Arsene Lupin Gentleman Thief

Created by Maurice LeBlanc during the early twentieth century, Arsene Lupin is a witty confidence man and burglar, the Sherlock Holmes of crime.

The poor and innocent have nothing to fear from him; often they profit from his spontaneous generosity. The rich and powerful, and the detective who tries to spoil his fun, however, must beware. They are the target of Arsene’s mischief and tomfoolery.

A masterful thief, his plans frequently evolve into elaborate capers, a precursor to such cinematic creations as Ocean’s Eleven and The Sting. Sparkling with amusing banter, these stories – the best of the Lupin series – are outrageous, melodramatic, and literate.

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For my birthday last year, my other half bought me a boxset of four books featuring Arsene Lupin – the inspiration behind the absolutely brilliant Netflix series, Lupin, which I highly recommend if you haven’t seen it.  While I have to admit that I prefer the series – I like the modern setting and the way in which the main protagonist, Assane Diop, takes inspiration from Maurice Leblanc’s books and character without actually being a reincarnation of Lupin himself – but it is fascinating to become more acquainted with the character behind it all. 

Arsene Lupin originally appeared in a number of short stories serialised in the magazine Je sais tout and was intended to be France’s answer to Sherlock Holmes, albeit one who plays on the other side of the law.  The first book in my boxset, Arsene Lupin Gentleman Thief (originally published as Arsene Lupin Gentleman Cambrioleur) is a collection of nine of these stories including The Arrest of Arsene Lupin – his first appearance.  I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect going into this book – stories and novels from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century can be a little hard going to read (for me personally, at least) and may feel a little dated, but I found this to be an entertaining and accessible collections of stories, although that accessibility may be down to the translation.   

I found these stories – which cover his time in prison following his arrest as well as his subsequent escape and other escapades – to be a great introduction to the character.  Lupin is an exceptionally clever individual as well as being a master of disguise, and always seems to be one step ahead, even when things look bad for him.  A thief and confidence trickster, I loved seeing him at work as he puts himself into seemingly impossible situations, coming out ahead each time.  His main antagonist is Ganimard, a detective who is almost able to keep up with Lupin.  I enjoyed the mutual respect that the two characters have for each other, and while Ganimard does want to catch and see Lupin brought to justice, he can’t help but admire his adversary.  I think that the two would be friends, were they not operating on opposite sides of the law.

As a character who is on a par with Baker Street’s most famous resident, it’s amusing to see that “Herlock Sholmes” (the name appearing as a spoonerism following a legal objection from Arthur Conan Doyle when the character was first introduced into Leblanc’s tales) appearing in one of these stories – Herlock Sholmes Arrives Too Late – as well as subsequent novels.  The two feel like worthy adversaries, and I think that it helps the reader to appreciate the level on which Lupin operates – the two are evenly matched, and more so than Lupin and Ganimard in my opinion.

Do you need to read these stories and novels to enjoy the series?  No, absolutely not – I’m three series in, and have only just become acquainted with Leblanc’s original character.  But, as the detective on the show (and the series’ answer to Ganimard) reads the books and recognises Assane Diop’s actions (although usually a little too late to do anything about it!) it’s nice to see how these books have influenced the show so far, and what might come next should it continue (please let it continue!)  On the flip side, these tales don’t spoil the show either.  Diop may take his inspiration from Lupin, and some items such as the black pearl appear in both, but the two are often quite different, not least from the more modern setting in the show, based upon what I’ve read so far. 

Recommended for those enjoying the Netflix series, and particularly those wanting to understand more of the inspiration behind it and the little references to the original tales that appear throughout.  Additionally, those who enjoy Sherlock Holmes and similar works may also enjoy Lupin’s cleverness, even as he turns his mind to theft, disguise, and confidence schemes rather than bringing perpetrators to justice.