InfiniteTypewriters reviewed Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief by Maurice Leblanc (Arsène Lupin, #1)
An Early Gentleman Thief, and an Inspiration of Many that Followed
3 stars
Arsène Lupin is a gentleman burglar character first introduced in short stories by Maurice Leblanc that were published by the French magazine "Je sais tout" in 1905. The first nine stories are collected in this book, published in 1907. This book is in the public domain, so you can find it online for free. (I recommend Standard Ebooks, but you can also get it at Project Gutenberg.)
The Arsène Lupin stories were so popular that Leblanc continued writing more Lupin stories until 1939 (shortly before his death in 1941). Leblanc published a total of 24 books in the series.
The character has been adapted to movies, TV shows, stage shows, comic books, and video games. It has also inspired other characters. The most famous of these is the manga/anime character Lupin III, whom its creator (Kazuhiko Katō) describes as Arsène Lupin's grandson.
This book holds up fairly well. Some of …
Arsène Lupin is a gentleman burglar character first introduced in short stories by Maurice Leblanc that were published by the French magazine "Je sais tout" in 1905. The first nine stories are collected in this book, published in 1907. This book is in the public domain, so you can find it online for free. (I recommend Standard Ebooks, but you can also get it at Project Gutenberg.)
The Arsène Lupin stories were so popular that Leblanc continued writing more Lupin stories until 1939 (shortly before his death in 1941). Leblanc published a total of 24 books in the series.
The character has been adapted to movies, TV shows, stage shows, comic books, and video games. It has also inspired other characters. The most famous of these is the manga/anime character Lupin III, whom its creator (Kazuhiko Katō) describes as Arsène Lupin's grandson.
This book holds up fairly well. Some of the mysteries feel a little simplistic by modern standards. A few of them are ingenious, though. If you like early mystery novels, you will not feel let down, because you know the state of the art and appreciate it for what it is. (The same way those of us who like older movies appreciate them for what they are and don't denigrate them for simplistic cinematography or crude special effects.) If you've only read modern authors, you will probably feel a little disappointed. I still recommend the book to those readers, because you should stretch your horizons a little!
The book kind of begs comparison to Sherlock Holmes. This is not just because it is crime fiction. It's not just because the years it was written overlap Conan Doyle's active years. It's because the book features Sherlock Holmes as a supporting character!
The last chapter is titled "Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late". A man who was afraid of being robbed hires Sherlock Holmes to prevent the burglary. I don't think I'm giving anything away here, but Holmes (who has to travel from London to France) arrives too late to prevent it. Fear not, Sherlockians! The second book in the series is titled "Arsène Lupin versus Sherlock Holmes"! I have not read that one yet, so I don't know if it lives up to the hype.
(A note for sticklers or the confused: The first several short stories were published using the name "Sherlock Holmes". Arthur Conan Doyle got a bit huffy about someone else using his character, so he sent his Lawyer of the Baskervilles to put a stop to it. Leblanc was forced to change the name of the character in his stories to "Herlock Sholmes". Most copies of these stories use that name. As we all know, Sherlock Holmes was a master of disguise, so we are not fooled by the fake mustache. The Sherlock Holmes stories are now also in the public domain, so some ebooks that you can find online have restored the correct name.)
On the matter of the inevitable comparison of this Arsène Lupin book to the stories of Sherlock Holmes, the former, unsurprisingly, is weaker. It's still a good book, and I still recommend it to those who are interested. However, when you look at both, it becomes obvious that Conan Doyle was a better writer. The Holmes stories have endured for a reason. They are well crafted and engaging. Arsène Lupin is more of a beach read or airplane read.
The chapters were originally published as short stories. Unsurprisingly, the book reads more like an anthology than a novel. Although I have given the overall book a score of three stolen Renoirs out of five, I thought it would be fun to rate the individual chapters as well. I also give a short comment.
Ch. 1 The Arrest of Arsène Lupin ★★★ Kind of bland. The denouement is predictable. Ch. 2 Arsène Lupin in Prison ★★★★★ Locked room mystery. The number one suspect is in prison! Ch. 3 The Escape of Arsène Lupin ★★★★ Arsène Lupin promises to escape from prison. Ch. 4 The Mysterious Traveller ★★★ Arsène Lupin is robbed on a train. Ch. 5 The Queen’s Necklace ★★★★★ Locked room mystery with a revelation. Ch. 6 The Seven of Hearts ★★★ A bit convoluted. Ch. 7 Madame Imbert’s Safe ★★★ Dull. Ch. 8 The Black Pearl ★★★ Something cold and dead on the floor. Ch. 9 Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late ★★★★ Sherlock Holmes!