The Bells of Bictre Author:Georges Simenon The Bells of Bicetre, translated by Jean Stewart, is Simenon at his best. The big question, then, put to you the readers is "How good is Simenon's best to me." The New York Times said, "There is nothing slick or gimmicky about this honest and perceptive story. There are no easy answers, no assertions of the novelist's will. There is only a wonde... more »rful simplicity of evocation, a precise selection of detail, a casual deftness of narrative (aided by a clear and readable translation), which make all the elements of the book vividly alive...."« less