Reviews

Maigret Loses His Temper by Georges Simenon

8797999's review against another edition

4.0

This felt a short read but it packed a lot into in it. Very enjoyable and one of the better Maigret novels. A very interesting case and conclusion, even though I had guessed the ending coming albeit not the method to get to it.

tombomp's review against another edition

2.0

It's a short book (150 pages, and with not much writing per page) and although the strictly procedural elements of solving a crime are in order, there's not really much else that lifts it. It feels like it would work a lot better as a TV series with good sets - the one thing that stood out was the settings, shifting around between clubs, bistros, the fancy homes and offices of lawyers, the Parisian street... it was quite effective at setting a scene. Maigret himself is an enigma (as are the other policemen) with the titular anger barely shown even at the one time it does come up and other characters are only vaguely drawn, with no emotional connection and only mild interest. Although there are a lot of names such that I sometimes had to look back to get my bearings.

The ending isn't bad but it does strike me as kind of unrealistic

Spoiler

A bigshot lawyer was telling his clients "you need to pay me this big sum to bribe the police to get you off" and somehow ran this scheme for *at least* 2 years and never had it backfire? The book justification is he only does it to people he knows will get off although a few get suspended or light sentences so presumably they'd be confused... And it doesn't really work for the murder victim either, who paid him a bribe to... avoid getting questioned again by police? Which was obviously risky as hell. Just... yeah

bookwitch_92's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

spikers's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

mopraha's review against another edition

3.0

Sympa le style est efficace et on est plongé dans l’ambiance mais cela reste trop superficiel. Les personnages sont peu développés, aucun n’est vraiment sympathique pas même Maigret et le dénouement tombe un peu comme un cheveu sur la soupe. Manque de profondeur tout fais un peu téléfilm.

delton215's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

highlander2006's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

nwhyte's review against another edition

4.0

https://nwhyte.livejournal.com/3065336.html

I really enjoyed this police procedural, set in the Parisian underworld, where honour and dishonour are sometimes to be found in unexpected places - the murdered night-club owner’s family are initially suspect because of being foreign,but it turns out that they are innocent, and the villain is the very respectable top lawyer who took bribes from his clients, pretending that they were actually for Maigret - this is the cause of Maigret losing his temper when he finds out. And yet, Maigret allows the murderer to escape by suicide, rather as Agatha Christie sometimes did. A short book which punches well above its weight.

furfff's review against another edition

4.0

An interesting one. In some ways, incredibly repetitive. and yet at the end even that feels purposeful as a way of revving up to the end where, surprise, Maigret gets angry. A fascinating, moody little character study.

ericwelch's review

5.0

I read all of the Maigret series in French while living in Switzerland when I was a teen. I loved them then and have decided to reread all of them in English. The Maigret character is so simpatico and I find the relationship he has with his wife refreshing. Maigret's intuitive way of working through the puzzles and his relationship with his underlings, if not his superiors on the force, seems quite realistic and worthy of emulation.