Welcome to Binge-worthy Books, where we review the title for that month's edition of our new Streaming Book Club, a book club around those titles that were later turned into hot new streaming shows or movies. So sit back and relax. We're getting ready to binge another book: The Adventures of Arsène Lupin by Maurice Leblanc.
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The Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief
by Maurice Leblanc
Book Summary
The inspiration for the hit Netflix show, Lupin, Arsène Lupin is charming, clever and bold. A master of disguise, he steals from the rich, he outsmarts the police and he’s generous to those in need. And above all, he never takes himself too seriously. This French Robin Hood has charmed readers for generations and the stories about his dazzling escapades have been adapted countless times for television, stage and film.
Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition of The Adventures of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Thief is translated from the French by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos and features an introduction by Emma Bielecki.
In the opening stories, Lupin is arrested, only to engineer his own incredible escape. What follows are wonderfully entertaining and action packed stories that finish with a brief encounter with none other than Sherlock Holmes. These stories were first published together in 1907 and this edition of the gentleman thief's very first adventures is the perfect place to start exploring his world of daring escapes, cunning disguises and ambitious heists. -- Publisher Description
The Netflix Documentary Series: Lupin
There is oh, so much I could say about both Arsene Lupin and the series, both with spoilers and without. Let me sum it up this way: The original Arsene Lupin series was created as an answer to the Sherlock Holmes craze that had finally reached the mainland and on the heals of a hot court case dealing with a gentleman thief and his crew while the series Lupin is about the son of a Senegalese immigrant that tries to prove his father was framed all the while idolizing the fictional character of Arsene Lupin to the point where he becomes the modern embodiment of him, even recreating some of his famous fictional capers in "real life." Both are very French and both are about so much more than the thefts that are perpetrated. Very multilayered and brings to light a number of societal and cultural issues, if you know where to look. Did I mention that Arsene Lupin is pretty much a Sherlock Holmes turned thief who not only is a master of disguise and deduction but also has gotten the best of the real Sherlock Holmes? Your only real decision here is whether to read/watch in the original French or use the dubbed/translated versions.
Discussion Questions
Because some of these questions might contain spoilers, we have placed the questions in expandable fields. Simply click on the type of question you are interested in reading and it will open up for you. Have fun discussing.
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