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For those who know their classic French pulp then the name Arsène Lupin will not come as a surprise. Like the anti-hero known as Fantômas, Arsène Lupin was not someone whom you would find on the right side of the law. In fact, he was more likely to be found trying to escape from their clutches. Our first introduction to this suave rogue, who has also been likened to a French Thomas Crown, was in a series of stories. The best of these stories have been rounded up in this Penguin Classics edition, ARSÈNE LUPIN, GENTLEMAN-THIEF. Lupin was not actually a bad person; he was also seen as a French Robin Hood. He only stole from the rich and the poor most certainly profited from his actions. He also reminds me of Raffles apart from the fact that he did not have his own Bunny coming to his aid. The first of the stories is The Arrest Of Arséne Lupin and sets the reader up for some humorous and witty stories that are sure to bring out a smile. Who amongst the passengers on a cruise ship is the wanted criminal? It is difficult to fathom who it is as Lupin is a master of disguise, and you soon get caught up trying to work out the different identities. The following two stories are Arsène Lupin In Prison and The Escape Of Arsène Lupin, which are a perfect continuation to the first story. There are only 13 stories in this collection and The Mysterious Railway Passenger is much more of a detective story than any of the earlier stories in the collection. It is more than clear that author Maurice Leblanc was influenced by Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. The tribute is played out in the parody Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late. Many of the stories take on the locked-room mystery and other difficult challenges. These stories will not appeal to everybody; in fact, they do take getting used to. This is not because they are not interesting to read, but because of the affected way in which they are written and the pace of the stories. If you are fond of Sherlock Holmes and enjoy classic locked room mysterious then you will certainly enjoy Arsène Lupin. I did and it made me remember why I still like to read the old classics on the odd occasion.
Reviewed by Ayo Onatade, April 2007
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