On 26 Sep 96, 07:50am, Jan Murphy wrote to David Chessler
on the subject of "LIVING FOREVER":
 >> Recognize that all authors make
 >> "continuity" errors. Simenon couldn't even keep Maigret's
 >> first name straight (though he used it very rarely).
 >     
 >    Simenon may have goofed, true, but it's important to recognize that in 
 >    some cases, when the characters' first names change, it is not an 
 >    error.
Not often in fiction. He's Jules in some books and something
else with a J in others.
 >    There's an American example for you; the situation can be even 'worse' 
 >    if other cultures are involved.  Russian names, for instance -- names 
 >    can have variants that don't look at all alike to the non-Russian 
 >    speaker.  Heck, even in Ngaio Marsh, some readers might not recognize
That's because they are nicknames. Dick isn't obvious as a
nickname for Richard, nor Bill for William, nor Bob for Robert,
nor even Harry for Henry.
It can be similar for women's nicknames. Peggy is Margaret, as is
Gretchen (little Gret).
 >    Do you happen to recall what names Simenon used over the years?  I 
 >    can't recall which one they settled on for the TV series.
See above. I never followed the TV series. I think "Jules" is the
official one (see The Mystery Lover's Companion, p. 299, by Art
Bourgeau; or Madame Maiget's Recipes, p. 1, by Robert J.
Courtine). Mme. Maigret is, apparently, Louise (Courtine, pp. 2, 3)
I can't find my source for the other name, which apparently
appeared in one or two early books. I checked Murder Ink by Dilys
Winn, and there's nothing there. It's something I've known for
years, so it's probably in an older book of criticism.
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