Praise for Georges Simenon: One of the greatest writers of the twentieth century . . . Simenon was unequalled at making us look inside, though the ability was masked by his brilliance at absorbing us obsessively in his stories. --The Guardian These Maigret books are as timeless as Paris itself. --The Washington Post Maigret ranks with Holmes and Poirot in the pantheon of fictional detective immortals. --People I love reading Simenon. He makes me think of Chekhov. --William Faulkner The greatest of all, the most genuine novelist we have had in literature. --Andr Gide A supreme writer . . . Unforgettable vividness. --The Independent (London) Superb . . . The most addictive of writers . . . A unique teller of tales. --The Observer (London) Compelling, remorseless, brilliant. --John Gray A truly wonderful writer . . . Marvelously readable--lucid, simple, absolutely in tune with the world he creates. --Muriel Spark A novelist who entered his fictional world as if he were a part of it. --Peter Ackroyd Extraordinary masterpieces of the twentieth century. --John Banville