Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar (1907) is a collection of short stories by Maurice Leblanc. Originally published in Je sais tout, a popular French magazine, these stories launched Leblanc’s career as a leading international writer of crime fiction. Partly based on the life of French anarchist Marius Jacob, Arsène Lupin first appeared in print in 1905 as an answer to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Blending crime fiction, fantasy, and mystery, Leblanc crafts original and entertaining tales of adventure starring one of the greatest literary characters of all time-Arsène Lupin, gentleman thief. Arsène Lupin is the world’s greatest thief, an unmatched force for good whose exploits threaten the wealth and standing of France’s most wicked men. In this debut installment of Leblanc’s beloved series, Lupin uses his remarkable wit and chameleon-like ability to move undetected through aristocratic society in order to steal, trick, and cheat his way through life. Despite his criminal nature, he operates under a strict moral code, only taking from those who have taken from the poor all their lives. In this collection of early short stories, Lupin is sentenced to prison, makes a daring escape, cracks an impregnable safe, and makes the acquaintance of Sherlock Holmes, the legendary British detective. These nine tales are the perfect introduction to Leblanc’s legendary literary universe. Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar is a story of romance, mystery, and crime that continues to astound over a century after it was published. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Maurice Leblanc’s Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar is a classic of French literature reimagined for modern readers.
