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Arsène Lupin #1
Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief
In 1907, Author Maurice Leblanc released the first collection of stories recounting the adventures of Arsene Lupin, a charming thief and master of disguises. The character became quite popular, featured in 17 novels and 39 novellas, inspiring generations of charming anti-heroes to follow. This brand new edition of the first Arsene Lupin novel is beautifully illustrated by artist Vincent Mallie, capturing the joyful style of an animated feature as if created by renowned director Hayao Miyazaki (whose first directorial release was LUPIN THE 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro, which is filled with nods to Leblanc's classic character).
Collecting the first 9 novellas, this illustrated edition features dozens of black-and-white and full-color illustrations and plates including numerous two-page spreads that evoke the beauty and charm of a Studio Ghibli production.
Collecting the first 9 novellas, this illustrated edition features dozens of black-and-white and full-color illustrations and plates including numerous two-page spreads that evoke the beauty and charm of a Studio Ghibli production.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published June 10, 1907
About the author
Maurice Leblanc
1,484 books858 followersMaurice Leblanc (1864 - 1941) was a French novelist, best known as the creator of gentleman thief (later detective) Arsène Lupin.
Leblanc began as a journalist, until he was asked to write a short story filler, and created, more gallant and dashing than English counterpart Sherlock Holmes.
Leblanc began as a journalist, until he was asked to write a short story filler, and created, more gallant and dashing than English counterpart Sherlock Holmes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,984 reviews
January 11, 2021
*****A new series featuring Arsene Lupin has just been released on Netflix.*****
”It was, indeed, the famous necklace, the legendary necklace that Bohmer and Bassenge, court jewelers, had made for Madame Du Barry; the veritable necklace that the Cardinal de Rohan-Soubise intended to give to Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France; and the same that the adventuress Jeanne de Valois, Countess de la Motte, had pulled to pieces one evening in February, 1785, with the aid of her husband and their accomplice, Rétaux de Villette.”
A necklace worthy of the very best thief.
The Queen’s Necklace is famous for being worth so much money, but also because of the scandal that surrounded it. It all begins with Marie-Antoinette becoming disenchanted with the lavish, licentious lifestyle of the Cardinal de Rohan-Soubise. She finally banned him from her company. The Cardinal was desperate to get back into her good graces and contacted Bohmer and Bassenge about this astoundingly expensive diamond necklace that they had been unsuccessful in tempting any of the Royal families to buy. Now there seems to be some confusion between the Queen, their mutual “friend” Madame Du Barry, and the Cardinal. The Queen didn’t want the necklace. Madame Du Barry seems to have told the Cardinal she did. The Cardinal made the arrangements on behalf of the Queen, but gave the necklace to Du Barry to deliver.
The necklace never arrived to the Queen.
When B and B does not receive their scheduled payments for the necklace, and the Queen insists that she never intended to purchase the necklace things got interesting in a hurry. The Cardinal was arrested in the Hall of Mirrors, very publicly, in front of the court.
Can’t you hear the gasps and the insect chatter of whispers?
Madame Du Barry and her accomplices were arrested. The Cardinal was found to be a dupe in the whole affair and was acquitted. Madame Du Barry on the other hand was found guilty and sentenced to be branded with the letter V for voleuse (thief).
I always thought V was for Vendetta.
Anyway in true French fashion, because they hated the Queen, the peasants interpreted this trial as a condemnation of the royals and assumed the Queen was involved in the whole affair.
Now at the time of our story the necklace is in the hands of an aristocratic family, fallen on hard times. The diamonds have been sold long ago, replaced by fake stones. The setting though is still worth a small fortune and it is the most prized possession of the family. It will prove to be the very first successful theft by the soon to be famous...Arsène Lupin.
That is not his real name, but then he has chosen a profession where using one’s own name is not advisable.
Maurice LeBlanc
Maurice LeBlanc was asked by the newspaper he was working for to come up with a French version of the very popular Sherlock Holmes. The stories of this debonair French thief were wildly successful. So successful that at several points LeBlanc, as tired of his creation as Arthur Conan Doyle was of his, attempted to create new characters, but the public’s demand for Lupin was too insistent and soon he would have Lupin merge into the stories of his other lead characters.
Marius Jacob, inspiration for Arsène Lupin
LeBlanc based Arsène Lupin on the real life gentleman thief Marius Jacob. He formed a band called the workers of the night. Now Jacob was not your typical criminal. He had rules. He did not rob people in a useful profession such as architects, doctors, artists, etc., but he did consider bosses, judges, soldiers, and the clergy to be social parasites and worthy of robbery. He was very clever in how he committed his robberies leaving very little trace and a puzzle of how he actually accomplished the crime.
”Where force fails, cunning prevails.”
This is a series of short stories and are not in any chronological order. The reader is able to see Arsène Lupin at various stages of his career from a clever child to a young man trying to establish a reputation to a mature man who by merely mentioning his name can inspire terror and despair among those with bibelots they wish to continue to possess. Of course he will also inform you if you have been duped by an unscrupulous dealer.
"Arsène Lupin, gentleman- burglar, will return when the furniture is genuine."
The plots of the stories are clever and compelling. I would often intend to only read one story before moving on to other reading, but would find myself usually reading three or four before I could pull myself away. I was often fooled by the solutions and would actually find myself smiling at being so cunningly deceived. I found Lupin’s arrogance and posturing and daring amusing. He isn’t annoying at all. He is a man against the world and winning.
LeBlanc can’t resist having a story involving Sherlock Holmes. He very cleverly has Lupin and Holmes involved in the same mystery, but not competing against each other. There is no winner or loser, but at the same time it was fascinating to see LeBlanc’s view of Holmes. It was a very reverential piece of writing that I think must have pleased Doyle immensely.
In 2004 there was a film made starring Romain Duris, Eva Green and Kristin Scott Thomas that I intend to see very soon.
Highly recommended to those that appreciate clever thieves and are fans of Sherlock Holmes. I bought twelve novels as a digital bundle because the price was ridiculously cheap and I’m so glad I did because periodically I will need a fix of the gentleman-thief Arsène Lupin.
”It was, indeed, the famous necklace, the legendary necklace that Bohmer and Bassenge, court jewelers, had made for Madame Du Barry; the veritable necklace that the Cardinal de Rohan-Soubise intended to give to Marie-Antoinette, Queen of France; and the same that the adventuress Jeanne de Valois, Countess de la Motte, had pulled to pieces one evening in February, 1785, with the aid of her husband and their accomplice, Rétaux de Villette.”
A necklace worthy of the very best thief.
The Queen’s Necklace is famous for being worth so much money, but also because of the scandal that surrounded it. It all begins with Marie-Antoinette becoming disenchanted with the lavish, licentious lifestyle of the Cardinal de Rohan-Soubise. She finally banned him from her company. The Cardinal was desperate to get back into her good graces and contacted Bohmer and Bassenge about this astoundingly expensive diamond necklace that they had been unsuccessful in tempting any of the Royal families to buy. Now there seems to be some confusion between the Queen, their mutual “friend” Madame Du Barry, and the Cardinal. The Queen didn’t want the necklace. Madame Du Barry seems to have told the Cardinal she did. The Cardinal made the arrangements on behalf of the Queen, but gave the necklace to Du Barry to deliver.
The necklace never arrived to the Queen.
When B and B does not receive their scheduled payments for the necklace, and the Queen insists that she never intended to purchase the necklace things got interesting in a hurry. The Cardinal was arrested in the Hall of Mirrors, very publicly, in front of the court.
Can’t you hear the gasps and the insect chatter of whispers?
Madame Du Barry and her accomplices were arrested. The Cardinal was found to be a dupe in the whole affair and was acquitted. Madame Du Barry on the other hand was found guilty and sentenced to be branded with the letter V for voleuse (thief).
I always thought V was for Vendetta.
Anyway in true French fashion, because they hated the Queen, the peasants interpreted this trial as a condemnation of the royals and assumed the Queen was involved in the whole affair.
Now at the time of our story the necklace is in the hands of an aristocratic family, fallen on hard times. The diamonds have been sold long ago, replaced by fake stones. The setting though is still worth a small fortune and it is the most prized possession of the family. It will prove to be the very first successful theft by the soon to be famous...Arsène Lupin.
That is not his real name, but then he has chosen a profession where using one’s own name is not advisable.
Maurice LeBlanc
Maurice LeBlanc was asked by the newspaper he was working for to come up with a French version of the very popular Sherlock Holmes. The stories of this debonair French thief were wildly successful. So successful that at several points LeBlanc, as tired of his creation as Arthur Conan Doyle was of his, attempted to create new characters, but the public’s demand for Lupin was too insistent and soon he would have Lupin merge into the stories of his other lead characters.
Marius Jacob, inspiration for Arsène Lupin
LeBlanc based Arsène Lupin on the real life gentleman thief Marius Jacob. He formed a band called the workers of the night. Now Jacob was not your typical criminal. He had rules. He did not rob people in a useful profession such as architects, doctors, artists, etc., but he did consider bosses, judges, soldiers, and the clergy to be social parasites and worthy of robbery. He was very clever in how he committed his robberies leaving very little trace and a puzzle of how he actually accomplished the crime.
”Where force fails, cunning prevails.”
This is a series of short stories and are not in any chronological order. The reader is able to see Arsène Lupin at various stages of his career from a clever child to a young man trying to establish a reputation to a mature man who by merely mentioning his name can inspire terror and despair among those with bibelots they wish to continue to possess. Of course he will also inform you if you have been duped by an unscrupulous dealer.
"Arsène Lupin, gentleman- burglar, will return when the furniture is genuine."
The plots of the stories are clever and compelling. I would often intend to only read one story before moving on to other reading, but would find myself usually reading three or four before I could pull myself away. I was often fooled by the solutions and would actually find myself smiling at being so cunningly deceived. I found Lupin’s arrogance and posturing and daring amusing. He isn’t annoying at all. He is a man against the world and winning.
LeBlanc can’t resist having a story involving Sherlock Holmes. He very cleverly has Lupin and Holmes involved in the same mystery, but not competing against each other. There is no winner or loser, but at the same time it was fascinating to see LeBlanc’s view of Holmes. It was a very reverential piece of writing that I think must have pleased Doyle immensely.
In 2004 there was a film made starring Romain Duris, Eva Green and Kristin Scott Thomas that I intend to see very soon.
Highly recommended to those that appreciate clever thieves and are fans of Sherlock Holmes. I bought twelve novels as a digital bundle because the price was ridiculously cheap and I’m so glad I did because periodically I will need a fix of the gentleman-thief Arsène Lupin.
October 24, 2021
Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-cambrioleur = Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar (Arsène Lupin, #1), Maurice Leblanc
Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar is the first collection of stories by Maurice Leblanc recounting the adventures of Arsène Lupin, released on 10 June 1907.
Containing the first eight stories depicting the character, each was first published in the French magazine Je sais tout following the first on 15 July 1905.
The collection contains the following stories:
The Arrest of Arsène Lupin (L'Arrestation d'Arsène Lupin);
Arsène Lupin in Prison (Arsène Lupin en prison);
The Escape of Arsène Lupin (L'Évasion d'Arsène Lupin);
The Mysterious Traveller (Le Mystérieux voyageur);
The Queen's Necklace (Le Collier de la reine);
The Safe of Madame Imbert (Le Coffre-fort de madame Imbert);
Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late (Sherlock Holmès arrive trop tard);
The Black Pearl (La Perle noire);
Seven of Hearts (Le Sept de cœur).
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز ششم آگوست سال 1969میلادی
عنوان: دزد جنتلمن: کتاب اول از سری آرسن لوپن؛ اثر: موریس لبلان؛ مترجم علی مظفری؛ مشخصات نشر تهران، موسسه مطبوعاتی اسکندری، سال1343، در140ص، موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان فرانسه - سده 20م
پس از شش سال، که دوره ی دبستان «بوستان شربیان» که پایان یافت؛ نخستین بار، در دبیرستان «فیوضات تبریز»، از دوستانم و همشاگردیهای خویش، نام «آرسن لوپن» را شنیدم، از آن دوست پرسیدم: «آرسن لوپن» یعنی چه؟؛ گفت: «به آدمهای ناتو و زبر و زرنگ چنین میگویند»؛
پرسیدم: «به چه زبانی؟»؛ پاسخ گفت: «نمیدانم»؛
هر بار در وصف یکی، از گویشگری، این واژه های سه گانه را میشنیدم، که «یارو آرسن لوپنه»، یاد ندانستن معنی این دو واژه میافتادم، نمیدانستم نام است، و عنوانی برای یک دزد؛ در مسیر پیاده روی هایم، در کلاس یازدهم در «تبریز»، یک کتابفروشی بزرگوار بود، هر بار، که به آن کتابفرشی میرسیدم، پشت ویترینش میایستادم، و عنوانهای خوشگوار کتابها را، نوش جان میکردم، اما پولم، کفاف خرید نمیداد، هفته ای یکبار، مجله ای میخریدم، آن را هم، با دوستی شریک میشدم؛ یک دو کتابفروش در پیاده رو هم، در همان مسیر بود، پارچه پهن میکردند، و کتابهای دست دوم، و کهنه را، به تماشا میچیدند، نخستین بار، عنوان «آرسن لوپن» را، در همان کتابفروشهای پیاده رو، دیدم، از رفتن باز ماندم، و با چانه زنی، کتاب را خریدم؛ دل تو دلم نبود، باید میخواندم، و میفهمیدم، این «آرسن لوپن»، چیه یا کیه؟ هرچه خواندم، بیشتر عاشق داستانهایش، شدم، یواش یواش، خرید مجله، با آن دوست، که در آنها، داستانهای کارآگاه «مایک هامر»، نوشته میشد، بدل شد، به خریدن داستانهای «آرسن لوپن»؛ نمیدانید چقدر شیرین بود، شاید هم بدانید؛
در مجموع، بیست جلد از کتابهای سری «آرسن لوپن» توسط «موریس لبلان» نگاشته شد، که از آن جمله، میتوان به داستانهای: «مجادله ی آرسن لوپن با شرلوک هلمز»، «آرسن لوپن عیار جوانمرد»، «درد دلهای آرسن لوپن»، «سر تنگ بلور»، «هشت ضربه ی ساعت»، «دختر خانم سبز چشم»، «آرسن لوپن، در نقش کارآگاه آرسن لوپن»، «خانه ی مرموز آرسن لوپن»، «دختر ژوزف بالسامو»، «احتراق بمب»، «توده طلا»، «چشمان سبز و آبی»، «معاشقه ی آرسن لوپن»، «دزد ظریف»، «دندان ببر»، «رقاص جوان»، «زنگهای ساعت»، «سنگ معجزه»، «عملیات خارقالعاده آرسن لوپن»، «قصر مرموز یا سنگ اسرار»؛ «کشتی انرژیک یا میلیاردر راهزن»؛ «هشتصد و سیزده از عملیات آرسن لوپن»، اشاره کرد؛ افزون بر این آثار که توسط خود «لبلان» نوشته شده اند، دنباله ی پنج داستان ایشان بعدها توسط نویسندگان دیگر نیز نوشته شدند
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 12/11/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 01/08/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar is the first collection of stories by Maurice Leblanc recounting the adventures of Arsène Lupin, released on 10 June 1907.
Containing the first eight stories depicting the character, each was first published in the French magazine Je sais tout following the first on 15 July 1905.
The collection contains the following stories:
The Arrest of Arsène Lupin (L'Arrestation d'Arsène Lupin);
Arsène Lupin in Prison (Arsène Lupin en prison);
The Escape of Arsène Lupin (L'Évasion d'Arsène Lupin);
The Mysterious Traveller (Le Mystérieux voyageur);
The Queen's Necklace (Le Collier de la reine);
The Safe of Madame Imbert (Le Coffre-fort de madame Imbert);
Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late (Sherlock Holmès arrive trop tard);
The Black Pearl (La Perle noire);
Seven of Hearts (Le Sept de cœur).
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز ششم آگوست سال 1969میلادی
عنوان: دزد جنتلمن: کتاب اول از سری آرسن لوپن؛ اثر: موریس لبلان؛ مترجم علی مظفری؛ مشخصات نشر تهران، موسسه مطبوعاتی اسکندری، سال1343، در140ص، موضوع: داستانهای نویسندگان فرانسه - سده 20م
پس از شش سال، که دوره ی دبستان «بوستان شربیان» که پایان یافت؛ نخستین بار، در دبیرستان «فیوضات تبریز»، از دوستانم و همشاگردیهای خویش، نام «آرسن لوپن» را شنیدم، از آن دوست پرسیدم: «آرسن لوپن» یعنی چه؟؛ گفت: «به آدمهای ناتو و زبر و زرنگ چنین میگویند»؛
پرسیدم: «به چه زبانی؟»؛ پاسخ گفت: «نمیدانم»؛
هر بار در وصف یکی، از گویشگری، این واژه های سه گانه را میشنیدم، که «یارو آرسن لوپنه»، یاد ندانستن معنی این دو واژه میافتادم، نمیدانستم نام است، و عنوانی برای یک دزد؛ در مسیر پیاده روی هایم، در کلاس یازدهم در «تبریز»، یک کتابفروشی بزرگوار بود، هر بار، که به آن کتابفرشی میرسیدم، پشت ویترینش میایستادم، و عنوانهای خوشگوار کتابها را، نوش جان میکردم، اما پولم، کفاف خرید نمیداد، هفته ای یکبار، مجله ای میخریدم، آن را هم، با دوستی شریک میشدم؛ یک دو کتابفروش در پیاده رو هم، در همان مسیر بود، پارچه پهن میکردند، و کتابهای دست دوم، و کهنه را، به تماشا میچیدند، نخستین بار، عنوان «آرسن لوپن» را، در همان کتابفروشهای پیاده رو، دیدم، از رفتن باز ماندم، و با چانه زنی، کتاب را خریدم؛ دل تو دلم نبود، باید میخواندم، و میفهمیدم، این «آرسن لوپن»، چیه یا کیه؟ هرچه خواندم، بیشتر عاشق داستانهایش، شدم، یواش یواش، خرید مجله، با آن دوست، که در آنها، داستانهای کارآگاه «مایک هامر»، نوشته میشد، بدل شد، به خریدن داستانهای «آرسن لوپن»؛ نمیدانید چقدر شیرین بود، شاید هم بدانید؛
در مجموع، بیست جلد از کتابهای سری «آرسن لوپن» توسط «موریس لبلان» نگاشته شد، که از آن جمله، میتوان به داستانهای: «مجادله ی آرسن لوپن با شرلوک هلمز»، «آرسن لوپن عیار جوانمرد»، «درد دلهای آرسن لوپن»، «سر تنگ بلور»، «هشت ضربه ی ساعت»، «دختر خانم سبز چشم»، «آرسن لوپن، در نقش کارآگاه آرسن لوپن»، «خانه ی مرموز آرسن لوپن»، «دختر ژوزف بالسامو»، «احتراق بمب»، «توده طلا»، «چشمان سبز و آبی»، «معاشقه ی آرسن لوپن»، «دزد ظریف»، «دندان ببر»، «رقاص جوان»، «زنگهای ساعت»، «سنگ معجزه»، «عملیات خارقالعاده آرسن لوپن»، «قصر مرموز یا سنگ اسرار»؛ «کشتی انرژیک یا میلیاردر راهزن»؛ «هشتصد و سیزده از عملیات آرسن لوپن»، اشاره کرد؛ افزون بر این آثار که توسط خود «لبلان» نوشته شده اند، دنباله ی پنج داستان ایشان بعدها توسط نویسندگان دیگر نیز نوشته شدند
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 12/11/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 01/08/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
March 18, 2022
A fun romp with an over the top gentleman burglar.
The thing that may turn some people off is that Lupin is quite full of himself in a stereotypically French hoh hon hon way. His powers of foresight and deduction rival that Sherlock Holmes - who he actually meets in the last story. It's a bit much.
However, I mostly found him to be a roguishly charming character that I was rooting for while he escaped the authorities and attempted to get the girl. <--I'm still hoping he gets that girl someday.
The book is made up of interconnected short stories about Arsène that move backward and forward showing him at different times in his life. Some stories were better than others but they all served to give a complete (ish) picture of the man and his life.
I fell into this book by accident when it was offered up as a Hoopla Bonus Borrow, I'm assuming because of the somewhat recent Netflix show based on the character. I was actually surprised by how much I ended up liking this. There's something fun about the simplicity of the stories and the cheekiness of Lupin.
I also thought the translation was very well done, and the audiobook version I listened to was great.
I'm definitely going to try to read more of these.
Recommended.
The thing that may turn some people off is that Lupin is quite full of himself in a stereotypically French hoh hon hon way. His powers of foresight and deduction rival that Sherlock Holmes - who he actually meets in the last story. It's a bit much.
However, I mostly found him to be a roguishly charming character that I was rooting for while he escaped the authorities and attempted to get the girl. <--I'm still hoping he gets that girl someday.
The book is made up of interconnected short stories about Arsène that move backward and forward showing him at different times in his life. Some stories were better than others but they all served to give a complete (ish) picture of the man and his life.
I fell into this book by accident when it was offered up as a Hoopla Bonus Borrow, I'm assuming because of the somewhat recent Netflix show based on the character. I was actually surprised by how much I ended up liking this. There's something fun about the simplicity of the stories and the cheekiness of Lupin.
I also thought the translation was very well done, and the audiobook version I listened to was great.
I'm definitely going to try to read more of these.
Recommended.
June 1, 2022
4.5/5
“Arsene Lupin, the man of a thousand disguises: in turn a chauffeur, a tenor, a bookmaker, a young boy; a teen, an old man, a commercial traveler, a Russian physician, a Spanish bullfighter….”
Admittedly, the first time I heard of Arsene Lupin was when the character and his adventures were referenced in the Netflix show Lupin. This collection covers nine interrelated stories (though they are just as good as standalone) revolving around the “gentleman thief” and his exploits and is a perfect introduction for new readers like me. Originally written in 1907, by author Maurice Leblanc, these are straightforward mysteries/adventures with intriguing plots, loads of humor and a very interesting main character. As Lupin’s “historiographer”(who also serves as narrator for some of the stories) states,
“His portrait? How could I describe him? Twenty times I have seen Arsene Lupin, and twenty times a different person has appeared to me …or rather, the same person from which twenty mirrors would have returned as many distorted images, each one having its own particular look, its own unique shape, its own gesture, its own silhouette and character.”
I had so much fun reading about Lupin and his numerous disguises, his creative methods of committing crimes and his besting the shrewd Detective Ganimard at every opportunity he gets. It is difficult to individually describe these stories without giving too much away but the narrative follows Lupin as he is arrested, escapes from prison and proceeds to con multiple victims (and is also duped by one of his marks in one rare instance) all the while evading capture by the authorities . I enjoyed most of the stories and my personal favorites were ”The Escape of Arsene Lupin”, “The Seven of Hearts” and “Madam Imbert’s Safe”. In addition to these stories, I must mention the final story in this collection in which we see our "gentleman thief" pitted against a ‘great English detective’!
Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief by Maurice Leblanc (edited by Mike Kennedy) is truly an enjoyable read! The illustrations (both black-and-white and full-color) by Vincent Mallié are absolutely wonderful and perfectly complement the narrative which flows smoothly.(The illustrations reminded me of Herge's Tintin books which I still love to read!) Fans of Sherlock Holmes would definitely enjoy these stories.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
“Arsene Lupin, the man of a thousand disguises: in turn a chauffeur, a tenor, a bookmaker, a young boy; a teen, an old man, a commercial traveler, a Russian physician, a Spanish bullfighter….”
Admittedly, the first time I heard of Arsene Lupin was when the character and his adventures were referenced in the Netflix show Lupin. This collection covers nine interrelated stories (though they are just as good as standalone) revolving around the “gentleman thief” and his exploits and is a perfect introduction for new readers like me. Originally written in 1907, by author Maurice Leblanc, these are straightforward mysteries/adventures with intriguing plots, loads of humor and a very interesting main character. As Lupin’s “historiographer”(who also serves as narrator for some of the stories) states,
“His portrait? How could I describe him? Twenty times I have seen Arsene Lupin, and twenty times a different person has appeared to me …or rather, the same person from which twenty mirrors would have returned as many distorted images, each one having its own particular look, its own unique shape, its own gesture, its own silhouette and character.”
I had so much fun reading about Lupin and his numerous disguises, his creative methods of committing crimes and his besting the shrewd Detective Ganimard at every opportunity he gets. It is difficult to individually describe these stories without giving too much away but the narrative follows Lupin as he is arrested, escapes from prison and proceeds to con multiple victims (and is also duped by one of his marks in one rare instance) all the while evading capture by the authorities . I enjoyed most of the stories and my personal favorites were ”The Escape of Arsene Lupin”, “The Seven of Hearts” and “Madam Imbert’s Safe”. In addition to these stories, I must mention the final story in this collection in which we see our "gentleman thief" pitted against a ‘great English detective’!
Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief by Maurice Leblanc (edited by Mike Kennedy) is truly an enjoyable read! The illustrations (both black-and-white and full-color) by Vincent Mallié are absolutely wonderful and perfectly complement the narrative which flows smoothly.(The illustrations reminded me of Herge's Tintin books which I still love to read!) Fans of Sherlock Holmes would definitely enjoy these stories.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
February 27, 2022
This book was such a fun read. I'm not a particular fan of short story collections of detective fiction, but this collection beat me. There are nine short stories in this collection, and while I was differently attracted to them, all had one thing in common. And that is humour. This collection was altogether too hilarious.
Arsene Lupin, the Gentleman-Thief, is one of those notoriously attractive characters. :) His cleverness in his cunning is quite impressive. But none of these have the same charm as his audacity! This is the first time in my reading life that I was fascinated by a criminal. :)
The stories were not brilliant in that the mystery was not much of a mystery. But, they were all appealing in various degrees. I found Madam Imbert's Safe particularly brilliant in which even Arsen Lupin was outwitted.
I truly enjoyed this collection, which is my first exposure to Maurice LeBlanc's Arsene Lupin series. LeBlanc may not be brilliant in his creation like Arthur Conan Doyle, but he has certainly invented a Sherlock Holmes of crimes.
Arsene Lupin, the Gentleman-Thief, is one of those notoriously attractive characters. :) His cleverness in his cunning is quite impressive. But none of these have the same charm as his audacity! This is the first time in my reading life that I was fascinated by a criminal. :)
The stories were not brilliant in that the mystery was not much of a mystery. But, they were all appealing in various degrees. I found Madam Imbert's Safe particularly brilliant in which even Arsen Lupin was outwitted.
I truly enjoyed this collection, which is my first exposure to Maurice LeBlanc's Arsene Lupin series. LeBlanc may not be brilliant in his creation like Arthur Conan Doyle, but he has certainly invented a Sherlock Holmes of crimes.
January 27, 2012
This is a collection of short stories featuring Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief.
The Arrest of Arsene Lupin: A trans-Atlantic cruise ship gets a message saying that Arsene Lupin is on board, with a recent forearm wound and going by the name R-. The message gets cut off and hysteria grips the ship. Everyone whose name begins with R is suspected of being Lupin.
The writing is good and there are only slight hints that it's been translated from French. The story was well done and I'm a little ashamed that I didn't see the reveal coming.
Arsene Lupin in Prison: Baron Cahorn gets a letter from Arsene Lupin saying that either he should box up some of his prize paintings for Lupin or Lupin will collect them himself in one week's time. But Lupin's in prison, isn't he?
Lupin in Prison was even better than the first story. Lupin's way of robbing Cahorn from within prison walls is both innovative and plausible. The relationship between Lupin and his nemesis, Detective Ganamard, looks to be the best part of future stories.
The Escape of Arsene Lupin: Lupin, still in the clink, continuously tells people he won't be attending his trial. The authorities intercept a message from an accomplice of his and try to catch him in a trap. Little do they know, Lupin has more than one trick up his sleeve.
As of this story, I am officially a Lupin fan. He's the anti-Holmes, a criminal genius who's still a likeable character. Speaking of Holmes...
Sherlock Holmes arrives too late Lupin's casing a castle under a false identity. He has to be quick with his burglary, however. Sherlock Holmes is on his way...
Usually, crossovers don't live up to expectations. I'd say this one is different. Both Lupin and Holmes are given their due and neither is made to look markedly inferior to the other. The mutual respect between the two is well done.
These are just a sampling of the Lupin adventures contained within. I recommend them to mystery fans, especially those who like their protagonists brash and witty. Arsene Lupin is clearly influenced by Sherlock Holmes but has things in common with P.G. Wodehouse's Psmith character, as well as superheroes like Batman. He plans for every eventuality. Where Holmes uses his intelligence for good, Lupin uses it for personal gain, governed by a somewhat noble code of ethics.
2012 Note: I'm reading The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi. It's partly an sf homage to Lupin and brought back fond memories of reading this.
The Arrest of Arsene Lupin: A trans-Atlantic cruise ship gets a message saying that Arsene Lupin is on board, with a recent forearm wound and going by the name R-. The message gets cut off and hysteria grips the ship. Everyone whose name begins with R is suspected of being Lupin.
The writing is good and there are only slight hints that it's been translated from French. The story was well done and I'm a little ashamed that I didn't see the reveal coming.
Arsene Lupin in Prison: Baron Cahorn gets a letter from Arsene Lupin saying that either he should box up some of his prize paintings for Lupin or Lupin will collect them himself in one week's time. But Lupin's in prison, isn't he?
Lupin in Prison was even better than the first story. Lupin's way of robbing Cahorn from within prison walls is both innovative and plausible. The relationship between Lupin and his nemesis, Detective Ganamard, looks to be the best part of future stories.
The Escape of Arsene Lupin: Lupin, still in the clink, continuously tells people he won't be attending his trial. The authorities intercept a message from an accomplice of his and try to catch him in a trap. Little do they know, Lupin has more than one trick up his sleeve.
As of this story, I am officially a Lupin fan. He's the anti-Holmes, a criminal genius who's still a likeable character. Speaking of Holmes...
Sherlock Holmes arrives too late Lupin's casing a castle under a false identity. He has to be quick with his burglary, however. Sherlock Holmes is on his way...
Usually, crossovers don't live up to expectations. I'd say this one is different. Both Lupin and Holmes are given their due and neither is made to look markedly inferior to the other. The mutual respect between the two is well done.
These are just a sampling of the Lupin adventures contained within. I recommend them to mystery fans, especially those who like their protagonists brash and witty. Arsene Lupin is clearly influenced by Sherlock Holmes but has things in common with P.G. Wodehouse's Psmith character, as well as superheroes like Batman. He plans for every eventuality. Where Holmes uses his intelligence for good, Lupin uses it for personal gain, governed by a somewhat noble code of ethics.
2012 Note: I'm reading The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi. It's partly an sf homage to Lupin and brought back fond memories of reading this.
June 12, 2022
A collection of nine short stories featuring the “gentleman thief”, Arsène Lupin, a character created by French writer Maurice Leblanc in 1905.
I have never read any Arsène Lupin story, though I have heard of this character. It was intriguing for me to discover a classic story series set around a thief rather than a detective à la Poirot. Moreover, this series is known for being set in a similar style to the Sherlock Holmes stories, and for even making references to Holmes multiple times. As I am not an avid reader of detective fiction, I thought this “graphic novel” would make for a quicker glimpse into a classic character. All of this made me pick this book up. Some of my expectations were met, not all.
First things first. This is not a graphic novel but an illustrated collection. The illustrations are in black and white as well as in colour, and suit the scenes well. I loved the quirkiness of the characters in the drawings. At the same time, the USP of this book is the fact that it has illustrations. (After all, Arsène Lupin stories have been in the public domain for ages, free for all to read.) So are you the kind of reader who would love to invest in an illustrated novel, mainly for the sketches? This collection is for you. If you are more of a story person and don’t bother about looking at the accompanying drawings, no point purchasing this. As I said, I had assumed this to be a graphic novel, so I was really disappointed to see that I had to read through so much text in a genre I don’t even prefer.
Furthermore, Maurice Leblanc himself pitted his character against Sherlock Holmes. So it is inevitable to make comparisons between the two characters. Other than the fact that they are on opposite sides of the law, Lupin and Holmes have quite a few characteristics in common. (Though Lupin is way more affable!) The writing style is also reminiscent of Doyle’s. But Holmes is Holmes and you will be better off not making the comparison. Of course, you can’t escape it in one story. In the short story "Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late", Leblanc introduces an aged Holmes to a young Lupin. After Arthur Conan Doyle rightfully objected, Leblanc changed the name of his detective character with a deliberate spoonerism to “Herlock Sholmes.” This story is a part of this collection, and one of the best ones.
I enjoyed the difference in perspective. While classic detective fiction is usually all about the detective, this one focuses on the thief/the criminal, so it feels like a novel approach. However, Dr. Watson, who pens the Holmes adventures from his perspective as his assistant, is an excellent and consistent narrator. The main flaw in the Lupin stories is that there is no good narrator to carry them through. Some of the stories are in third person, others are in first person. Even the first person narratives are sometimes those of Lupin, sometimes someone else, and sometimes Lupin pretending to be someone else. The constant shift in perspective is tedious.
Of the nine stories, three reached/crossed the four star mark for me.
The arrest of Arsène Lupin – the story that introduces Lupin - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
The Queen's Necklace – The only story that kept me hooked from start to end - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Herlock Sholmes – Just to see Sherlock with fresh eyes - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall, a decent collection but not one I would reread. The main appeal of this copy is in the illustrations. Those who like detective fiction will surely enjoy this collection even though it's from a criminal’s perspective.
3.3 stars from me, based on the average of my rating for the 9 stories.
My thanks to Magnetic Press and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Thief”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
I have never read any Arsène Lupin story, though I have heard of this character. It was intriguing for me to discover a classic story series set around a thief rather than a detective à la Poirot. Moreover, this series is known for being set in a similar style to the Sherlock Holmes stories, and for even making references to Holmes multiple times. As I am not an avid reader of detective fiction, I thought this “graphic novel” would make for a quicker glimpse into a classic character. All of this made me pick this book up. Some of my expectations were met, not all.
First things first. This is not a graphic novel but an illustrated collection. The illustrations are in black and white as well as in colour, and suit the scenes well. I loved the quirkiness of the characters in the drawings. At the same time, the USP of this book is the fact that it has illustrations. (After all, Arsène Lupin stories have been in the public domain for ages, free for all to read.) So are you the kind of reader who would love to invest in an illustrated novel, mainly for the sketches? This collection is for you. If you are more of a story person and don’t bother about looking at the accompanying drawings, no point purchasing this. As I said, I had assumed this to be a graphic novel, so I was really disappointed to see that I had to read through so much text in a genre I don’t even prefer.
Furthermore, Maurice Leblanc himself pitted his character against Sherlock Holmes. So it is inevitable to make comparisons between the two characters. Other than the fact that they are on opposite sides of the law, Lupin and Holmes have quite a few characteristics in common. (Though Lupin is way more affable!) The writing style is also reminiscent of Doyle’s. But Holmes is Holmes and you will be better off not making the comparison. Of course, you can’t escape it in one story. In the short story "Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late", Leblanc introduces an aged Holmes to a young Lupin. After Arthur Conan Doyle rightfully objected, Leblanc changed the name of his detective character with a deliberate spoonerism to “Herlock Sholmes.” This story is a part of this collection, and one of the best ones.
I enjoyed the difference in perspective. While classic detective fiction is usually all about the detective, this one focuses on the thief/the criminal, so it feels like a novel approach. However, Dr. Watson, who pens the Holmes adventures from his perspective as his assistant, is an excellent and consistent narrator. The main flaw in the Lupin stories is that there is no good narrator to carry them through. Some of the stories are in third person, others are in first person. Even the first person narratives are sometimes those of Lupin, sometimes someone else, and sometimes Lupin pretending to be someone else. The constant shift in perspective is tedious.
Of the nine stories, three reached/crossed the four star mark for me.
The arrest of Arsène Lupin – the story that introduces Lupin - 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
The Queen's Necklace – The only story that kept me hooked from start to end - 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Herlock Sholmes – Just to see Sherlock with fresh eyes - 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Overall, a decent collection but not one I would reread. The main appeal of this copy is in the illustrations. Those who like detective fiction will surely enjoy this collection even though it's from a criminal’s perspective.
3.3 stars from me, based on the average of my rating for the 9 stories.
My thanks to Magnetic Press and Edelweiss+ for the DRC of “Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Thief”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
June 22, 2021
Meet Arsene Lupin, gentleman burglar, a well spoken, charming rogue. With finesse, he outwits his prey by lifting and scooping up priceless items from chateaux and salons. He leaves nary a trace, not a fingerprint! Lupin, a man of a thousand disguises: chauffeur, detective, young man, delivery man, or old geezer, to name a few. Lupin finds burglary to be "...a profitable and pleasant occupation with a little care and reflection, it becomes a most delightful profession." "...to be on the spot when opportunity occurs...where [if] force fails, cunning prevails." Shrewd Detective Ganimard suspects Lupin for any unexplained high profile crimes.
"The Exploits of Arsene Lupin" by Maurice Leblanc is a collection of nine playful, mystery-filled short stories. Some of the adventures included are The Queen's Necklace, The Arrest of Arsene Lupin, Arsene Lupin in Prison, the Escape of Arsene Lupin and Mysterious Traveler. Lupin's ability to constantly fabricate new characters to achieve his agenda of collecting jewels worth millions while removing all obstacles in his path creates mysterious, colorful, often humorous capers. "How could anyone enter...how could anyone escape, leaving behind a bolted door and a fastened window?" Lupin can and most certainly will!.
"The Exploits of Arsene Lupin" by Maurice Leblanc is a collection of nine playful, mystery-filled short stories. Some of the adventures included are The Queen's Necklace, The Arrest of Arsene Lupin, Arsene Lupin in Prison, the Escape of Arsene Lupin and Mysterious Traveler. Lupin's ability to constantly fabricate new characters to achieve his agenda of collecting jewels worth millions while removing all obstacles in his path creates mysterious, colorful, often humorous capers. "How could anyone enter...how could anyone escape, leaving behind a bolted door and a fastened window?" Lupin can and most certainly will!.
April 13, 2022
لطالما أردتُ قراءة مُغامرات "أرسين لوبين" حتى قبل أن يصدر المُسلسل المُقبتس من قصص "موريس لوبلان"، سمعت الكثير عن ظرافة ودهاء "أرسين لوبين" فهل كان ذلك صحيحاً بعد قراءة هذا الكتاب؟
بكل تأكيد صحيح.. "أرسين لوبين" اللص الذكي النبيل، الذي فقط يسرق من الأغنياء، وفي أغلب الأوقات يوزع ما سرقه على الفقراء أو من يستحق، أو حتى يقوم بإرجاع الحقوق للآخرين.. لديه العديد من المبادئ التي ساعدته فيها نشأته الصعبة، والتي وضحت في أحدى القصص، وكيف أنه وعلى الرغم من صغر سنه، ولكنه كان يتسم بالذكاء الخارق أيضاً.
في 9 قصص من عالم"أرسين لوبين"، العالم المليء بالقصور واللوحات الفنية والتُحف الثمينة، يستعرض فيها "لوبين" ذكاءه ودهاءه ليسرق أصعب القص��ر حراسة، ويهرب من السجن وقتما يُريد، ويتنكر في صورة أي شخص يُريده.. فـ"لوبين" قد عمل مع طبيب ومن خلال عمله عرف وتعلم كيف يُغير شكله، كيف يتلاعب بالكيمياء في جسده ليكون الناتج شخصاً آخر، مُلخصاً.. أرسين لوبين قد تعلم كُل ما يجعله يمتلك الذكاء والدهاء ليسرق أي قصر مهما كانت الصعوبات، وأن ينتكر في صورة أي شخص يُريد. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، هو يمتلك ظرافة نادرة فعلاً، لا يقوم بإلقاء النُكات، ولكنه سيجعلك تبتسم بكل تأكيد من طريقة كلامه وحواراته.
طوال القصص، كنت أتمنى أن يوجد شخص يُمكن أن يكون كمنافس لـ"لوبين"، سواء لص آخر لا يملك مبادئ، أو مُحقق ذكي للغاية.. وتصوروا أن ذلك قد حدث وتصوروا من كان المُحقق؟ كان "شيرلوك هولمز" بشحمه ولحمه، بقبعته المُثيرة للسخرية ومعطفه الطويل، وطبعه الإنجليزي البارد والحانق على كُل شيء. وعلى الرغم أن المواجهة بينهم لم تكن إلا مسألة جس نبض، ولكن أعتقد أنهم سيتقابلا كثيراً في القصص القادمة.
ختاماً..
استمتعت بالقصص لأقصى حد، ضحكت وابتسمت في مواضع، وأعجبت بذكاء ودها�� حل القضايا أو السرقات في مواضع أخرى، أتمنى أن يستمر هذا المشروع اللطيف، وأن يتم ترجمة باقي أعمال "موريس لوبلان" لـ"أرسين لوبين" مع ترجمة "باسم صابر ميخائيل" الرائعة.
سأنتظر القصص القادمة على أحر من الجمر.
يُنصح بها.
June 9, 2021
A bit of a strange one - I really enjoyed the character of Arsene Lupin, but the stories themselves were quite hit and miss for me.
April 27, 2021
Σε αυτό το βιβλίο ο Μωρίς Λεμπλάν μας συστήνει ένα από τους πιο διάσημους χαρακτήρες της παγκόσμιας λογοτεχνίας μυστηρίου. Τον Αρσέν Λουπέν, τον αριστοκράτη λωποδύτη.
Οι ιστορίες είναι ενδιαφέρουσες και σε γενικές γραμμές καλογραμμένες.
Παρ' όλα αυτά δεν λείπουν οι υπερβολές και οι ακρότητες που εμπεριέχονται πάντα σε τέτοιου είδους αναγνώσματα, αν και εδώ οφείλω να ομολογήσω πως είναι δοσμένα με ιδιαίτερα κομψό τρόπο.
Προσεγμένη έκδοση, αλλά δυστυχώς για ακόμη μια φορά η μετάφραση των συγκεκριμένων εκδόσεων είναι κάτω του μετρίου. Ορθογραφικά λάθη, συντακτικές ανωμαλίες και προτάσεις που δεν βγάζουν νόημα χαλάν την κατά τα άλλα προσεγμένη έκδοση του βιβλίου.
3/5
Οι ιστορίες είναι ενδιαφέρουσες και σε γενικές γραμμές καλογραμμένες.
Παρ' όλα αυτά δεν λείπουν οι υπερβολές και οι ακρότητες που εμπεριέχονται πάντα σε τέτοιου είδους αναγνώσματα, αν και εδώ οφείλω να ομολογήσω πως είναι δοσμένα με ιδιαίτερα κομψό τρόπο.
Προσεγμένη έκδοση, αλλά δυστυχώς για ακόμη μια φορά η μετάφραση των συγκεκριμένων εκδόσεων είναι κάτω του μετρίου. Ορθογραφικά λάθη, συντακτικές ανωμαλίες και προτάσεις που δεν βγάζουν νόημα χαλάν την κατά τα άλλα προσεγμένη έκδοση του βιβλίου.
3/5
March 14, 2024
I really enjoyed the adventures in this first volume of Arsène Lupin. Lupin is a master of disguises and schemes and uses these in his audacious crimes. His crimes are generally focused on the wealthy class, and often times it turns out that the people he robs are not the best of people, so you end up rooting for his crime sprees.
December 18, 2021
قصص بوليسية في غاية اللطافة والحبكة.. هذه أول مرة أقرأ مغامرات لأرسين لوبين.. والغريب أن كل ما هو منتشر باللغة العربية لم تكن قصص أرسين لوبين ولكنها كانت لقديس انجليزي يقوم بحيل مشابهة.. لذا فالحمدلله أني لما اقرأ لموريس لوبلان (المزيف) من قبل 😄
وشكر خاص للصديقة المبدعة إسراء يونس على هذه الترجمة الجميلة جدا :)
وشكر خاص للصديقة المبدعة إسراء يونس على هذه الترجمة الجميلة جدا :)
June 3, 2022
Collection of nine stories of Arsène Lupin who I wasn't familiar with him, a charming thief, a gentleman!
"Arsène Lupin, the fanciful gentleman who operated only in castles and salons, and..."
A fun and entertaining book, sometimes predictable. The first story introduces Arsène Lupin, and the others could be read as stand-alone.
"How could I describe him? Twenty times I have seen Arsène Lupin, and twenty would have returned as many distorted images, each one having its own particular look, its own unique shape, its own gesture, its own silhouette and character."
This isn't a graphic novel but has very beautiful illustrations, I'm not suggesting digital (at least it was too small for me), I'm sure the paper book is great!
The Arrest of Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin in Prison
The Escape of Arsène Lupin
The Mysterious Traveler
The Queen s Necklace
The Seven of Hearts
Madam Imbert s safe
The Black Pearl
Herlock Sholmes arrives too late
Thanks to Diamond Book Distributors via NetGalley for giving me the chance to read Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief by Maurice Leblanc, Mike Kennedy (Edited by), Vincent Mallie (By (artist)) I have given my honest review.
Pub Date: 14 Jun 2022
"Arsène Lupin, the fanciful gentleman who operated only in castles and salons, and..."
A fun and entertaining book, sometimes predictable. The first story introduces Arsène Lupin, and the others could be read as stand-alone.
"How could I describe him? Twenty times I have seen Arsène Lupin, and twenty would have returned as many distorted images, each one having its own particular look, its own unique shape, its own gesture, its own silhouette and character."
This isn't a graphic novel but has very beautiful illustrations, I'm not suggesting digital (at least it was too small for me), I'm sure the paper book is great!
The Arrest of Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin in Prison
The Escape of Arsène Lupin
The Mysterious Traveler
The Queen s Necklace
The Seven of Hearts
Madam Imbert s safe
The Black Pearl
Herlock Sholmes arrives too late
Thanks to Diamond Book Distributors via NetGalley for giving me the chance to read Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief by Maurice Leblanc, Mike Kennedy (Edited by), Vincent Mallie (By (artist)) I have given my honest review.
Pub Date: 14 Jun 2022
October 25, 2021
lidl version of Sherlock
December 12, 2021
„Maurice Leblanc zog mich mit seinem Gentleman-Gauner in den Bann und ich erlag in neun humorvollen und abenteuerlichen Kurzgeschichten dem Charme des französischen Meisterdiebes Arséne Lupin.“
Rezension: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgYwU...
Rezension: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgYwU...
May 21, 2022
I've been meaning to read Lupin so this new illustrated version gave me the perfect excuse! This volume contains the first nine stories of Arsene Lupin, one of the funniest gentleman thieves I've come across! To be honest one of the reasons I've not read this yet is because it was published in the early part of the twentieth century, so I expected it to be very longwinded. It surprisingly was not, quite the opposite actually, feeling very modern in both the dialogue and the narrative. Lupin's hijinks are absolutely hilarious and I can now see why Miyazaki choose to model his Lupin on this character.
The art in this is of course amazing. It's kinda why we are here right? You could get any copy of Lupin, really for just a few dollars used, but I don't believe it would be the same without these simple yet surprisingly detailed illustrations. They reminded me a bit of the art from Madeline or Amelia Bedelia, two of my favorite childhood books, and really that's what initially drew me to this book. And even as someone who literally watched Miyazaki's Lupin III like a week ago, I think Mallie's Lupin will be the one that is forever in my head.
Overall, I found Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief to be laugh-out-loud funny and while I'd say to go out and read it, I would definitely wait till you can purchase this version in June as the art in this new version makes these stories ten times better!
As always thanks to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the eArc, this review has been left voluntarily.
The art in this is of course amazing. It's kinda why we are here right? You could get any copy of Lupin, really for just a few dollars used, but I don't believe it would be the same without these simple yet surprisingly detailed illustrations. They reminded me a bit of the art from Madeline or Amelia Bedelia, two of my favorite childhood books, and really that's what initially drew me to this book. And even as someone who literally watched Miyazaki's Lupin III like a week ago, I think Mallie's Lupin will be the one that is forever in my head.
Overall, I found Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief to be laugh-out-loud funny and while I'd say to go out and read it, I would definitely wait till you can purchase this version in June as the art in this new version makes these stories ten times better!
As always thanks to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the eArc, this review has been left voluntarily.
November 26, 2021
4.5
"Et ce fut cela, de par ma volonté."
Arsène Lupin is what I like to call a black-hole character. The very fabric of spacetime bends to suit his will. That is just the way his fictional universe works. Detective fiction, too, seen from a certain perspective, relies on the fact that detectives are black-hole characters: the normal view is that the detective uncovers a hidden past, but I think it may be equally stimulating to also put it in different terms, and say that he or she weaves a story in the present, inventing a verisimilar tale on the basis of the clues at their disposal, and that story, de par leur volonté, creates the truth of what happened. Hence, the infallibility of Holmes, of Poirot, of Miss Marple, of Nero Wolfe, of Columbo...
Lupin's stories, according to what the popular imagination makes Lupin out to be, should be the opposite of a detective story. In actual fact--at least, this is the case for the stories contained in this volume, that is, the first Lupin stories published by Leblanc--they are closer to that model than one would expect. Lupin's deductive feats have nothing to envy to those of Holmes (although the latter enjoys listening to himself much more), and the success of his felonies often relies on his solving riddles, puzzles, and even other crimes.
But Lupin, unlike any detective that I can think of, except maybe, though in a different way, Christie's Mr Quin, is a phantasm. The only times he really exists is when he takes on a different identity in order to mingle with true people in the real world. The rest of the time, when he acts as what he really is--the criminal mastermind--he is only an idea, a name. He knows of this paradoxical incorporeality of his, too: and he both revels in it and is saddened by it. This combination of euphoria and melancholy proves irresistible for the reader, or at least it did in my case.
What else can I say? I fell in love with this character, and I fell in love with Leblanc's ability. He may not have been the most refined of writers, but there isn't the slightest doubt in my mind that he was exactly the writer that this character needed. (In the third story, "L'evasion d'Arsène Lupin," in the space of a single page Leblanc is able to go from a passage worthy of a psychological novel or story à la Poe, with Ganimard on the brink of madness in front of Lupin's unexpected transformation, to Lupin incapacitating Ganimard with a jujitsu move. And somehow, this improbable and contradictory mosaic of cheap spy-thriller tricks and psychological anguish not only doesn't strike as ridiculous, but manages to give more character to the whole. I'm oh so in love.) I will definitely be reading the rest of the series as soon as I can.
"Et ce fut cela, de par ma volonté."
Arsène Lupin is what I like to call a black-hole character. The very fabric of spacetime bends to suit his will. That is just the way his fictional universe works. Detective fiction, too, seen from a certain perspective, relies on the fact that detectives are black-hole characters: the normal view is that the detective uncovers a hidden past, but I think it may be equally stimulating to also put it in different terms, and say that he or she weaves a story in the present, inventing a verisimilar tale on the basis of the clues at their disposal, and that story, de par leur volonté, creates the truth of what happened. Hence, the infallibility of Holmes, of Poirot, of Miss Marple, of Nero Wolfe, of Columbo...
Lupin's stories, according to what the popular imagination makes Lupin out to be, should be the opposite of a detective story. In actual fact--at least, this is the case for the stories contained in this volume, that is, the first Lupin stories published by Leblanc--they are closer to that model than one would expect. Lupin's deductive feats have nothing to envy to those of Holmes (although the latter enjoys listening to himself much more), and the success of his felonies often relies on his solving riddles, puzzles, and even other crimes.
But Lupin, unlike any detective that I can think of, except maybe, though in a different way, Christie's Mr Quin, is a phantasm. The only times he really exists is when he takes on a different identity in order to mingle with true people in the real world. The rest of the time, when he acts as what he really is--the criminal mastermind--he is only an idea, a name. He knows of this paradoxical incorporeality of his, too: and he both revels in it and is saddened by it. This combination of euphoria and melancholy proves irresistible for the reader, or at least it did in my case.
What else can I say? I fell in love with this character, and I fell in love with Leblanc's ability. He may not have been the most refined of writers, but there isn't the slightest doubt in my mind that he was exactly the writer that this character needed. (In the third story, "L'evasion d'Arsène Lupin," in the space of a single page Leblanc is able to go from a passage worthy of a psychological novel or story à la Poe, with Ganimard on the brink of madness in front of Lupin's unexpected transformation, to Lupin incapacitating Ganimard with a jujitsu move. And somehow, this improbable and contradictory mosaic of cheap spy-thriller tricks and psychological anguish not only doesn't strike as ridiculous, but manages to give more character to the whole. I'm oh so in love.) I will definitely be reading the rest of the series as soon as I can.
May 6, 2021
Lupin is Sherlock Holmes if Holmes were less brainy, on the wrong side of the law, and a pompous wanker.
I really want to like Lupin and the collection of short stories is entertaining, but the character grates on me. He is just so full of himself. The multiple comparisons to Holmes and even the story of his outwitting Holmes are laughable. Lupin is a sophomoric, cheap imitation. There are similarities, but his reasoning rings of what Holmes could have deciphered while still in grammar school.
I know the author intended for me to be rooting for Lupin, and that is usually entertaining to do, but then there are darker scenes like where he beats and robs a man, which makes this difficult. The stories are not badly written and some are much better than others, but overall I did not love them.
I really want to like Lupin and the collection of short stories is entertaining, but the character grates on me. He is just so full of himself. The multiple comparisons to Holmes and even the story of his outwitting Holmes are laughable. Lupin is a sophomoric, cheap imitation. There are similarities, but his reasoning rings of what Holmes could have deciphered while still in grammar school.
I know the author intended for me to be rooting for Lupin, and that is usually entertaining to do, but then there are darker scenes like where he beats and robs a man, which makes this difficult. The stories are not badly written and some are much better than others, but overall I did not love them.
April 5, 2021
I have lived so much. This is a French-language classic. I have listened to it on Audible, and it was so fascinating that the narrator had a French accent. The narration was of good quality.
How did I found this book? The Lupin Netflix series inspired me to search for the original text. Both a very hilarious and adventurous.
How did I found this book? The Lupin Netflix series inspired me to search for the original text. Both a very hilarious and adventurous.
March 26, 2023
Безкрайно симпатичен е този господин Люпен!
January 23, 2021
Arsene Lupin is part of my childhood memory. Remarkable tales of romance, mystery and adventure! What is not to love?
And I had just discovered a Japanese manga-ka had translated the tales of Lupin into manga-form: http://www.books.com.tw/exep/prod/boo...
When reading the manga, the Arsene Lupin I came to know as a child once more came to life before my eyes. Goodness, Lupin is so snaky, so arrogant and so full of himself! But on the other hand you can't help cheering him on and adore him nonetheless.
Well, it really isn't the first time the Japanese had done this...but I like this new manga version with my whole heart!
Edited@26/09/2016:
After this re-reading, I lowed the rating to 3.7 stars.
The first few stories are still breathtaking: who can forget how Lupin makes his grand debut in The Arrest of Arsène Lupin? Or how he successfully robs a baron out of his fortune in Arsène Lupin in Prison? Or his mission-impossible-style escape in The Escape of Arsène Lupin?
Lupin's sassy attitude and the dialogues are still splendid. However, much to my surprise the murder mystery part of the stories isn't all that great; still I rather like the supporting character Inspector Ganimard and the short stories The Queen's Necklace (who can forget this impossible crime!) and Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late.
My review for another novel by the same author: Countess Cagliostro https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And I had just discovered a Japanese manga-ka had translated the tales of Lupin into manga-form: http://www.books.com.tw/exep/prod/boo...
When reading the manga, the Arsene Lupin I came to know as a child once more came to life before my eyes. Goodness, Lupin is so snaky, so arrogant and so full of himself! But on the other hand you can't help cheering him on and adore him nonetheless.
Well, it really isn't the first time the Japanese had done this...but I like this new manga version with my whole heart!
Edited@26/09/2016:
After this re-reading, I lowed the rating to 3.7 stars.
The first few stories are still breathtaking: who can forget how Lupin makes his grand debut in The Arrest of Arsène Lupin? Or how he successfully robs a baron out of his fortune in Arsène Lupin in Prison? Or his mission-impossible-style escape in The Escape of Arsène Lupin?
Lupin's sassy attitude and the dialogues are still splendid. However, much to my surprise the murder mystery part of the stories isn't all that great; still I rather like the supporting character Inspector Ganimard and the short stories The Queen's Necklace (who can forget this impossible crime!) and Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late.
My review for another novel by the same author: Countess Cagliostro https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
March 2, 2022
"… e aos poucos voltar a ser eu. É muito bom ser o Baudru ou outra pessoa qualquer, mudar de personalidade como quem muda de camisa e escolher a aparência, a voz ou a caligrafia que se quiser. Mas chega um ponto em que deixamos de nos reconhecer no meio de tudo isso, e é bastante triste. Actualmente, sinto o que um homem que tivesse perdido a sua sombra sentiria. Vou procurar-me … e reencontrar-me." Pág. 63
Um género de crónicas do nosso conhecidíssimo Arsène Lupin, um astucioso e inventivo Ladrão, porém, Cavalheiro.
Havia quem se pronunciasse que estavam perante "uma mistura bizarra de inteligência e perversão, de imoralidade e generosidade".
O povo idolatrava-o, pela sua originalidade, o seu sentido de humor, a sua diversidade, a sua genialidade e o mistério da sua vida.
Trabalhou afincadamente com os melhores; numa aprendizagem metódica, preparou-se minuciosamente desenvolvendo ao máximo a sua força energia e destreza, para lutar contra a sociedade (os ricos, muito ricos entenda-se) e de aprendiz passa a mestre.
A sua arrogância baralha a todos; aos ricos, a quem anuncia o roubo, data e hora, aos juízes a quem proclama que não vai assistir ao seu próprio julgamento porque já lá não estará, aos agentes da autoridade porque se transforma noutro sem o ser, enfim, incredulidades a rodos com muita graça à mistura.
Uma verdadeira delícia!
Nota: Gostaria de ter lido uma versão mais próxima do original. Acredito que esta tradução será, eventualmente, mais apelativa aos mais jovens leitores, mas confesso que me teria sabido melhor uma linguagem mais próxima da época, e o enquadramento teria sido mais lógico.
Um género de crónicas do nosso conhecidíssimo Arsène Lupin, um astucioso e inventivo Ladrão, porém, Cavalheiro.
Havia quem se pronunciasse que estavam perante "uma mistura bizarra de inteligência e perversão, de imoralidade e generosidade".
O povo idolatrava-o, pela sua originalidade, o seu sentido de humor, a sua diversidade, a sua genialidade e o mistério da sua vida.
Trabalhou afincadamente com os melhores; numa aprendizagem metódica, preparou-se minuciosamente desenvolvendo ao máximo a sua força energia e destreza, para lutar contra a sociedade (os ricos, muito ricos entenda-se) e de aprendiz passa a mestre.
A sua arrogância baralha a todos; aos ricos, a quem anuncia o roubo, data e hora, aos juízes a quem proclama que não vai assistir ao seu próprio julgamento porque já lá não estará, aos agentes da autoridade porque se transforma noutro sem o ser, enfim, incredulidades a rodos com muita graça à mistura.
Uma verdadeira delícia!
Nota: Gostaria de ter lido uma versão mais próxima do original. Acredito que esta tradução será, eventualmente, mais apelativa aos mais jovens leitores, mas confesso que me teria sabido melhor uma linguagem mais próxima da época, e o enquadramento teria sido mais lógico.
June 24, 2022
It's a collection of eight loosely interconnected stories portraying the French debonair thief Arsène Lupin. The characters seemed to be so enamored by him that one of them even claims he is their national thief. The stories keeps a playfulness and kind of, portrays everything of that time, in a satirical note- that of the decay of French nobility and the greediness of the poor, the folly of the police members and the appetite for sensational stories by the public.
Although our antihero tries very hard to mirror his contemporary genius from the other side of the Channel (who incidentally appears in the last story, only to be satisfied with the short end of the stick), it falls slightly short of his magic.
Although our antihero tries very hard to mirror his contemporary genius from the other side of the Channel (who incidentally appears in the last story, only to be satisfied with the short end of the stick), it falls slightly short of his magic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2021
Brillante y divertido. Las historias de detectives y ladrones me gustan bastante, cuando están tan bien contadas y con una prosa tan elegante. La construcción del personaje es una maravilla.
May 5, 2022
"Daba la impresión del caballero que se divierte con la obra que tiene que representar, y que tras bastidores se ríe a mandíbula batiente de sus propios rasgos de ingenio y de las situaciones que él ha imaginado"
Creo que con tres estrellas le hago justicia desde luego para mi gusto particular.
Había escuchado de Lupin hace mucho pero nunca me ha atraído las historias policíacas en general, he leído a Agatha Christie cuyos relatos me gustan pero no me encantan todos. Al que no he leído es a Conan Doyle con su Sherlock Holmes, por lo que veo que debo hacerlo pronto.
Lo que me decidió a leerlo fue la serie de Netflix que gusta mucho por varios aspectos. A mí en lo particular por París y por lo organizados de sus situaciones así como este carisma del personaje principal que viene de abajo.
En primer lugar el tema como menciono no es de mis favoritos, en segundo lugar el hecho de estar del lado del que delinque no es un gran problema pero va un poco en contra. Otro aspecto importante es que los relatos son compilados y no hay un orden en cuanto a las aventuras estrictamente por lo que la sensación no es uniforme. No llegué a comprender lamentablemente muchas situaciones por más que las leía algunas veces, creo que es mi falta de pericia como menciono sobre todo el estar en el lado del que comete el delito, por más que se hallaban explicaciones las encontraba difícil de imaginar, estoy seguro que una película o serie lo clarificaría y me gustaría más ese aspecto, me mareaba y al final no captaba bien el mecanismo de las acciones (espero que no sea la traducción). Y por último el modo de relatar las cosas no fue mi preferido, no sé si el hecho de relatar a Lupin a veces desde lejos y pocas desde él mismo hace que lo vea muy distante y eso le baja para mí el efecto que puedes sentir de sorpresa o de compromiso con el personaje. En algunos relatos es una persona burlada la que nos habla de él o a veces él mismo pero pasando un tiempo pensando que es otra persona entonces a la hora final no te llegas a familiarizar bien con sus actitudes o cómo pensó.
Quizás es por ello que para mi sorpresa la parte que me gustó más fue el último relato en el cual aparece Herlock Sholmes (Sherlock Holmes por supuesto), las cosas están más claras, el detective aclara todo y además la manera en tercera persona y la cercanía al detective permite admirarlo más y seguir su método. Por otra parte me parece más interesante esta batalla entre ambos que da algo más concreto.
La manera inicial de presentación tampoco fue de mi gusto. Empieza cuando Lupin es capturado pero todo en forma críptica, me hubiera gustado un inicio más desde abajo o anterior en el tiempo. Cuando abres las páginas Lupin ya es considerado por todos un ladrón incomparable y hasta un "orgullo nacional", sin embargo, no has presenciado alguna aventura que te haga pensar en eso. A pesar de todo lo leído debo decir que me "faltó que se muestre más a Lupin", lo noté lejano y creo que eso pudo explotarse.
Habiendo hablado de tantas cosas que no me gustaron parecería que la consideraría mala, sin embargo, no es así. El gran detalle distintivo de su "caballerosidad" y su elegancia, desde luego, le da un plus muy importante. Pocas veces se ha visto a un ladrón que tenga tanto tiempo para poder elegir lo que roba y devolver algún objeto por caballerosidad. Su manera de desquitarse incluso de sus enemigos es impecable y causa bastante sorpresa su desenfado y vanidad. El aspecto que más me encantó en la manera de contar las cosas fue el uso de este periódico francés "Eco de París" que probablemente esté manejado por el propio Lupin y que relata sus aventuras desmintiendo vergonzosamente a todo el mundo incluso a la policía. Este periódico a veces al final de la aventura indica la manera real cómo se llevaron las cosas y habla de la buena conducta de Lupin para "buscar la justicia". Es una manera de aumentar su leyenda y darles una cachetada a sus enemigos que es lo que más le divierte a este ladrón de guante blanco.
Algo que se asemeja a la serie que fue de mi gusto fue el origen de alguna manera que tiene Lupin que se explica en el relato de "El collar de la reina", la capacidad de disfrazarse (que en la novela es superior) y esa característica tan lupinesca que me encantó en Netflix de planearlo todo mucho antes que pase. De esta manera te sorprendes de lo bien tejido que estuvo todo y la conclusión parece algo tan simple a partir de las artimañas de Lupin.
Creo que "Arsene Lupin contra Herlock Sholmes" me va a gustar más.
"Le examinó de pies a cabeza con una mirada a la par tan envolvente como aguda, de modo que Arsene Lupín tuvo la impresión de haber sido cogido, aprisionado y registrado por aquellos ojos, más exactamente y más esencialmente que jamás lo había sido por ningún aparato fotográfico"
Creo que con tres estrellas le hago justicia desde luego para mi gusto particular.
Había escuchado de Lupin hace mucho pero nunca me ha atraído las historias policíacas en general, he leído a Agatha Christie cuyos relatos me gustan pero no me encantan todos. Al que no he leído es a Conan Doyle con su Sherlock Holmes, por lo que veo que debo hacerlo pronto.
Lo que me decidió a leerlo fue la serie de Netflix que gusta mucho por varios aspectos. A mí en lo particular por París y por lo organizados de sus situaciones así como este carisma del personaje principal que viene de abajo.
En primer lugar el tema como menciono no es de mis favoritos, en segundo lugar el hecho de estar del lado del que delinque no es un gran problema pero va un poco en contra. Otro aspecto importante es que los relatos son compilados y no hay un orden en cuanto a las aventuras estrictamente por lo que la sensación no es uniforme. No llegué a comprender lamentablemente muchas situaciones por más que las leía algunas veces, creo que es mi falta de pericia como menciono sobre todo el estar en el lado del que comete el delito, por más que se hallaban explicaciones las encontraba difícil de imaginar, estoy seguro que una película o serie lo clarificaría y me gustaría más ese aspecto, me mareaba y al final no captaba bien el mecanismo de las acciones (espero que no sea la traducción). Y por último el modo de relatar las cosas no fue mi preferido, no sé si el hecho de relatar a Lupin a veces desde lejos y pocas desde él mismo hace que lo vea muy distante y eso le baja para mí el efecto que puedes sentir de sorpresa o de compromiso con el personaje. En algunos relatos es una persona burlada la que nos habla de él o a veces él mismo pero pasando un tiempo pensando que es otra persona entonces a la hora final no te llegas a familiarizar bien con sus actitudes o cómo pensó.
Quizás es por ello que para mi sorpresa la parte que me gustó más fue el último relato en el cual aparece Herlock Sholmes (Sherlock Holmes por supuesto), las cosas están más claras, el detective aclara todo y además la manera en tercera persona y la cercanía al detective permite admirarlo más y seguir su método. Por otra parte me parece más interesante esta batalla entre ambos que da algo más concreto.
La manera inicial de presentación tampoco fue de mi gusto. Empieza cuando Lupin es capturado pero todo en forma críptica, me hubiera gustado un inicio más desde abajo o anterior en el tiempo. Cuando abres las páginas Lupin ya es considerado por todos un ladrón incomparable y hasta un "orgullo nacional", sin embargo, no has presenciado alguna aventura que te haga pensar en eso. A pesar de todo lo leído debo decir que me "faltó que se muestre más a Lupin", lo noté lejano y creo que eso pudo explotarse.
Habiendo hablado de tantas cosas que no me gustaron parecería que la consideraría mala, sin embargo, no es así. El gran detalle distintivo de su "caballerosidad" y su elegancia, desde luego, le da un plus muy importante. Pocas veces se ha visto a un ladrón que tenga tanto tiempo para poder elegir lo que roba y devolver algún objeto por caballerosidad. Su manera de desquitarse incluso de sus enemigos es impecable y causa bastante sorpresa su desenfado y vanidad. El aspecto que más me encantó en la manera de contar las cosas fue el uso de este periódico francés "Eco de París" que probablemente esté manejado por el propio Lupin y que relata sus aventuras desmintiendo vergonzosamente a todo el mundo incluso a la policía. Este periódico a veces al final de la aventura indica la manera real cómo se llevaron las cosas y habla de la buena conducta de Lupin para "buscar la justicia". Es una manera de aumentar su leyenda y darles una cachetada a sus enemigos que es lo que más le divierte a este ladrón de guante blanco.
Algo que se asemeja a la serie que fue de mi gusto fue el origen de alguna manera que tiene Lupin que se explica en el relato de "El collar de la reina", la capacidad de disfrazarse (que en la novela es superior) y esa característica tan lupinesca que me encantó en Netflix de planearlo todo mucho antes que pase. De esta manera te sorprendes de lo bien tejido que estuvo todo y la conclusión parece algo tan simple a partir de las artimañas de Lupin.
Creo que "Arsene Lupin contra Herlock Sholmes" me va a gustar más.
"Le examinó de pies a cabeza con una mirada a la par tan envolvente como aguda, de modo que Arsene Lupín tuvo la impresión de haber sido cogido, aprisionado y registrado por aquellos ojos, más exactamente y más esencialmente que jamás lo había sido por ningún aparato fotográfico"
Want to read
July 11, 2023* The Arrest of Arsène Lupin
Panic aboard a passengership, Arsene Lupin is among them and he might be robbing them. A funny story with an unexpected ending.
* Arsène Lupin in Prison
Our protoganist is in prison and yet somebdoy is robbed by Arsene Lupin, how is that possible, a playful and imagenative tale of robbery
* The Escape of Arsène Lupin
Arsene Lupin escapes and it feels like a magic trick, you are looking at the left hand while the right hand does something completely different
* The Mysterious Traveller
Arsene and a fellow passenger get robbed on the train and this of course is not acceptable to our friendly robber, so a chase happens.
* The Queen's Necklace
The story of a robbery and its consequences, a very good story.
* The Seven of Hearts
The mystery in which the biographer of the Arsene Lupin tales meets the man and what happened to the secret plans of a submarine. Lupin seems to defend the interests of the French Republic.
* Madame Imbert's Safe
A tale from back in the days when the name Arsene Lupin wasn't a household name and he planned to rob a couple from their wealth, that ended differently than you would expect.
* The Black Pearl
As Arsene enters a house with the intention of robbing the owner from the jewel mentioned in the title he encounters the murdered body of the owner, which leads him to do a little detecting and relieving the murderer from his illgotten gains.
* Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late
A man has asked the famous English detetcive to help him to find the secret of the secret passageways in his castle, he is quite sure Arsene Lupin has stolen the books which contain leads and or maps that could solve the secret. Arsene meets and old flame of his and of course the detective.
This collection of stories was reprinted by Amazon in an a4 format which makes for horrible reading the opening between sentences are to big and would with a larger lettertype been easily covered the same page.
I have read the Arsen Lupin series before long ago because I was interested in the other gentleman that are thieves or scoundrels like Simon Templar aka the Saint. So folks like Raffles & Lupin were easily found. And while I have the complete Raffles in antique books Arsene Lupin has proved to be more difficult to obtain, so I remember having read them in Dutch as a wee lad.
The stories in this collection are quite enjoyable and feel not dated when reading them, but perhaps I am more dated than I would admit.
With the popularity of LUPIN the netflix tv show perhaps this jolly and honourable gentleman does get more attention outside of France, he is worth it.
Panic aboard a passengership, Arsene Lupin is among them and he might be robbing them. A funny story with an unexpected ending.
* Arsène Lupin in Prison
Our protoganist is in prison and yet somebdoy is robbed by Arsene Lupin, how is that possible, a playful and imagenative tale of robbery
* The Escape of Arsène Lupin
Arsene Lupin escapes and it feels like a magic trick, you are looking at the left hand while the right hand does something completely different
* The Mysterious Traveller
Arsene and a fellow passenger get robbed on the train and this of course is not acceptable to our friendly robber, so a chase happens.
* The Queen's Necklace
The story of a robbery and its consequences, a very good story.
* The Seven of Hearts
The mystery in which the biographer of the Arsene Lupin tales meets the man and what happened to the secret plans of a submarine. Lupin seems to defend the interests of the French Republic.
* Madame Imbert's Safe
A tale from back in the days when the name Arsene Lupin wasn't a household name and he planned to rob a couple from their wealth, that ended differently than you would expect.
* The Black Pearl
As Arsene enters a house with the intention of robbing the owner from the jewel mentioned in the title he encounters the murdered body of the owner, which leads him to do a little detecting and relieving the murderer from his illgotten gains.
* Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late
A man has asked the famous English detetcive to help him to find the secret of the secret passageways in his castle, he is quite sure Arsene Lupin has stolen the books which contain leads and or maps that could solve the secret. Arsene meets and old flame of his and of course the detective.
This collection of stories was reprinted by Amazon in an a4 format which makes for horrible reading the opening between sentences are to big and would with a larger lettertype been easily covered the same page.
I have read the Arsen Lupin series before long ago because I was interested in the other gentleman that are thieves or scoundrels like Simon Templar aka the Saint. So folks like Raffles & Lupin were easily found. And while I have the complete Raffles in antique books Arsene Lupin has proved to be more difficult to obtain, so I remember having read them in Dutch as a wee lad.
The stories in this collection are quite enjoyable and feel not dated when reading them, but perhaps I am more dated than I would admit.
With the popularity of LUPIN the netflix tv show perhaps this jolly and honourable gentleman does get more attention outside of France, he is worth it.
September 22, 2023
🎩 what a clever and charming man. i would date him
🎩 the judge listing out 20 possible identifies of who arsène could be was very amusing
🎩 “improbable chance, fortuitous encounters, and fabulous mistakes” is a brilliant way to summarize arsène’s plots
🎩 arsène changing into baudru reminds me of Christopher Reeve’s Superman switch for his wife. I can certainly see how plausible this can actually be
🎩 was “the queen’s necklace” our first glimpse into arsène’s origin story?
🎩 i certainly didn’t expect “madam imbert’s safe” to have such a twist but I really enjoyed it
bottom line: perhaps the show is a little bit better?
🎩 the judge listing out 20 possible identifies of who arsène could be was very amusing
🎩 “improbable chance, fortuitous encounters, and fabulous mistakes” is a brilliant way to summarize arsène’s plots
🎩 arsène changing into baudru reminds me of Christopher Reeve’s Superman switch for his wife. I can certainly see how plausible this can actually be
🎩 was “the queen’s necklace” our first glimpse into arsène’s origin story?
🎩 i certainly didn’t expect “madam imbert’s safe” to have such a twist but I really enjoyed it
bottom line: perhaps the show is a little bit better?
March 22, 2021
Me lo he leído a raíz de ver la serie, que me gustó mucho. Este libro está bien pero no me ha llegado a enganchar como otros: cuando me ponía a leer no podía parar (porque se lee muy fácilmente, además) pero, una vez soltado, no tenía urgencia por continuarlo. Creo que a eso tampoco ayuda el hecho de que sean varias historias sin relación, ya que si dejas el libro al terminar una y sin empezar la siguiente no hay nada que quieras averiguar con rapidez, no hay curiosidad que te impulse. Me gustó que el final se uniera con el principio del libro.
September 24, 2022
সব মিলিয়ে বইটা বেশ ভালো লাগলো। আর্সেন লুপাঁকে নিয়ে বাকি বইগুলো পড়ারও আগ্রহ রইলো। সবগুলো গল্পের অনুবাদুই দুর্দান্ত ছিল। নতুন প্রকাশনীর জন্য শুভকামনা রইলো।
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