Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar (Warbler Classics)

Arsène Lupin, an aristocratic thief, burst onto the scene in 1905 as the French answer to Sherlock Holmes. Stylish, rogue, and fiendishly clever, Lupin eludes the law as he concocts capers, heists, and, often, schemes to right a wrong or help the innocent. Foreshadowing such other lawless heroes as Robin Hood, Sly Cooper, and Danny Ocean, Lupin slyly calculates his targets—making fools of those who do not appreciate their treasure. Superb at stealing while maintaining a gentleman’s manners and code of honor, we don’t adore Lupin for outwitting others as much as we adore him for doing so with panache and grace (and a share of obvious delight). Lupin has been depicted in countless film and stage adaptions, most recently as the inspiration of the Netflix series, Lupin, starring Omar Sy.\nThis Warbler Classics edition is based on the original 1907 first edition and includes a detailed chronology of Leblanc’s life and work, as well as the eulogy he wrote for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.\nMaurice Leblanc (1864-1947) was a French writer best known for creating the fictional character of Arsène Lupin. Lupin’s first appearance in Je sais tout, a French periodical, heralded the arrival of the most captivating crook of the literary world. Leblanc would go on to feature his masterful thief in novels and short stories for the next thirty years. Leblanc once said, “Lupin follows me everywhere. He is not my shadow. I am his shadow.”\n“Arsène Lupin, the eccentric gentleman who operates only in the chateaux and salons, and who, one night, entered the residence of Baron Schormann, but emerged empty-handed, leaving, however, his card on which he had scribbled these words: ‘Arsène Lupin, gentleman-burglar, will return when the furniture is genuine.’”—from the book