Les Fiançailles de M. Hire (Monsieur Hire's Engagement) is the title of a short novel

Novel

A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....

 by Belgian

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 writer Georges Simenon

Georges Simenon

Georges Joseph Christian Simenon was a Belgian writer. A prolific author who published nearly 200 novels and numerous short works, Simenon is best known for the creation of the fictional detective Maigret.-Early life and education:...

. It is among one of the author's first self-described roman durs or "hard novels" to distinguish it from his romans populaires or "popular novels," which are primarily mysteries

Mystery fiction

Mystery fiction is a loosely-defined term.1.It is often used as a synonym for detective fiction or crime fiction— in other words a novel or short story in which a detective investigates and solves a crime mystery. Sometimes mystery books are nonfiction...

 that usually feature his famous Inspector Maigret character.

The novel is divided into eleven chapters, and is written using the third-person narrative mode.

English language editions

Les Fiançailles de M. Hire has been translated into English twice: once by an unknown translator as Mr. Hire's Engagement for Hamish Hamilton

Hamish Hamilton

Hamish Hamilton Limited was a British book publishing house, founded in 1931 eponymously by the half-Scot half-American Jamie Hamilton . Confusingly, Jamie Hamilton was often referred to as Hamish Hamilton...

 in 1956, and a second time by Anna Moschovakis as The Engagement for New York Review Books

New York Review Books

New York Review Books is the publishing house of The New York Review of Books. Its imprints are New York Review Books Classics, New York Review Books Collections, and The New York Review Children's Collection....

 in 2007. The former version also appeared as The Sacrifice, comprising Mr. Hire's Engagement and Young Cardinaud as well as in one of the Simenon Omnibuses; the latter edition contains an afterward by John Gray

John Gray

-Born 18th century:*John Gray , member of the North Carolina General Assembly*John Gray , president of the Bank of Montreal...

.

Film versions

The book has been filmed as Monsieur Hire

Monsieur Hire

Monsieur Hire is a 1989 French film directed by Patrice Leconte and starring Michel Blanc in the title role and Sandrine Bonnaire as the object of his affection. The film received numerous accolades as well as a glowing review from popular American movie commentator Roger Ebert. The film is based...

 by Patrice Leconte

Patrice Leconte

Patrice Leconte is a French film director, actor, comic strip writer, and screenwriter.-Biography:...

 in 1989 and stars Michel Blanc

Michel Blanc

Michel Blanc is a French actor and director who is noted for his roles of losers and hypochondriacs...

 and Sandrine Bonnaire

Sandrine Bonnaire

Sandrine Bonnaire is a French actress, who has appeared in more than 40 films including Hollywood movies.Bonnaire was born in the town of Gannat, Allier, in the Auvergne region. She was born into a working-class family, the seventh of eleven children. Her acting career began at the age of 16 in...

The book has also been filmed as Panique

Panique

Panique is a French film directed by Julien Duvivier, made in 1946 and released in 1947, starring Michel Simon and Viviane Romance. In 1989 Patrice Leconte remade the film as Monsieur Hire, with the title rôle played by Michel Blanc.-Plot:...

 by Julien Duvivier

Julien Duvivier

Julien Duvivier was a French film director. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930-1960...

 in 1947 and stars Michel Simon

Michel Simon

Michel Simon , was a Swiss actor. The actor François Simon is his son.-Early years:...

 and Viviane Romance.