Maigret in the USA ! Maigret in
the USA !
Alas, Georges Simenon – the intuitive
author of the Jules Maigret detective novel series – is no longer with us, but,
man, his books! They are some legacy.
Most especially – when it comes
to trying to come to grips with just what has happened (and is happening) in US
politics. Especially in places that don’t begin with “New” or “Los.”
I’m talking about the slim,
174-page novel, “Maigret at the Coroner’s.”
Do yourself a favor and pick it
up. Our hero visits a coroner’s inquest in desert Arizona, and Wow!, do his
observations about American justice and fair play deliver. As in the dark side
of 1949 America sure has lessons for those of us trying to get some insights
into 2017 America.
Consider:
Our hero is dubbed “Julius” by
the folks he encounters … The idea of a man called Jules? Unheard of.
Then, this on page 77:
“There was a Bible on the night
stand. In hundreds of thousands of hotel rooms, an identical Bible with a black
cover sat waiting for the traveler.
In short (in America): the bar
or the Bible.”
As to the bar:
“There were no terraces where
people could have an aperitif, watch passersby in the setting sun and breathe
the scent of chestnut trees.
They drank, but to do so had to
shut themselves up inside bars sealed off from the eyes of others, as if
satisfying some shameful need.”
And that’s not even to mention the
pervasive misogyny in the story, a coroner’s inquest into the tragic death of a
young women who was in the company of five airmen in the desert.
Next: Running for Your Life: One Hour Equals Seven Hours
