Paul Theroux's overview of Simenon in his TIME OF LONDON
article is as comprehensive as I've seen.
Here's the URl again:
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/article3539880.ece
It covers Simenon's life, his work, his anger at Albert
Camus, his sexual proclivities, and his style.
Of his style Paul quotes Simenon and says:
"You know you have a beautiful sentence, cut it", Simenon
said. "Every time I find such a thing in one of my novels it
is to be cut." Simenon is exaggerating: he sometimes lets
slip a pretty sentence, but generally his writing is so
textureless as to be transparent, and never calls attention
to itself ("It's written as if by a child").
Later, he gives examples of Simenon's simplicity. Although it
may be difficult to call these sentences "beautiful" they
certainly are striking images, which I noticed years ago when
I read a great deal of Simenon, especially his "noir" novels
as opposed to his novels about Inspector Maigrets.
(Interesting, to the best of my knowledge, Maigret was as
faithful to his wife as Simenon seemed sexually unfaithful to
all of his lovers.)
I hope I didn't steal the thunder--How could I? The article
is a first-class dissection of the great French writer.
Jack
http://crimespace.ning.com/profile/JackBludis
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