Maigret Meets a Milord

by Georges Simenon

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Student Question

How is the name "MAIGRET," Georges Simenon's detective character, pronounced?

Quick answer:

The name "MAIGRET," Georges Simenon's detective character, is pronounced "meh-gray," with the "meh" sounding like "eh?" and "gray" like the color. Simenon, a Belgian author, wrote 84 books featuring Maigret, making him a notable figure in French literature akin to Agatha Christie in the English-speaking world. His works include various detective stories and novels, contributing significantly to the genre.

Expert Answers

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Say "meh" (the 'e' pronounced as in 'eh?') and "gray" as in the colour.

This is a French work (later made into a popular TV series) and the police inspector has a French name. The author, Georges Simenon, was Belgian and a very prolific writer. He wrote different novels under various pen names, but his character Maigret was by far his greatest success. The 'Agatha Christie' of French literature, Simenon wrote 84 books featuring his character Maigret as well as additional detective "polars" (French word for modern police detective stories) and other novels.

See the reference below for a biographical overview of Simenon.

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