Girl | Inspector Maigret and the Dead Girl Maigret and the Young Girl |
| Maigret chez le ministre | August 1954 | 3 Aug 2017 | 46 | Maigret and the Minister | Maigret and the Calame Report |
| Maigret et le corps sans tête | January 1955 | 7 Sep 2017 | 47 | Maigret and the Headless Corpse | |
| Maigret tend un piège | July 1955 | 5 Oct 2017 | 48 | Maigret Sets a Trap | |
| Un échec de Maigret | March 1956 | 2 Nov 2017 | 49 | Maigret's Failure | |
| Maigret s'amuse | September 1956 | 7 Dec 2017 | 50 | Maigret Enjoys Himself | Maigret's Little Joke None of Maigret's Business |
| Maigret voyage | August 1957 | 4 Jan 2018 | 51 | Maigret Travels | Maigret and the Millionaires |
| Les scrupules de Maigret | December 1957 | 1 Feb 2018 | 52 | Maigret's Doubts | Maigret Has Scruples |
| Maigret et les témoins récalcitrants | October 1958 | 1 Mar 2018 | 53 | Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses | |
| Une confidence de Maigret | May 1959 | 5 Apr 2018 | 54 | Maigret's Secret | Maigret Has Doubts |
| Maigret aux assises | November 1959 | 3 May 2018 | 55 | Maigret in Court | |
| Maigret et les vieillards | June 1960 | 7 June 2018 | 56 | Maigret and the Old People | Maigret in Society |
| Maigret et le voleur paresseux | January 1961 | 5 July 2018 | 57 | Maigret and the Lazy Burglar | Maigret and the Lazy Burglar Maigret and the Idle Burglar |
| Maigret et les braves gens | September 1961 | 2 Aug 2018 | 58 | Maigret and the Good People of Montparnasse | Maigret and the Black Sheep |
| Maigret et le client du samedi | February 1962 | 6 Sep 2018 | 59 | Maigret and the Saturday Caller | Maigret and the Saturday Caller |
| Maigret et le clochard | May 1962 | 4 Oct 2018 | 60 | Maigret and the Tramp | Maigret and the Dosser Maigret and the Bum |
| La colère de Maigret | June 1962 | 1 Nov 2018 | 61 | Maigret's Anger | Maigret Loses His Temper |
| Maigret et le fantôme | June 1963 | 6 Dec 2018 | 62 | Maigret and the Ghost | Maigret and the Ghost Maigret and the Apparition |
| Maigret se défend | July 1964 | 3 Jan 2019 | 63 | Maigret Defends Himself | Maigret on the Defensive |
| La Patience de Maigret | March 1965 | 7 Feb 2019 | 64 | Maigret's Patience | The Patience of Maigret Maigret Bides His Time |
| Maigret et l'affaire Nahour | February 1966 | 7 March 2019 | 65 | Maigret and the Nahour Case | Maigret and the Nahour Case |
| Le voleur de Maigret | November 1966 | 4 April 2019 | 66 | Maigret's Pickpocket | Maigret's Pickpocket Maigret and the Pickpocket |
| Maigret à Vichy | September 1967 | 6 June 2019 | 68 | Maigret in Vichy | Maigret Takes the Waters Maigret in Vichy |
| Maigret hésite | January 1968 | 2 May 2019 | 67 | Maigret Hesitates | Maigret Hesitates |
| L'ami d'enfance de Maigret | June 1968 | 4 July 2019 | 69 | Maigret's Childhood Friend | Maigret's Boyhood Friend |
| Maigret et le tueur | April 1969 | 1 Aug 2019 | 70 | Maigret and the Killer | Maigret and the Killer |
| Maigret et le marchand de vin | September 1969 | 5 Sep 2019 | 71 | Maigret and the Wine Merchant | Maigret and the Wine Merchant |
| La Folle de Maigret | May 1970 | 3 Oct 2019 | 72 | Maigret's Madwoman | Maigret and the Madwoman |
| Maigret et l'homme tout seul | February 1971 | 7 Nov 2019 | 73 | Maigret and the Loner | Maigret and the Loner |
| Maigret et l'indicateur | June 1971 | 5 Dec 2019 | 74 | Maigret and the Informer | Maigret and the Flea Maigret and the Informer |
| Maigret et Monsieur Charles | February 1972 | 9 Jan 2020 | 75 | Maigret and Monsieur Charles | Maigret and Monsieur Charles |
List of short stories
List of Maigret short stories by date of first publication in French.| Title | Date | English title |
| "L'affaire du boulevard Beaumarchais" | 1936 | "The Affair of the Boulevard Beaumarchais" "The Mysterious Affair in the Boulevard Beaumarchais" |
| "La péniche aux deux pendus" | 1936 | "The Barge with Two Hanging Bodies" "Inspector Maigret Thinks" "Dead Man's Barge" "Two Bodies on a Barge" |
| "La fenêtre ouverte" | 1936 | "The Open Window" "Inspector Maigret Smokes His Pipe" |
| "Peine de mort" | 1936 | "Inspector Maigret's War of Nerves" "Death Penalty" |
| "Les larmes de bougie" | 1936 | "Journey Into Time" "Journey Backward Into Time" "Death of a Woodlander" |
| "Rue Pigalle" | 1936 | "Maigret in Rue Pigalle" "Inspector Maigret Investigates" "In the Rue Pigalle" |
| "Monsieur Lundi" | 1936 | "Mr. Monday" "Inspector Maigret Hesitates" |
| "Une erreur de Maigret" | 1937 | "Maigret's Mistake" |
| "Stan le tueur" | 1938 | "Stan the Killer" |
| "L'auberge aux noyés" | 1938 | "The Inn of the Drowned" "The Drowned Men's Inn" |
| "L'Étoile du Nord" | 1938 | "At the Étoile du Nord" |
| "Tempête sur la Manche" | 1938 | "Storm in the Channel" "Storm over the Channel" |
| "Mademoiselle Berthe et son amant" | 1938 | "Maigret and the Frightened Dressmaker" "Mademoiselle Berthe and her Lover" |
| "L'improbable Monsieur Owen" | 1938 | "The Unlikely Monsieur Owen" |
| "Ceux du Grand Café" | 1938 | "The Group at the Grand-Café" |
| "Le notaire de Châteauneuf" | 1938 | "Inspector Maigret and the Missing Miniatures" "The Three Daughters of the Lawyer" |
| "La vieille dame de Bayeux" | 1939 | "The Old Lady of Bayeux" |
| "L'amoureux de Madame Maigret" | 1939 | "The Stronger Vessel" "Madame Maigret's Admirer" |
| "L'homme dans la rue" | 1940 | "The Man on the Run" "Inspector Maigret Pursues" "The Man in the Street" |
| "Vente à la bougie" | 1941 | "Under the Hammer" "Inspector Maigret Directs" "Sale by Auction" |
| "Menaces de mort" | 1942 | "Death Threats" |
| "Jeumont, 51 minutes d'arrêt" | 1944 | "Jeumont, 51 Minutes Wait!" "Inspector Maigret Deduces" "Jeumont, 51 Minutes Stop" |
| "La pipe de Maigret" | 1947 | "Maigret's Pipe" |
| "Le témoignage de l'enfant de chœur" | 1947 | "Elusive Witness" "According to the Altar Boy" "Crime in the Rue Sainte-Catherine" "The Evidence of the Altar-Boy" |
| "Le client le plus obstiné du monde" | 1947 | "The Most Obstinate Man in Paris" "The Most Obstinate Customer in the World" "The Most Obstinate Man in the World" |
| "Maigret et l'inspecteur malgracieux" | 1947 | "Maigret and the Surly Inspector" |
| "On ne tue pas les pauvres types" | 1947 | "Death of a Nobody" |
| "Un noël de Maigret" | 1951 | "Maigret's Christmas" |
| "Sept Petites Croix dans un carnet" | 1951 | "Seven Little Crosses in a Notebook" |
In other media
Film
The cinematic potential of Maigret was realized quickly: the first screen Maigret was Pierre Renoir in 1932's Night at the Crossroads, directed by his brother Jean Renoir; the same year brought The Yellow Dog with Abel Tarride, and Harry Baur played him in 1933's La Tête d'un homme, directed by Julien Duvivier.In 1950, Charles Laughton played the first English-language Maigret in The Man on the Eiffel Tower, adapted from same source: the 1931 novel A Battle of Nerves. The film co-starred Franchot Tone, Burgess Meredith, and Wilfrid Hyde-White.
In France, Albert Préjean portrayed Maigret in three films; Picpus, Cecile Is Dead, and Majestic Hotel Cellars. A decade later, Jean Gabin played the part in three other films; Maigret Sets a Trap, Maigret et l'Affaire Saint-Fiacre, and Maigret voit rouge. Heinz Rühmann played the lead in a 1966 European international co-production Enter Inspector Maigret.
Television
There have been numerous incarnations of Maigret on the small screen all around the world. He has been portrayed by French, British, Irish, Austrian, German, Italian, Dutch, Japanese, and Russian actors. A French version, Les Enquêtes du Commissaire Maigret, starred Jean Richard in 92 episodes between 1967 and 1990-however, Simenon himself is said to have disliked Richard's Maigret because he would not take his hat off when entering a room. Later, Bruno Cremer played the character in 54 adaptations between 1991 and 2005.The Italian actor Gino Cervi played the character on Italian television from 1964 up to 1972 in Le inchieste del commissario Maigret; Simenon himself considered Cervi's interpretation of the character to be "very good." This series resulted in 14 novels and 2 short stories being adapted.
In the Soviet Union, Russian theatre actor portrayed Maigret in a number of TV films in the 1970s. In Soviet cinema, apart from Boris Tenin, Maigret was portrayed by cinema actors Vladimir Samoylov and Armen Dzigarkhanyan.
In Japan, Kinya Aikawa played Megure, a Japanese-born equivalent to the French Maigret, reinvented in a modern Japanese setting, in Tōkyō. Megure Keishi, a 25-episode TV series aired from 14 April to 29 May 1978 on Asahi TV. Megure's wife was played by Sato Tomomi, 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".
The title role in the 1960s British Maigret TV series was played by the actor Rupert Davies, who made his debut on 31 October 1960. Davies took over the part after Basil Sydney, who appeared as Maigret in the original transmitted pilot, proved unavailable owing to ill-health. Davies went on to star in 52 adaptations for BBC TV in that decade. His portrayal won two of the highest accolades: his versions were dubbed into French and played across the Channel; and Simenon himself said of Davies "At last, I have found the perfect Maigret!" The theme tune to the TV series was composed by Ron Grainer.
Granada Television produced an adaptation of Maigret for ITV in 1992 and 1993 in which Michael Gambon starred as Maigret; there were 12 adaptations in the two series. An earlier version, Maigret on ITV cast Richard Harris in the lead role, with a somewhat idiosyncratic reading of the character. Rowan Atkinson plays Maigret in Maigret for TV-films made by ITV from 2016. The first two episodes were adapted from Maigret Sets a Trap and Maigret's Dead Man. Two further episodes were broadcast in 2017, adapted from Maigret at the Crossroads and Maigret in Montmartre.
Radio
played Chief Inspector Maigret in a series of three-quarter-hour dramatizations of the novels on BBC Radio 4 beginning in 1976, 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.Comics
adapted the novels into the comic series Maigret, published in Samedi Soir and Paris Journal. Rumeu and Camille Dulac adapted the Maigret story L'Affaire Nahour into the comic strip Maigret in 1969. Between 1992 and 1997 the series Maigret inspired five albums, drawn by and.Other appearances
Inspector Juzo Megure from Detective Conan 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.Maigret himself was also highlighted in volume 5 of the Detective Conan manga's edition of "Gosho Aoyama's Mystery Library", a section of the graphic novels where the author introduces a different detective from mystery literature, television, or other media.