Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief - Maurice Leblanc

Original Author: Maurice Leblanc

This version edited by: Mike Kennedy

Illustrator: Vincent Mallié

Genre: Mystery, Anthology

Rating: 3.3 stars.

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.