Georges Simenon's Ten Most Averse Statements or Ideas Expressed in Writing, Speech, or Philosophy
Georges Simenon, born on February 13, 1903, in Liege, Belgium, is a name synonymous with some of the most captivating and darkly intriguing novels of the 20th century. However, contrary to the often-used label of his writing style, Simenon himself considered himself an idealist.
At the tender age of fifteen, Simenon was already making a living as a reporter. This early career laid the foundation for his future works, as he began writing fiction at the age of nineteen, upon moving to Paris.
Simenon's novels, filled with morbid characters and bleak situations, were a reflection of his anger towards the evils that people have to endure. In an interview, he shared, "I write about morbid people and things to express my anger at the evils they have to endure."
One of Simenon's most famous creations is Commissaire Jules AmedeΓ© Francois Maigret, a character from Paris's Brigade Criminelle who pursues criminals across Europe and the world. Maigret first appeared in a novel before Simenon turned thirty.
Despite the dark themes in his novels, Simenon seemed to maintain a cynical distance from his work and its popularity. He wrote so often, producing 60 to 80 pages a day, but took little pride in his books. His reputation and financial success, however, mattered to him.
In "Three Bedrooms in Manhattan," Simenon described the city as smelling of fairgrounds, of lazy crowds, of nights when you stayed out because you couldn't go to bed, and it smelled like New York, of its calm and brutal indifference. This quote encapsulates Simenon's ability to capture the essence of a place and its inhabitants in his writing.
Simenon also expressed a philosophical viewpoint about life and art. He believed that writing is a vocation of unhappiness, and an artist can never be truly happy. In the introduction to "Intimate Memoirs," he wrote, "A whole life is made up of so many hours and pages. I wonder why."
In an interview, Simenon shared that we are all potentially characters in a novel, with the difference that characters in a novel really get to live their lives to the full. This statement, repeated later in his career, suggests a deep understanding of the intertwining nature of reality and fiction.
Simenon's personal life was as intriguing as his fiction. He claimed to have had more sexual experiences than Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini, stating he had been with over 10,000 women since the age of thirteen and a half. However, he maintained a cynical distance from these aspects of his life, expressing in an interview, "I have a rule for doing business: to get and spend money, not for banks, stocks, or real estate but to spend it."
Despite the search results not providing information about the remaining eight Cynic statements by Simenon in later publications, his works continue to captivate readers with their raw, honest portrayal of life and humanity. In "Dirty Snow," Simenon wrote, "Everyone at Timo's had killed at least one man, either in the war or elsewhere, often by informing on someone." This line, like many others in his works, encapsulates the darker side of human nature that Simenon explored so masterfully.
In conclusion, Georges Simenon, despite his self-proclaimed idealism, was a master of dark fiction. His works continue to intrigue and captivate readers, offering a raw, honest portrayal of life and humanity that resonates even today.
