Arsène Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmes is a collection of two adventures of Arsène Lupin, written by Maurice Leblanc. These adventures feature a match of wits between Lupin and Herlock Sholmes, a transparent reference to Sherlock Holmes, the hero of Conan Doyle's detective stories. It follows the appearance of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar, in which Sherlock Holmes also makes an appearance in "Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late". The collection was translated twice into English, as Arsène Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes in the U.S. (1910, by George Morehead), and as Arsène Lupin versus Holmlock Shears in the UK (1910, by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos, printed as The Blonde Lady in the U.S.). The first story, "The Blonde Lady", opens with the purchase of an antique desk by a mathematics professor. The desk is subsequently stolen, as it turns out, by Arsène Lupin.
My husband and I have watched the Lupin series on Netflix, so I knew who this classic French literature character was: a gentleman thief who constantly outwits law enforcement. Here, in a series of interrelated stories, he pulls off several heists and ends up going up against the famous English detective (the author must not have been allowed to use the real name but there is even a tongue-in-cheek reference to Arthur Conan Doyle here!). It's intriguing and clever, and I enjoyed listening to it on audio. I talk more about the book in this video, starting at 13:32: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkPal...
9.1 - Just as great as the first one: This was honestly a great read overall, easily on the samel level as the first Lupin book, maybe even a little better. The chemistry and rivalry between Lupin and Sholmes is super fun to follow, and it gives the whole book a really natural flow. Their back-and-forth is entertaining in every chapter. I especially liked the analogy at the end about them being able to talk casually and get along in a way, but always standing on opposite sides of a fence, Sholmes being the detective whose job is to chase him, and Lupin always being the one slippin away. It sumed up their dynamic perfectly.
Orig. pub 1908 and translated into english in 1910. Written in the style of that time, so a little clunky. But the wily Arsene Lupin always gets my grudging admiration on how he manages to elude capture. Sholmes and Wilson are reasonable depictions of their originals. Listened on audio. If you are an Arsene Lupin fan (as I grudgingly am lol) this is well worth a listen. Not so much if you are a Holmes fan.
This was another freebie audiobook. Not sure how I had never heard of this book that was published so long ago. Yes, it is a copycat of Sherlock Holmes but in my opinion far better. The addition of a gentleman burglar (Aresene Lupin) is only to the benefit. He is the classic suave Frenchman pitted against the more formal Sholmes. Hard not to root for Lupin, perhaps even more than Sholmes. Something so sporting about his misbehaviors.
I have a Lupin fixation right now and this one was a treat, less for the mystery and more for the hilarious ways that Lupin talks to Sholmes! (And how Sholmes treats Wilson.) He is so giddy and whimsical, I am here for it.
A fun read to finish at the beginning of the year. I remain pretty ambivalent about the mystery portions of these stories, but I’m always rooting for more page-time with Lupin!
Synopsis: A collection of seven short mysteries revolving around Arsene Lupin (gentleman thief) and his great escapades, with the help of a mysterious blonde lady.
Review: This new collection detoured from the first book in both point-of-view and enjoyment. I quickly grew tired of the new format, with Lupin portrayed as a villainous side character rather than a clever thief.
The book is good, although predictable, it delivers on what it promises, combining the greatest detective in history with the greatest thief of all time, rating 3.5/5