The Cat

<''Remarkable'' <''[Simenon is] a bit of a master'' Cillian Murphy

An acerbic tale of marital warfare and emotional estrangement, in a brilliant new translation


The cat.

Amidst the din of their Parisian neighbourhood, Emile and Marguerite live in total silence. After a hasty marriage in their sixties, their uneasy peace was shattered when Emile''s beloved cat mysteriously disappeared and was later found dead. Branding his wife the culprit, Emile''s retaliation against Marguerite''s cherished parrot sparked a silent battle of wills. Now they live parallel lives, communicating only through spiteful notes, mocking glances and mute accusations. As their suspicion and resentment mount, this bitter game of psychological warfare becomes a twisted necessity, binding them together in a relentless cycle of torment from which there can only be one escape.

First published in 1967,

About the author

Georges Simenon

Product details

• Authors: Georges Simenon
• Publisher: Penguin Books Uk
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 06.11.2025, delayed
• EAN: 9780241808030
• ISBN: 978-0-241-80803-0
• No. of pages: 160
• Dimensions: 134 mm x 215 mm x 12 mm
• Series: Penguin Modern Classics
• Subjects: Fiction > Suspense; FICTION / Literary, Classic fiction (pre c 1945), FICTION / Psychological, FICTION / Family Life / Marriage & Divorce, Fiction in translation, Narrative theme: Interior life, Paris (City), Narrative theme: Love and relationships, c 1960 to c 1969, FICTION / World Literature / France / 20th Century, Classic fiction: general and literary, FICTION / Humorous / Dark Humor