Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Extraordinary Adventures Of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar by Maurice Leblanc

2 reviews

yvo_about_books's review against another edition

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4.0

 Finished reading: June 15th 2023


"Allí donde la fuerza fracasa - se dijo-, la astucia triunfa."

I'm still not sure why this classic has slipped my notice until recently... I mean, I did watch part of the Netflix adaptation, but somehow I never actually looked up the book it was based on. I guess it was fate that one of the first books of the Salvat crime and mystery special edition hardback (Spanish) series ended up being Arsène Lupin: Cabellero Ladrón. Now that I owned such a beautiful copy of the translation of this classic, I simply HAD to pick it up ASAP. And I'm glad I did, because I ended up having a great time with this short story collection! Sure, I did like the first stories better than the last ones, but as a whole I really enjoyed my time with this classic. Arsène Lupin makes for such an interesting character, and it was very entertaining to read about how he manages to fool everyone and get away with things. I'm not sure why this collection has the order it has though, because I starts at a later point in his life and his earlier 'work' is at the end. Either way, there were stories that were stronger than others; I particularly liked the one set on the ship and his escape from prison. I'm also definitely adding the second book to my TBR as I'm intrigued by the idea of pitting Arsène Lupin against Sherlock Holmes. 
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jhbandcats's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I had heard Arsene Lupin mentioned in the same context as Sherlock Holmes so, as an ardent Sherlock Holmes fan, I went into this with very high expectations. I should have known I’d be disappointed. 

The Lupin stories show none of the discipline of Conan Doyle’s plotting. With Holmes, there’s always suspension of disbelief - you know these situations would never happen but you go along with it because the stories are so good. With Lupin there’s no reality within the stories themselves - Lupin ostensibly explains how he was so successful in his thievery, but it’s beyond unlikely. I could never believe it within the confines of the story. 

Had I never read Sherlock Holmes I might have appreciated Arsene Lupin more but as it is, I found him an unlikable character and his exploits to be absurd. 
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