L’homme au petit chien - Georges Simenon

Written in the form of a journal, L’homme au petit chien is a rather reflective meditation by a man who has lost everything in his life. This type of story can often be rather dull and depressing with Simenon (Les anneaux de Bicetre or Le grand Bob for example), but there is an intriguing crime element that is gradually revealed in L’homme au petit chien.

Felix Allard lives alone with his dog, and has been working for the past eight years in a small bookstore. Terminally ill and contemplating suicide, his condition doesn’t escape the notice of the shop’s owner. Allard however isn’t going to die until he has recounted in his journal the events that took his wife, his children and a successful career from him. Behind the cold, reflective tone and outlook, there is the story of a crime passionnel.

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