The Mahé Circle | Fiction - www.zzdbook.com

The Mahé Circle

Jul 5, 2025 10:55 AM

Author:Georges Simenon,Siân Reynolds

The Mahé Circle

'Powerful . . . unputdownably gripping' Guardian

'The island itself. Its throbbing heat as if in a belljar under the sun, the scorpion in his son's bed, the deafening sound of cicadas'

During his first holiday on the island of Porquerolles Dr Mahé caught a glimpse of something irresistible. As the memory continues to haunt him, he falls prey to a delusion that may offer an escape from his conventional existence - or may destroy him. This is the first English translation of The Mahé Circle, Simenon's dark, malevolent depiction of an ordinary man trapped in mundanity and consumed by obsession.

'Extraordinary . . . Simenon is one of the most important writers of the 20th century' Independent

Reviews

One of Georges Simenon's most powerful roman durs - the non-Maigret novels in which ordinary lives are suddenly, and at times seemingly inexplicably, unsettled and irrevocably changed. Written in Simenon's spare signature style, it's unputdownably gripping

—— John Gray , Guardian

Sublime . . . as good, in its unforced and unemphatic way, as anything in Proust or even Flaubert . . . a sort of masterpiece

—— John Banville , New York Review of Books

Extraordinary . . . Simenon is one of the most important writers of the 20th century . . . In 150 high-pressure pages, it gives insights into the world, the mind and the horrible frustration of a French country doctor that most writers would struggle to convey with 10 times the word-count

—— Sam Jordison , Independent

Beautifully rendered

—— New York Times

Beautifully done

—— Viv Groskop , Red

Piercingly urgent and revelatory

—— Independent i

I Am China is a moving tale of life and fate, love and loss, that will stay with the reader long after the last page

—— New Internationalist

Dark, witty fiction

—— David Evans , Financial Times

Cleverly crafted

—— UK Press Syndication

A collection of punchy stories . . . Sold and sold

—— Esquire

Darkly amusing . . . Suffused with caustic wit, quirky descriptions and sharp details. We Live In Water never falls short of being highly engaging

—— Sunday Times

Delightful debut novel, beautifully written.

—— Hot Brands, Cool Places

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