The prolific Belgian-born writer Georges Simenon produced hundreds of fictional works under his own name and 17 pseudonyms, in addition to more than 70 books about Inspector Maigret, long the favorite sleuth of highbrow detective-story readers (SR). More than 50 Simenons have been made into films. In addition to his mystery stories, he wrote what he called hard books, the serious psychological novels numbering well over 100. The autobiographical Pedigree, set in his native town of Liege, is perhaps his finest work. The publication of Simenons intimate memoirs also attracted considerable attention. Simenon himself once said that he would never write a great novel. Yet Gide called him a great novelist, perhaps the greatest and truest novelist we have in French literature today, and Thornton Wilder (see Vol. 1) found that Simenons narrative gift extends to the tips of his fingers. The following are some of Simenons novels, exclusive of the Maigret detective stories, that are in print.