Arsene Lupin is a fictional character from the series of books and short stories Arsene Lupin by French author Maurice Leblanc. The character was introduced as a response to the fictional character created in Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. The character first appeared in a series of short stories published in the French magazine I Know All, founded by Pierre Lafitte in 1905. The character is also known as the “Gentleman Thief” and the “Master of Disguise” due to his elegant manners, charm, and ability to find ways to avoid or resort to violence.
The Story of Arsene Lupin
Arsene Lupin was inspired by another literary fictional character, Rocambre, created by Pierre-Alexis Pompon du Terrell, and is similar to the fictional character of gentleman thief AJ Raffles, created by EW Hornung, who was popular between 1898 and 1909. Initially, the character was introduced through short stories in French magazines. The first story was “The Arrest of Arsene Lupin” by French author Maurice Leblanc, published on July 15, 1905. Robin appeared in 17 novels and 39 short stories, which were later combined into a series of 24 books. The total number is 25 if the 1923 novel “The Secret Tomb” is included, in which the protagonist Dorothy solves one of Robin’s four legendary secrets. Raffles and Lupin were great inspirations for characters such as Louis Joseph Vance’s The Lone Wolf (1914) and Leslie Charteris’ The Saint (1928).
The cover of the book “The Arrest of Arsene Lupin”
Fantasy World
The Arsene Lupin novels are known for their thrillers and fantastical elements, including a radioactive “magic stone”, a “fountain of youth” that restores youth to anyone who drinks or bathes in its water, and finally, a surprising element, the appearance of Josephine Balsamo, Arsene Lupin’s lover (and mortal enemy).
When Lupin Met Sherlock Holmes
Leblanc decided to introduce Sherlock Holmes in the short story “Sherlock Goes Home Too Late” in issue 17 of Je sais tout magazine. In the story, Holmes meets young Lupin. However, after Doyle raised certain legal objections to the name, Leblanc changed the character’s name to “Herlock Shoal Holmes” and the story was published in full book form in volume one. Later, Shoal Holmes became part of two other stories in volume two; “Arsene Lupin and Herlock Shoal Holmes”, and Shoal Holmes made a cameo appearance in “The Secret of the Empty Needle”. The book “Arsene Lupin and Herlock Shoal Holmes” was published in the United States in 1910 under the title “The Blonde”, with the name changed to Holmlock Shoal Holmes and Watson changed to “Wilson”.
Cover of the book “Empty Needle”
Lupin Holmes enters the gaming world
In 2008, computer game companies Frogwares and Focus Home Interactive released a computer game featuring Arsene Lupin, Sherlock Holmes, Watson, and others. The game is called “Sherlock Holmes vs. Arsene Lupin,” and in it, Holmes tries to stop Lupin from stealing five precious British objects.
Cover of the computer game Sherlock Holmes vs. Arsene Lupin
Wiki/Biography
Arsene Lupin is a fictional gentleman thief who is known for his chivalry, class and charm, and who steals expensive things from people. Arsene Lupin is a French thief who is known for stealing valuables from high security safes and from wealthy people. His unsuspecting behavior when committing thefts makes him famous.
Real life adaptation
movie
Over the years, many directors have used Arsene Lupin and his story as plots for their films. In 2004, Jean-Paul Salom directed a crime adventure film, Arsene Lupin. The film was adapted from a series of crime novels by Maurice Leblanc and follows the life of Arsene Lupin from childhood to the death of his father and into adulthood. The story also introduces a woman named Josephine who uses hypnotic drugs to enslave people. The story of this film is adapted from many of Leblanc’s stories, such as The Queen’s Necklace, The Arrest of Arsene Lupin, and The Empty Needle.
Poster for the film Arsene Lupin (2004)
series
The character of Arsene Lupin is so fascinating that it has appeared in several books, countless movies, stage plays, and even a TV series. With the popularity of the character, Georges Kay and François Uzan created the Netflix series Lupin. Lupin is a French suspense thriller streaming television series that was released on Netflix on January 8, 2021. The series tells the story of a professional thief, Assane Diop (played by Omar Sy), who moves to France with his father in the hope of a better life. However, Assane’s father is framed for the robbery of an expensive diamond necklace by his wealthy employer Hubert Pellegrini. Assane’s father decides to hang himself in prison out of shame, and twenty-five years later, Assane sets out to take revenge on the family by stealing the same expensive necklace at an auction. The first part of the series consists of ten episodes, and the second part has five episodes and will be released in mid-2021.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education