Letter to My Judge
Published on 14. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-0-241-80809-2 (ISBN)
Description
A dark, psychological tale of deadly obsession, in a masterful new translation
'My dear Judge, I would like one man, just one, to understand me. And I really hope that man can be you.'
In a small town in western France, Dr Charles Alavoine seems to lead the perfect life: his own medical practice, two beautiful children, a new wife and a doting mother. Yet as each quiet day of bourgeois conformity passes, Alavoine begins to feel a sharp sense of futility. Then, one rainy day in December, he meets a mysterious young woman on a station platform. Fascinated by her innocence and the scars of her past, Alavoine's passion soon gives way to a dangerous obsession, ending in a terrible act that will forever change the course of his life.
First published in 1947, Letter to My Judge is a masterful exploration of the darkest corners of the human soul, and a harrowing exorcism of Simenon's phantoms.
'My dear Judge, I would like one man, just one, to understand me. And I really hope that man can be you.'
In a small town in western France, Dr Charles Alavoine seems to lead the perfect life: his own medical practice, two beautiful children, a new wife and a doting mother. Yet as each quiet day of bourgeois conformity passes, Alavoine begins to feel a sharp sense of futility. Then, one rainy day in December, he meets a mysterious young woman on a station platform. Fascinated by her innocence and the scars of her past, Alavoine's passion soon gives way to a dangerous obsession, ending in a terrible act that will forever change the course of his life.
First published in 1947, Letter to My Judge is a masterful exploration of the darkest corners of the human soul, and a harrowing exorcism of Simenon's phantoms.
Reviews / Votes
Haunting . . . this book sees Simenon reaching into the deepest recesses of the soul * Daily Mail * The people in Simenon's romans durs ("hard novels") are driven and helpless, and [Letter to My Judge] ends, as it must, in tragedy. Has there ever been a more penetrating account of love's destructive power? -- John Banville * Wall Street Journal * 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 * Guardian * A great writer of detail, of atmosphere -- Leila Slimani * Financial Times * The novels brim with atmosphere, insight and intelligence . . . quite unlike anything else written before or since -- India Knight * The Times * Irresistible... read him at your peril, avoid him at your loss * Sunday Times *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Product notice
Paperback (UK-trade)
Dimensions
Height: 214 mm
Width: 132 mm
Thickness: 19 mm
Weight
224 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-80809-2 (9780241808092)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Persons
Georges Simenon was born in Liege, Belgium in 1903. An intrepid traveller with a profound interest in people, Simenon strove on and off the page to understand, rather than to judge the human condition in all its shades. His novels include the Inspector Maigret series and a richly varied body of wider work united by its evocative power, its economy of means, and its penetrating psychological insight. He is among the most widely read writers in the global canon. He died in 1989 in Lausanne, Switzerland, where he had lived for the latter part of his life.