megmitch86's review against another edition
I typically really like Simenon (awkward breast fixation aside) but this one gets a big old "what the hell is happening here" from me. The man clearly loved boats even more than boobs. Barges and locks, barges and locks. Remember the guy we all dated in college who'd watch the game (any game, didn't matter) over your head on restaurant TVs? That's Simenon, but with boats.
8797999's review against another edition
3.0
I did enjoy it this, short and sweet but given the title and the plot, it is spoiled. There is only one Carter of note so who done it isn't an issue, the meat of this book is the why. I enjoyed it but I imagine it is not the strongest of the 75 novels.
comrade_pikachu's review against another edition
2.25
There is so much tiresome detail about the lock and barge systems of early 20th century France. Clues were found randomly scattered where the detective was looking…
The characters were the only interesting part of the book, and none are very memorable. The title also annoyed me; it gives too much away.
The characters were the only interesting part of the book, and none are very memorable. The title also annoyed me; it gives too much away.
weymouthreader843's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
fern17's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cleheny's review against another edition
3.0
This is the fourth Maigret mystery I've read, and Simenon follows a definite pattern. Maigret is confronted with a death but very little definite evidence. Suspects are identified but information is often inconclusive; at certain points, we get to hear Maigret's internal thoughts, but they frequently reflect how little can be concluded from the facts that can be confirmed. I like Simenon's writing, and he continues to impress with stories that focus on the marginalized or desperate. Maigret's murderers all have poignant or tragic stories. But it's a little frustrating as a reader to have so little to go on.
This mystery is particularly challenging to visualize because it takes place at a lock along France's canal system. If you are unfamiliar with how the canal system worked, as I was (particularly how the system worked in 1931, when horses were used to drag barges along canals), it can be difficult to follow some of the action and make sense of the available clues. Maigret is also unfamiliar with the system and the culture, but Simenon doesn't use his protagonist as an information dump. Maigret doesn't ask a lot of questions about how the system works, so much as he absorbs the milieu and customs. Information dumps are annoying, but I would have liked a better window into a world that I know little about and have trouble visualizing.
This mystery is particularly challenging to visualize because it takes place at a lock along France's canal system. If you are unfamiliar with how the canal system worked, as I was (particularly how the system worked in 1931, when horses were used to drag barges along canals), it can be difficult to follow some of the action and make sense of the available clues. Maigret is also unfamiliar with the system and the culture, but Simenon doesn't use his protagonist as an information dump. Maigret doesn't ask a lot of questions about how the system works, so much as he absorbs the milieu and customs. Information dumps are annoying, but I would have liked a better window into a world that I know little about and have trouble visualizing.
highlander2006's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
crnavedrana's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
3.75