The Widow
By Georges Simenon and Paul Theroux
4/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this ebook
The other is a killer. Just out of prison and in search of a new life, Jean meets up with Tati, who hires him as a handyman and then takes him to bed. Things are looking up, at least until Jean falls hard for the girl next door.
The Widow was published in the same year as Camus’ The Stranger, and André Gide judged it the superior book. It is Georges Simenon’s most powerful and disturbing exploration of the bond between death and desire.
Georges Simenon
Georges Simenon, geboren am 13. Februar 1903 im belgischen Liège, ist der »meistgelesene, meistübersetzte, meistverfilmte, mit einem Wort: der erfolgreichste Schriftsteller des 20. Jahrhunderts« (Die Zeit). Seine erstaunliche literarische Produktivität (75 Maigret-Romane, 117 weitere Romane und über 150 Erzählungen), seine Rastlosigkeit und seine Umtriebigkeit bestimmten sein Leben: Um einen Roman zu schreiben, brauchte er selten länger als zehn Tage, er bereiste die halbe Welt, war zweimal verheiratet und unterhielt Verhältnisse mit unzähligen Frauen. 1929 schuf er seine bekannteste Figur, die ihn reich und weltberühmt machte: Kommissar Maigret. Aber Simenon war nicht zufrieden, er sehnte sich nach dem »großen« Roman ohne jedes Verbrechen, der die Leser nur durch psychologische Spannung in seinen Bann ziehen sollte. Seine Romane ohne Maigret erschienen ab 1931. Sie waren zwar weniger erfolgreich als die Krimis mit dem Pfeife rauchenden Kommissar, vergrößerten aber sein literarisches Ansehen. Simenon wurde von Kritiker*innen und Schriftstellerkolleg*innen bewundert und war immer wieder für den Literaturnobelpreis im Gespräch. 1972 brach er bei seinem 193. Roman die Arbeit ab und ließ die Berufsbezeichnung »Schriftsteller« aus seinem Pass streichen. Von Simenons Romanen wurden über 500 Millionen Exemplare verkauft, und sie werden bis heute weltweit gelesen. In seinem Leben wie in seinen Büchern war Simenon immer auf der Suche nach dem, »was bei allen Menschen gleich ist«, was sie in ihrem Innersten ausmacht, und was sich nie ändert. Das macht seine Bücher bis heute so zeitlos.
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Reviews for The Widow
54 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As I was reading this novel I felt like it was a masterpiece of existentialist literature, but thinking about it just a few hours after finishing it seemed really preposterous. No matter, if you're a fan of Simenon's romans durs then this one not to miss.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was my first novel, of memory, from Georges Simenon’s vast collection. It did not disappoint. Think of Zola’s, Therese Raquin, or Camus’, The Stranger, and you will find apt comparisons. Simenon’s narrative is tense. It builds gradually and feels like it will fracture at any moment but does not until the last pages. His technique is concise. He uses words sparingly, but eloquently and the reader is effectively mesmerized. I truly enjoyed, The Widow and look forward to exploring many more novels by this prolific writer.