The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar [Classic Tales Edition]

By: Maurice Leblanc

Narrated by: B.J. Harrison

Length: 6 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's Summary

Fine-art aficionado. Master of disguise. Jewelry expert. Historian. Gentleman. Burglar. Arsene Lupin is all of these and more. In 1905, Maurice Leblanc introduced his gentleman burglar in the story "L'Arrestation d'Arsène Lupin". Shortly thereafter, the stories were collected as one single volume. In these charming adventures, Lupin orchestrates a myriad of extravagant heists in the very face of the determined Inspector Ganimard. With his sparkling wit, his sharp eye for detail, and his incredible gift of anticipation, Lupin carries off the most amazing thefts and never leaves a clue behind. And yet he is ever the embodiment of gentlemanly manners and old-school chivalry. Take these first adventures for a whirl, and witness how he measures up when he goes toe to toe with the redoubtable Sherlock Holmes himself!

Public Domain (P)2015 B.J. Harrison

The Original Gentleman Thief

These are the first tales of the legendary thief, Arsene Lupin. I'm not very familiar with French literature, but this collection gave me the same feeling as reading some good Victorian literature. If you're a fan of that genre, heist movies, or the Lupin III anime series you should enjoy this.

Each adventure is as unique as the treasures Lupin steals and the French prose is gorgeously translated. Sherlock Holmes fans are especially in for a treat. Finally, B.J. Harrison is excellent as a narrator. Very highly recommended!

4 people found this helpful

Outstanding!

If you could sum up The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Burglar [Classic Tales Edition] in three words, what would they be?

Excellent quality reading

Any additional comments?

There is plenty of info on Maurice LeBlanc's Lupin series available online so I'll leave this to the quality of the product itself.
If it was at all possible I'd give this ten stars. I've been listening to audiobooks for ages. Professional ones, hobbyist ones, Librivox ones, computer generated ones... This is really one of the most enjoyable listens I've had. B. J. Harrison really caught the mood and tenor of the Arsene Lupin stories. While sometimes an audiobook can be a slog to get through because I just wind up wanting to find out what happens next, despite the reader... in the case of these stories, I look forward to the next chance I get to listen to them with joy.
B. J. has also read the the crossover book Arsene Lupin vs Sherlock Holmes, which I'll eagerly listen to next.
If you are out there reading this reveiw, Mr. Harrison, might I request adding to this collection with The Hollow Needle, which is distantly related to Lupin vs Holmes... or La Comtesse de Cagliostro (Memoirs of Arsene Lupin) which IMO is one of the finest Lupin stories written?
Thank you for doing these, they are really a treat!

4 people found this helpful

Worth the listen

I hadn’t heard of this classic until very recently, and was happy to be able to get this collection for $5. In my opinion the stories aren’t at the level of Sherlock Holmes, but they were engaging and fun nonetheless - well worth the read. It seems clear that this was the source. The narrator has trouble with dialogue and uses the same affectation for both characters - a different one than he had used for the main character beforehand, which is somewhat distracting. But otherwise he’s fun to listen to.

Extraordinary Adventure indeed

Loved the story and loved the emotions that was put in the performance! A must read/hear

Fun listen!

I was surprised by how much I liked Arsène Lupin! Such a fun character with interesting adventures!

not even for historical interest

just plain silly.
People were writing good stories long before this.
Possible redemption may be lost in.....translation?
The French do have a sense of humour and maybe this silly style was in 'vogue'..

Simply Brilliant

The reader describes the story in an excellent manner with the right voice and tone that describes each character really well in the story.
Especially the main character Arsene Lupin, shows charming wit and all, great voice actor to portray
Story direction was clear too so really good purchase :)

classic adventures.

if you enjoy books like sherlock of Christie. this is a nice addition with a twist. also interesting to see the inspiration for the classic Japanese manga lupin the 3rd