The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar

Translated by George Morehead

This collection of eight stories features the debut of Arsène Lupin, the French 'gentleman-cambrioleur (burglar).' The book was released on 10 June 1907 and sales undoubtedly benefited from the 'Holmes mania' that was sweeping France at the time. However, all the tales had previously been published in the then new French magazine, Je Sais Tout, the first appearing on 15 July 1905, with the magazine promoting the character as 'the famous Arsène Lupin . the mysterious burglar whose exploits had been the subject of newspaper stories for months . the man of a thousand disguises..[Lupin's] creator legitimately enjoys the glory of being France's answer to Arthur Conan Doyle.' Such was the determination to link Leblanc and Doyle and their fictional alter egos, that a photograph appeared in the journal Femina showing the very room in which, as the journalist put it, 'the French Conan Doyle' wrote his Lupin stories. In the end, all things are cyclical - Lupin himself has been suggested as the inspiration for a later 'loveable rogue' character, Simon Templar, 'The Saint', created by Leslie Charteris.

The second story, Arsène Lupin in Prison, is set in Rouen, the town of Leblanc's birth and the fortress in which the Baron lives may well have been inspired by images of how the moated castle at Rouen may have looked had it not been dismantled (only the keep is left).

Leblanc was forty-one years old when he was commissioned to write the first Lupin story and had spent most of his adult life crafting a career as a writer after dropping out of law school. He was known best as a regular writer of short stories for magazines, his longer works were regarded as well written, but somewhat lacking in popular appeal. Arsène Lupin is often seen as not just a homage to Sherlock Holmes (first published 1887), but an attempt to 'kick-start' the readership of the new magazine by creating a character of equal charisma, who would encourage repeat purchases to find out what his next adventure would be. Another influence on Leblanc may have been the French anarchist Alexandre 'Marius' Jacob, a burglar with a "loveable rogue" persona, whose trial was held in March 1905; it is not thought that the English language stories of "Raffles", another gentleman thief, written by E. W. Hornung, were an inspiration for Leblanc, as he had never encountered them. There is, however, a tenuous link between Raffles and Lupin; in 1909, the Era journal (14 August) reported that publishers Mills and Boon Ltd were to publish a romantic novel with a hero based on the character of Lupin, written by Leblanc and E. Jephson. The novel was based on the play by the same co-authors, entitled Arsène Lupin. In the stage version, Lupin was played by Gerald du Maurier (father of novelist Daphne du Maurier), who had previously played the part of Raffles on stage. E. W. Hornung, the creator of Raffles (1899 onwards), was the brother-in-law of Doyle; the tendrils of association are as complex as a Lupin plot. In October 1908 in France, another play, Arsène Lupin opened at le Théâtre de l'Athénée in Paris. André Brulé played Lupin and continued to do so until his death in 1953, presumably without fear of typecasting.

The first story of the collection, 'The Arrest of Arsène Lupin' ('L'Arrestation d'Arsène Lupin'), was originally published in Je sais tout, No. 6, on 15 July 1905. Narrated by Monsieur d'Andrézy, the story opens as the transatlantic steamer, La Provence, is nearing the end of her journey. On board, as is often the way when a group of strangers are confined during their travels on a vessel or train, a pleasant camaraderie has developed, until the calm is interrupted two days into the voyage by a wireless telegraph message informing the captain that Arsène Lupin, a notorious thief and 'eccentric gentleman who operates only in the chateaux and salons' is on board. We learn that Lupin is in the first cabin and has a wound on his arm. Lupin's exploits become the talk of the passenger decks. We learn that his arch-rival is Detective Ganimard of the French police and that Lupin is a master of disguise: 'in turn a chauffeur, detective, bookmaker, Russian physician, Spanish bull-fighter, commercial traveller, robust youth, or decrepit old man'. D'Andrezy and the young woman who is the darling of the ship's social scene, Miss Nelly, join in the hunt. Meanwhile, some precious gems are stolen from their settings and the 'Lupin Mania' reaches fever pitch, with accusations flying.

The next adventure, Arsène Lupin in Prison (Arsène Lupin en prison) was first published in Je sais tout, No. 11, on 15 December 1905. Lupin is indeed in prison at this point, but still intimidating and controlling the outside world from his cell in La Sante Prison. The wealthy and reclusive Baron Cahorn is therefore astonished and somewhat frightened to receive a letter from Lupin, demanding that the Baron send certain valuable works of art from his home, the Castle of Malaquis, to him, otherwise Lupin will come and take them anyway.

By sheer chance (or is it?), Cahorn finds out that Lupin's would-be nemesis, Ganimard, is on holiday nearby and he appeals to the detective for help hiring him and two other men to guard the works of art on the day Lupin has named for the robbery. Needless to say, despite their every effort to guard the castle, the burglary successfully takes place. Baffled, humiliated and infuriated, Ganimard goes to La Sante Prison to confront the ever urbane and wily Lupin.

The Escape of Arsène Lupin (L'Évasion d'Arsène Lupin) was published first in Je sais tout, No. 12, 15 January 1906. Lupin seems to be treating his stay in prison as a holiday, eating heartily, exercising gently, smoking cigars and sending threatening letters to reporters. Inspectors Dieuzy and Folenfant are detailed to search Lupin's cell to find out how the burglar is communicating with his associates on the outside. A message is found in a cigar in the table drawer and the Inspectors try to lay a trap to catch out Lupin and apprehend his accomplices. So follows a complex game of escapes, lookalikes and duping of the authorities whilst all the time, Lupin retains his calm and amused exterior.

Three more stories follow: The Mysterious Traveller (Le Mystérieux voyageur) from Je sais tout, No. 13, 15 February 1906; The Queen's Necklace (Le Collier de la reine) from Je sais tout, No. 15, 15 April 1906; and The Safe of Madame Imbert (Le Coffre-fort de madame Imbert) published in Je sais tout, No. 16, 15 May 1906.

The next adventure is Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late (Sherlock Holmès arrive trop tard) was first published in Je sais tout, No. 17, 15 June 1906. Lupin's English rival began as Sherlock Holmes, but was changed to the marginally less obvious Herlock Sholmès later on, as Doyle objected to the use of his detective's name without his consent (for a longer introduction to the relationship between Leblanc and Holmes, see the introduction to Arsène Lupin meets Herlock Sholmes). In this story, Lupin and Holmes are men of equal intelligence, although that gift is expressed in somewhat different ways. This story opens with a aristocratic scene, in the grand dining hall of the Château de Thibermesnil, as a group of men - an artist named Horace Velmont, a priest, a dozen soldiers and the chateau's owner, Georges Devanne, spend a convivial evening together. Speculation is rife about the whereabouts of Arsène Lupin, whom it is believed is in their area and may burgle the chateau. Devanne reveals that the famous Sherlock Holmes will arrive the following day and the English detective has declared himself 'ready and anxious to enter the lists with Arsène Lupin', who not only robbed the Cahorn art treasures locally, but burgled properties at Montigny, Gruchet and Crasville. There is speculation as to how Lupin will enter the castle - perhaps by the secret passage into the round tower, which is a matter of local legend. Nothing can deter Lupin, however, and he goes ahead with his burglary, but is stunned to meet again a certain beautiful woman that had stolen his heart on a transatlantic liner. The next day, the chateau is in uproar, with police, locals and servants filling every space as the investigation begins. Only one person is missing - Sherlock Holmes, Esq., who has arrived too late to prevent the robbery. Can he now pursue and apprehend the culprit, Arsène Lupin?

Two more stories finish the collection: The Black Pearl (La Perle noire) from Je sais tout, No. 18, 15 July 1906; and Seven of Hearts (Le Sept de cour) first published in Je sais tout, No. 28, 15 May 1907.

The style of the tales (as translated into Americanised English from the original French, so one has to assume the translator retained an authentic feel of the original) is easy to read and has a pleasing economy, very suitable for relatively light-hearted short stories with a mystery theme. It is entertaining to see the...