Dirty Snow by Georges Simenon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Corporate Occupation

From time to time Georges Simenon has been either accused of collaboration or praised for his resistance during the German occupation of France in WWII. Dirty Snow suggests that a substantial middle ground, which might be called ‘exploitative participation’, exists and could just be closer to the truth. This region is inhabited by many, particularly those of the permanent underclass who perceive occupation as another not terribly significant fact of life to be dealt with by the usual means: crime.

Or more precisely, purposeless criminality. For the protagonist, Frank, military occupation simply means increased opportunity. Murder, in particular, is less problematic than during peacetime and one simply yearns to test one’s mettle in such a permissive atmosphere. In fact, all relationships are worth less to Frank than they might have been otherwise - with the naive girl who lives across the landing, with the newly recruited prostitutes in his mother’s brothel, with his felonious pals. All are expendable.

But aside from the momentary thrill of conquest, none of Frank’s actions are meant to advance any objective. He already lives well with no financial concerns and no real worry about punishment. He’s on the way up in the underworld society, which itself is entirely nihilistic: "Everyone has something on everyone else, so that everyone, on closer view, has something to feel guilty about. In other words, the only reason you don’t betray other people is for fear of being betrayed by them.” The skill, therefore, is to be the first to betray.

On second or third thought, could it be that most of us occupy this middle ground of exploitative participation in the corporate society which itself acts as an occupational force in our midst? Getting on for the sake of getting on. Acting for the thrill of reputational advance. Murder and other illegalities may be off limits, but betrayal in the corporate world comes just as easily as it does for Frank in occupied territory. Frank may merely be the apotheosis of the good corporate citizen.

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