Uncle Charles Has Locked Himself in (English and French Edition)

By Georges Simenon

First U.S. edition. A fine copy in dj. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0151926859
• ISBN13: 9780151926855
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: Harcourt
• Length: 150 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Family life gone mad

The title of this book compelled me to buy it, and I'm so glad I did. UNCLE CHARLES HAS LOCKED HIMSELF IN entirely fulfills its promise of fearful secrets and bizarre family relations. Charles Dupeux comes home from the office one evening and locks himself into the attic. He pushes a note out from under the door: "Please leave me in peace." Since he's a man who has never done anything unusual in his life, this behavior amazes and upsets his fat amiable wife and the three grown-up young daughters living at home. Charles works as bookkeeper for his brother-in-law Henri Dionnet. Head of a prosperous wholesale groceries business in Rouen, Henri is arrogant and oppressive to employees and family alike. Charles's wife wonders if there's some trouble between Henri and Charles causing her timid husband to hide out. And trouble there is, of a grim nature quite beyond the imaginings of this chaotic family. The wonder is how much can happen in a book only 150 pages long. Good deeds are punished, vice and virtue are rewarded, lives and loves are won and lost. All totally believable. And as always with Simenon, the characters are masterfully drawn. Despite some very bad moments, the book is not depressing. Humor and suffering co-exist beautifully, and revenge is in the air.