Jules Maigret - Character

Character

Some of his trademark features are his pipes, his mixed approach to detecting (at times relying on pure intuition, at times on method), his laconic manner, and his fondness for alcohol. Often during an investigation, he will step into a small cafe or bar for a drink and possibly a light lunch. His drinks of choice are beer and white wine, though he has also been known to drink pastis, Armagnac, cognac, calvados, Pernod, and whiskey, as well as grog, to name just a few. This is not to say that he is a drunk, as it is a matter of personal pride that he can hold his liquor, and would be deeply embarrassed if he allowed himself to become intoxicated. Maigret almost invariably wears his heavy overcoat, even when traveling to the Riviera — a fact which leads people unfamiliar with him to mark him instantly as a policeman.

In the books he is described as a stocky man of average height, slightly overweight but not obese. He dislikes climbing stairs, and usually uses a police driver or cab for traveling even comparatively short distances in his investigations, though he also occasionally walks. During rural adventures, such as Félicie est là, he was known to borrow bicycles. Junior officers may be made to carry his attaché.

Maigret was born at the fictional village of Saint-Fiacre in the Allier department, supposedly in 1884, although different birth years may be inferred from different books. His wife's given name is Louise, but she is almost exclusively referred to as Madame Maigret in the books. They had one child, a daughter who died at birth. Without any living children of his own, Maigret nevertheless demonstrates fondness for children, treating them with kindness and patience, and often indulging them. In most of his books he and his wife live at 132 Boulevard Richard-Lenoir but in Maigret in Retirement, he is said to have retained his apartment on the Place des Vosges in the 4th arrondissement of Paris.

He is usually successful and generally confident in his police work, although he does encounter the occasional disappointment. He is most often portrayed as a mentor to his "pupil" sidekicks, usually junior Metropolitan officers or (when he is away from Paris) the local constabulary. Maigret is genuinely proud and happy when one of his junior officers meets with some professional success. The role of mindless puppet, contrasting with the brilliance of Maigret, is reserved for public prosecutors or more frequently a Juge d'instruction or Examining Magistrate.

While Maigret usually conducts his investigations in France, he has also been called upon to visit Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Finland, and the United States.