The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By

A brilliant new translation of one of Simenon's best loved masterpieces.

'A certain furtive, almost shameful emotion . disturbed him whenever he saw a train go by, a night train especially, its blinds drawn down on the mystery of its passengers'

Kees Popinga is a respectable Dutch citizen and family man. Then he discovers that his boss has bankrupted the shipping firm he works for - and something snaps. Kees used to watch the trains go by to exciting destinations. Now, on some dark impulse, he boards one at random, and begins a new life of recklessness and violence. This chilling portrayal of a man who breaks from society and goes on the run asks who we are, and what we are capable of.

'Classic Simenon . extraordinary in its evocative power' Independent

'What emerges is the bare human animal' John Gray

'Read him at your peril, avoid him at your loss' Sunday Times