Arsene Lupin

Ars?ne Lupin (1909) is a novel by Maurice Leblanc. Originally a four-act play, the story was turned into a novel by Leblanc before being translated into English by Edgar Jepson. Partly based on the life of French anarchist Marius Jacob, Ars?ne Lupin first appeared in print in 1905 as an answer to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. Blending crime fiction, fantasy, and mystery, Leblanc crafts original and entertaining tales of adventure starring one of the greatest literary characters of all time-Ars?ne Lupin, gentleman thief.

Ars?ne Lupin is the world's greatest thief, an unmatched force for good whose exploits threaten the wealth and standing of France's most wicked men. In this early installment of Leblanc's beloved series, Lupin uses his remarkable wit and chameleon-like ability to move undetected through aristocratic society in order to steal, trick, and cheat his way through life. Despite his criminal nature, he operates under a strict moral code, only taking from those who have taken from the poor all their lives. In this novel, he comes up with an elaborate plan to get his hands on the art and jewels of a notorious collector, a man whose taste for fine objects can only be satisfied through exploitation and greed. As though the risks involved were not high enough, Lupin leave clues for police every step of the way, heightening pressure on himself and embarrassing a nation's incompetent leaders in the process. Ars?ne Lupin is a story of romance, mystery, and crime that continues to astound over a century after it was published.

This edition of Maurice Leblanc's Ars?ne Lupin is a classic of French literature reimagined for modern readers.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.

Maurice Leblanc (1864-1941) was a French novelist and short story writer. Born and raised in Rouen, Normandy, Leblanc attended law school before dropping out to pursue a writing career in Paris. There, he made a name for himself as a leading author of crime fiction, publishing critically acclaimed stories and novels with moderate commercial success. On July 15th, 1905, Leblanc published a story in Je sais tout, a popular French magazine, featuring Arsène Lupin, gentleman thief. The character, inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, brought Leblanc both fame and fortune, featuring in 21 novels and short story collections and defining his career as one of the bestselling authors of the twentieth century. Appointed to the Légion d'Honneur, France's highest order of merit, Leblanc and his works remain cultural touchstones for generations of devoted readers. His stories have inspired numerous adaptations, including Lupin, a smash-hit 2021 television series.