Simenon published 117 novels which did not feature Maigret and these have been classified as Romans Durs or hard novels, they are known in English as psychological novels. It is claimed that they are more literally constructed and stylistically sophisticated. Simenon published three in 1951 and Tante Jeanne was the first; hitting the streets in January of that year.

Jeanne Martineau returns to France some time after the second world war, she has been abroad for 34 years and she arrives one afternoon at the hotel of her home town. Her brother Robert owns a large house (the family home) just across the river and she decides she is too tired to pay a visit that day. When she does visit the next day it is too late to see her brother because he has just been discovered hanging from a beam in one of the loft rooms leaving a note that just says Pardon.... His wife has locked herself away in one of the many bedrooms and the maid is on the point of quitting the household. The doctor has been summoned and he arrives shortly followed by the police who quickly come to the conclusion that Robert had committed suicide about an hour earlier. Alice the wife of one of Robert's son Julien who was killed in a car crash lives in the house, but takes no interest in a young baby that is foisted on Tante Jeanne to look after. Madeleine and Henri; two other children of Robert are not in the house as it is not unusual for them to spend nights away and are unaware of their father's death. It all falls on Tante Jeanne to try and make something of this dysfunctional family, but she has problems of her own

Simenon examines the life of the family through the eyes of Jeanne Martineau. It is unusual for him to view the world from the point of view of a female character, but he has chosen one in this case: Jeanne is an overweight lady continually referred to as gross, who is not in good health, but she sacrifices herself to try and do the best for a family to which she is an outsider, only her dead brother would have known her personally. Simenon does not pull any punches, there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for this family as Jeanne, uncovers or is presented with, the reasons for her brothers suicide. A hard novel set in France in the aftermath of the second world war, it reads like a realistic description of a family who have fallen on hard times through decisions made by the head of the family. Good characterisation with Simenon's usual stance of presenting his story and the actions of his characters for the reader to make their own judgement; for example we are never told the motives for Jeanne's actions, but must piece these together from her back story, which slowly unfolds. 4 stars. ( )

Another outstanding Durs book. This one took me longer to get into... a family drama that was slow developing and i had trouble keeping the characters separate, but- all falls into place soon enough. Jeanne travels back from Instanbul / Cairo / Argentine to her family home in around 1950 (?). Hasn't been back in the 30 years- left at 21 because Father was a tyrant, wouldn't let her marry, etc. Chequered life. Wanders into her home to find her brother has hung himself (same day she arrived). Jeanne must put the very very broken family back together again. The wife disaster, the crazy daughter, the insecure son and a couple other hangers on - o, and the business is collapsing too. Not too good, when she was really returning hoping they all could help her out. Ach- it's not to be, but she takes up the challenge with great stead and that's what carries the book for me .... in the face of gales of craziness, yelling, insults, acting out, she moves imperturbably on, doing what we know to be the right things for this family- but why? Goodness? being home? they need her? not sure exactly, but it is admirable to read. I also love how she works so hard (physically) that she drives herself to bed rest (due to a bodily collapse) and then she must manage the household- quietly and subtly - from her bed through others. Masterful. Loved hearing about the very very guilty daughter who has been exceptionally wild and naughty in a fit of acting out and competing with others... she is pained to her soul and only Jeanne can really see it (like types we wonder?). All of the saves the book from the outrageous premise (suicide on the day of her arrival? , finding her perfect friend from the 30 year old convent to help her out and be in the perfect place). The book ends in an awful - but too too real way - for Aunt Jeanne. The family is ruined and has to bug out to another town to escape debt and censure. Jeanne must decide to enter a home / ward of the state or try to take off to a new city and get work (impossible with her ruinous health) or follow the family to the next location, where she knows she will be a resented servant. Scorned for what she knows of the family's secrets and for essentially saving the whole family after their father's suicide. Amazing. ( )

Une femme âgée revient dans son village après quarante ans d'absence. Fatiguée, mal-portante et lasse de la vie, elle y cherche asile et sécurité. Quand elle se décide à se rendre chez son frère Robert qui avait repris le commerce de vins paternel, c'est pour le trouver pendu : on saura plus tard qu'il était au bord de la faillite. Au lieu du réconfort qu'elle espérait, Jeanne Martineau découvre une famille désaxée. Louise, sa belle-sœur, boit et est sujette à des crises d'hystérie. Alice, veuve à vingt ans d'un fils Martineau, affiche une indifférence hautaine, trompe son ennui avec des amis inconnus et abandonnerait volontiers un bébé fort encombrant. Henri, le fils, au caractère faible, comme Madeleine, la fille, orgueilleuse et blessée de ses propres vices, méprisent leur mère. Devant le drame qui vient d'éclater, Jeanne prend en main la direction du ménage, révélant une efficacité qui lui vaudra la confiance de cette famille déchirée. Au fil des aveux que chacun lui fait, apparaît chez elle un sentiment de culpabilité lié au souvenir de son passé : si elle se considère comme l'emblème du destin des Martineau, n'est-elle pas aussi la preuve qu'il y a moyen de le maîtriser, de le surmonter ? C'est à quoi tante Jeanne s'emploiera. Elle aide Henri à s'accommoder de sa médiocrité, dissuade Madeleine de s'enfuir ainsi qu’elle-même l'avait fait, et s'efforce de rendre à Louise sa responsabilité de femme et de mère. La banqueroute de Robert Martineau, qui entraîne la vente des biens après saisie, va contraindre la famille au départ. Jeanne décide de la suivre à Poitiers, malgré l'aggravation d'un œdème à la jambe qui devrait l'obliger au repos. Les nouvelles fatigues qu'elle accepte, l'incompréhension ou l'ingratitude qu'elle rencontrera peut-être chez ceux qu'elle aura entourés et secourus ne pourront empêcher tante Jeanne d'assumer son rôle jusqu'au bout.