This is a non-Maigret novel by Georges Simenon who I legally have to mention wrote 200+ novels and 80 or so mysteries starring the detective Maigret.
I’ve read one other “non-Maigret” novel by Simenon, and also thought that one was quite good. This book is still structured like a mystery, where the tone and level of seriousness that the narration involves clearly indicates that something has occurred that is much more intense than the few scant details we initially have. We know that Tony and Andree (which was a source of slight confusion for me listening to the audiobook thinking that Andree was a man’s name) have been meeting for an affair. This affair has clearly involved intense emotions, but not necessarily love on both parts. Tony’s infidelity with his wife leads him to feelings of guilt and shame, while Andree’s passion can be called love as she was asking Tony to leave his wife for her (while she would leave her husband). What becomes the mystery, as it were, is why Tony is being grilled about this affair by police interrogators. Obviously, we come to find out before too long (it’s a short novel).
The novel investigates the nature of sex and lust, and the changing face of marriage, societal attitudes about heteronormativity and families, divorce (so much of 20th century literature and film about divorce), and how all these different ideas and topics fall along the splintered divide of gender roles and gender expectations. As much as I like the Maigret mysteries, some of which are very good, it’s clear that Simenon considered himself a serious writer in a lot of ways.
(Photo: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140590.The_Blue_Room?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=4ZbIXJn1Kh&rank=1)
