Les Fiançailles de M. Hire
 First edition | |
| Author | Georges Simenon |
|---|---|
| Original title | Les Fiançailles de M. Hire |
| Translator | Anna Moschovakis |
| Language | French |
| Genre | Mystery Novel |
| Publisher | Éditions Fayard |
Publication date | 1933 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 135 (NYRB) |
Les Fiançailles de M. Hire (Monsieur Hire's Engagement) is the title of a short novel by Belgian writer Georges Simenon. It is among one of the author's first self-described roman durs or "hard novels" to distinguish it from his romans populaires or "popular novels," which are primarily mysteries that usually feature his famous Inspector Maigret character.
The novel is divided into eleven chapters, and is written using the third-person narrative mode.
English language editions
Les Fiançailles de M. Hire has been translated into English twice: once by Daphne Woodward as Mr. Hire's Engagement for Hamish Hamilton in 1956, and a second time by Anna Moschovakis as The Engagement for New York Review Books in 2007. The former version also appeared as The Sacrifice, comprising Mr. Hire's Engagement and Young Cardinaud as well as in one of the Simenon Omnibuses; the latter edition contains an afterward by John N. Gray.
Film versions
The book has been filmed as Panique by Julien Duvivier in 1947 and stars Michel Simon and Viviane Romance.
The book has also been filmed by Ladislao Vajda in 1947 in Spanish as Barrio [1] and, with a different cast, in Portuguese as Viela (Rua Sem Sol).[2]
The book has also been filmed as Monsieur Hire by Patrice Leconte in 1989 and stars Michel Blanc and Sandrine Bonnaire
References
Simenon, Georges: The Engagement. New York: New York Review Books, 2007.