The Cat by Georges Simenon review

December 28, 2025

TL;DR

Georges Simenon wrote "hard novels" in addition to his popular Maigret series.
Penguin Classics is releasing 20 new translations of Simenon's "hard novels," beginning with "The Cat."
"The Cat" centers on a deeply unhappy elderly Parisian couple, Émile and Marguerite, who communicate through spiteful notes.
Their conflict escalates from a poisoned cat to a mutilated parrot, symbolizing their intense animosity.
The novel contrasts Émile's memories of his first wife with his current hellish marriage to Marguerite, who despises his working-class origins.
Despite the bleakness, the story is described as a "kind of love story" due to the couple's mutual dependence.

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