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A review by 1bookybunny
Arsène Lupin, gentleman cambrioleur by Maurice Leblanc
3.0
After watching Netflix’s Lupin show and several of the Lupin the Third specials, it was fascinating to read the original stories. It’s obvious how much love these modern adaptations have for these old serial thief stories.
Lupin is a fun character to follow throughout each of the stories. Leblanc writes his thief charismatically and some of the humor still holds up today. Some of my favorite stories include the ones narrated by Lupin, since his self-obsessed and dramatic view of his life makes the stories more enjoyable to read. The side characters are mostly forgettable to make room for Lupin’s personality, although I did enjoy Leblanc’s take on Holmes. He cleverly sets up Holmes as Lupin’s opposite in terms of personality, making you anticipate future interactions between the two.
However, some of the stories can be a bit of the bore. I found that any story that didn’t have Lupin as a stronger focus tended to lack engagement. The mysteries themselves were interesting, but without the thief they felt a bit lacking. Passages of heavy exposition by uninteresting side characters felt like a slog to get through.
As a French speaker, I was wondering how much better the experience would be in the original French text. Something about the English translation felt off at times. Although there were times that the language reminded me of the original Sherlock Holmes stories, in a good way.
If you’re looking for short, fun, and simple mystery/heist stories then the original Lupin stories are for you. Just don’t go in expecting to see much of the action that modern adaptations include these days.
Favorite stories: The Escape of Arsene Lupin, The Mysterious Traveller, The Seven of Hearts, Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late
Lupin is a fun character to follow throughout each of the stories. Leblanc writes his thief charismatically and some of the humor still holds up today. Some of my favorite stories include the ones narrated by Lupin, since his self-obsessed and dramatic view of his life makes the stories more enjoyable to read. The side characters are mostly forgettable to make room for Lupin’s personality, although I did enjoy Leblanc’s take on Holmes. He cleverly sets up Holmes as Lupin’s opposite in terms of personality, making you anticipate future interactions between the two.
However, some of the stories can be a bit of the bore. I found that any story that didn’t have Lupin as a stronger focus tended to lack engagement. The mysteries themselves were interesting, but without the thief they felt a bit lacking. Passages of heavy exposition by uninteresting side characters felt like a slog to get through.
As a French speaker, I was wondering how much better the experience would be in the original French text. Something about the English translation felt off at times. Although there were times that the language reminded me of the original Sherlock Holmes stories, in a good way.
If you’re looking for short, fun, and simple mystery/heist stories then the original Lupin stories are for you. Just don’t go in expecting to see much of the action that modern adaptations include these days.
Favorite stories: The Escape of Arsene Lupin, The Mysterious Traveller, The Seven of Hearts, Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late