Reza, Simenon

Since my last post, I've read by Simenon: Le charretier de la providence, L’affaire Saint-Fiacre, les fiançailles de Mr. Hire, Le coup de lune, La maison du canal, L’homme qui regardait passer les trains, Le bourgmestre de Furnes, Les inconnus dans la maison, La veuve Couderc, Lettre à mon juge, La neige était sale, Les mémoires de Maigret, La mort de Belle, Maigret et l’homme du banc, L’horloger d’Everton, Le président, Le train, Maigret et les braves gens, Les anneaux de Bicêtre, Le petit saint, and Le chat.

About Simenon,I only really noticed Memoires de Maigret, which has an established character, hero of over fifty novels, talk directly to the reader for the first time. It was an interesting conceit.

By Yasmina Reza, I've read Hammerklavier, Nulle part, Adam Haberberg, Dans la luge d'Arthur Schopenhauer, Une désolation, and L'aube le soir ou la nuit. This last essay is about her following the now-President of France for a year during his campaign. She never actually says who he is, except in the acknowledgments at the back of the book. Her adventure certainly was well-known in France, but not here, and not, I presume, for posterity. Two of the books are reminiscences or reflections on her own life. The three novels include one written entirely in letters (Schopenhauer), naturally better done by Laclos, and another who talks about a writer losing his sight, an interesting premise that is never followed up.

I also read an issue each of The New Yorker, The Economist, and The New Scientist.