The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar: Arsène Lupin, Book 1

Written by Maurice Leblanc

Narrated by B. J. Harrison

Fine-art aficionado. Master of disguise. Jewelry expert. Historian. Gentleman. Burglar. Arsène Lupin is all of these and more. In 1905, Maurice Leblanc introduced his gentleman burglar in the story "L'Arrestation d'Arsène Lupin". Shortly thereafter, the stories were collected as one single volume. In these charming adventures, Lupin orchestrates a myriad of extravagant heists in the very face of the determined Inspector Ganimard. With his sparkling wit, his sharp eye for detail, and his incredible gift of anticipation, Lupin carries off the most amazing thefts and never leaves a clue behind. And yet he is ever the embodiment of gentlemanly manners and old-school chivalry. Take these first adventures for a whirl, and witness how he measures up when he goes toe to toe with the redoubtable Sherlock Holmes himself!

• Language: English
• Publisher: B.J. Harrison
• Release date: May 10, 2015
• ISBN: 9781937091422

Maurice Leblanc

Maurice Leblanc was born in 1864 in Rouen. From a young age he dreamt of being a writer and in 1905, his early work caught the attention of Pierre Lafitte, editor of the popular magazine, Je Sais Tout. He commissioned Leblanc to write a detective story so Leblanc wrote 'The Arrest of Arsène Lupin' which proved hugely popular. His first collection of stories was published in book form in 1907 and he went on to write numerous stories and novels featuring Arsène Lupin. He died in 1941 in Perpignan.

Reviews for The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar

[Helena · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

BJ Harrison is the reason I discovered Lupin! Marvelous voice acting!

[Aron T · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

B.J. Harrison is a marvelous narrator and these are fun stories

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had heard of Maurice Leblanc’s Arsene Lupin novels but, for some reason, I had never read one so when I saw this book available on Edelweiss+, I jumped at the chance to remedy that oversight. I am so glad I did. Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief gathers together the first novellas in the series and what a fun read it is. Lupin is an extremely charming and likeable character, a thief with principles and the tales were full of twists and turns and red herrings enough to fill an ocean. And added bonus - the gorgeous.illustrations by Vincent Mallie, both black and white and coloured complemented the stories beautifully. Loved it!

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Solid old school mystery.

[amzzz_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Can the prolific thief Arsene Lupin pull off another robbery, even while his pursuers are determined to catch him? This was an enjoyable read which kept me guessing and predicting!

[hhornblower_3 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's a fairly fun read, but not really that interesting. I enjoyed it, but as for the wildly held comparisons to Sherlock Holmes; the story just isn't in the same league. I may try a few more stories, but I may just go and re-watch the French TV version again (which was much more exciting).

[rakerman_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Overall an entertaining book and a great introduction to the character of Arsène Lupin.Really enjoyed the subtlety of Chapter 18,unfortunately the subsequent bluntness of Chapter 19 detracts from it.The duel of wits in Chapter 19 could have used a bit more cloaking and subtlety.The final close of the story arc in the concluding chapters is very satisfying.Unabridged audiobook:Well read by Phoebe Judge as part of the Phoebe Reads a Mystery podcast.There is a roll-in intro for each chapter (every chapter is a separate podcast episode).

[electrascaife · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A series of exploits told by the gentleman burglar himself (and then retold via the narrator/his friend), in which he pulls off impressive thefts in cool disguises, cleverly eludes the coppers at every turn, and charms the heck out of everyone around him. Think Sherlock Holmes, but on the other side of the crime, and French. In other words, this one was a hoot. Definitely recommended.

[katcoviello · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Amusing. Good to procrastinate cleaning rooms.

[garrison0550 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hello? Is anybody here? Anybody?

Wow.

Okay so now I'm thinking, what's the point of leaving a review? None, I guess. But then I do have the place all to myself, nice! Man, I'm going back here whenever I need a break. It's so quiet, I almost hate to leave...

[rosa.mill · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a great read. A funny mystery story where the protagonist is actually the bad guy. I loved the Holmlock Shears joke. Everytime I read that name I laughed out loud.

[jeb1981 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A highly entertaining introduction to Arsene Lupin. My only complaint with this particular translated edition is that it does not appear to have been edited... there are some embarrassing typos and other errors throughout the text. Still, quite a fun read.

[cmbohn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This one was lots of fun. It makes an interesting comparison with Raffles. This one was more fun to me as I found Lupin a more likable character than Raffles. Not always believable, but still great fun. My favorite story was "The Queen's Necklace." I liked the introduction of Sherlock Holmes. Looking forward to reading more.

[todnarut · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A much loved childhood series. My parents apparently did not quite approve of the "gentleman thief." While they lined my bookshelf with the many adventures of Sherlock Holmes, I never received a single volume of Arsene Lupin. To get my fix, I had to have to live off the kindness of classmates, wolfing down chapters during recess and lunch periods. On occasions, I'd smuggle the illicit material home; reading under the threat of discovery made the experience all the more thrilling.My fixation may well have been spurred in resistance to parental control, but to my nine-year old eyes, Lupin was infinitely more suave and charming than the eccentric and not always likable Holmes. All the more pity it was then, to re-encounter the stories years later, post-college. Leblanc lacked Doyle's gift with constructing clever logic puzzles and making keen observations. Lupin's theatrics therefore came across as merely superficial, and the plot felt more contrived.Still. First love dies hard. So, 4 stars for old time's sake.

[alv_29 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Each of the independent stories hinges on a delightfully concocted rocambolesque chaining of events. Light and fun. I only regret having got acquainted to M. Lupin so late in life!

[verbafacio · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have a real fondness for wacky caper fiction, and the adventures of Arsene Lupin definitely do not disappoint. Lupin is a complicated, gallantly roguish gentleman theif who is willing to go to extreme lengths to win his quarry. The book is grouped into half a dozen separate tales, in which he finds love, tangles with two cunning detectives (including Sherlock Holmes!), escapes from prison, and solves murders.This is an absolute must read for those who love a good detective tale. In the public domain -- available at Project Gutenberg and DailyLit.