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!

5 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!

5 people found this helpful

BJ Harrison is absolutely the best narrator

BJ Harrison is absolutely the best narrator I have ever heard. Great job. Loved the book

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'..