Collection of nine stories of Arsène Lupin who I wasn't familiar with him, a charming thief, a gentleman!

"Arsène Lupin, the fanciful gentleman who operated only in castles and salons, and..."

A fun and entertaining book, sometimes predictable. The first story introduces Arsène Lupin, and the others could be read as stand-alone.

"How could I describe him? Twenty times I have seen Arsène Lupin, and twenty would have returned as many distorted images, each one having its own particular look, its own unique shape, its own gesture, its own silhouette and character."

This isn't a graphic novel but has very beautiful illustrations, I'm not suggesting digital (at least it was too small for me), I'm sure the paper book is great!

The Arrest of Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin in Prison
The Escape of Arsène Lupin
The Mysterious Traveler
The Queen s Necklace
The Seven of Hearts
Madam Imbert s safe
The Black Pearl
Herlock Sholmes arrives too late

Thanks to Diamond Book Distributors via NetGalley for giving me the chance to read Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief by Maurice Leblanc, Mike Kennedy (Edited by), Vincent Mallie (By (artist)) I have given my honest review.
Pub Date: 14 Jun 2022

Reminiscent of older Studio Ghibli.

With vintage-esque illustrations and storylines that seem to continue from Studio Ghibli movies, this book is intriguing. It was not quite what I expected after reading the summary, but interesting none the less. I would say that this is more for the classic, literary fan.

Grateful to have received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley & Diamond Book Distributors, Magnetic Press.

Firstly a heartfelt thanks to Magnetic Press for my complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own

Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief contains the first nine stories of Arsene Lupin, one of the most charming thief you will ever come across. This book is perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Lupin the movie. After reading these stories you end up with an appreciation of Arsene as a master of disguise

Thank you to Netgalley and Magnetic Press for gifting me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!
This book contains the first nine Arsène Lupin stories, featuring beautiful illustrations by Vincent Mallié. It was my first time reading Maurice Leblanc, and I thoroughly enjoyed the writing style. It was funny, quick paced, and overall very charming. Trying to figure out Lupin’s scheme of the day is a lot of fun, and the suspense will keep you at the edge of your seat until the story’s conclusion.
The art is beautiful and complements the story very well. I wholeheartedly recommend this volume for anyone who wishes to start reading Lupin or to revisit an old favorite.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

This collection of Novellas is based on the stories of Arsene Lupin. Having read the original books when I was younger, I was slightly disappointed with this to say the least.

Let's start with the positives, I loved the way things were vidualized and the art style of things and the way of storytelling was very good.

However I noticed with many occasions that the scenes didn't make any sense to the story they were trying to explain which kept bothering me throughout the experience of reading this.

Overal not as good as I wished it was.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief by Maurice Leblanc, Mike Kennedy, and Vincent Mallie is an interesting illustrated novella collection. The book revolves around the legendary Arsene Lupin, the gentleman thief. According to the description, this book is "beautifully illustrated by artist Vincent Mallie" and has the "joyful style of an animated feature as if created by renowned director Hayao Miyazaki."

When I saw the reference to Hayao Miyazaki, I knew that I needed to read it right away! Overall, Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief is an interesting book, but I went into this thinking that it was a graphic novel, so I was a bit disappointed. One highlight of this book are the beautiful illustrations, which transported me to a different time period. The illustrations were perfect and worth the price of the book alone. If you're intrigued by the description, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in June!

Stunning illustrations. This is the version readers have been waiting for. Fans of Arsene Lupin will be thrilled. Lavish full-color pen and ink, and watercolor illustrations are interspersed throughout the novel, complimenting the text and taking this new edition to an elevated experience. French cartoonist Vincent Mallie's deft linework (go peek at his Instagram feed) dances the reader through a time-traveling portal to a golden age.

Charming, vivid illustrations in rich colors bring this collection of stories to life!
It's a beautiful way to read the text of this work. The illustrations make the text much more accessible! Actually, had the illustrator and editor been inclined, an entire graphic novel with this style of illustration would have been even more welcome!

4.5/5

Admittedly, the first time I heard of Arsene Lupin was when the character and his adventures were referenced in the Netflix show Lupin. This collection covers nine interrelated stories (though they are just as good as standalone) revolving around the “gentleman thief” and his exploits and is a perfect introduction for new readers like me. Originally written in 1907, by author Maurice Leblanc these are straightforward mysteries/adventures with intriguing plots, loads of humor and a very interesting main character.

I had so much fun reading about Lupin and his numerous disguises, his creative methods of committing crimes and his besting the shrewd Detective Ganimard at every opportunity he gets. It is difficult to individually describe these stories without giving too much away but the narrative follows Lupin as he is arrested, escapes, prison and proceeds to con multiple victims (and is also duped by one of his marks in one rare instance) all the while evading capture by the authorities . I enjoyed most of the stories and my personal favorites were ”The Escape of Arsene Lupin”, “The Seven of Hearts” and “Madam Imbert’s Safe”. In addition to these stories, I must mention the final story in this collection in which we see our "gentleman thief" pitted against a "great English detective"!

Arsene Lupin, Gentleman Thief by Maurice Leblanc (edited by Mike Kennedy) is a truly enjoyable read! The illustrations (both black-and-white and full-color) by Vincent Mallié are absolutely wonderful and perfectly complement the narrative which flows smoothly. Fans of Sherlock Holmes would definitely enjoy these stories.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the digital review copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.

This is a book I recall from my childhood. It's still a fantastic read. This narrative is still relevant today. Magnetic Press has released a gorgeous illustrated edition of the book. The Lupin stories began in a French magazine many years ago. Arsene Lupin's experiences have since been retold in comic books, books, and movies since then. It's entertaining to read about the adventures of the Gentleman Thief. I strongly recommend it to all readers.

This book collects the first nine stories of Arsene Lupin written over a century ago. They are updated to include illustrations reminiscent of Tintin drawings. If you like the originals, you will like the beautiful drawings.

I was excited to read this after watching Lupin on Netflix. This edition has absolutely lovely illustrations accompanying the text. Just wish it was also downloaded to kindle. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Magnetic Press and to Netgalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I was very excited to get approved for this ARC, as I had started hearing about Lupin in recent years thanks to other media. I think my first real exposure to this character was acting in Persona 5, in which each main character has a persona named after a famous thief and the main character's was named Arsène. Fast forward a few more years, and I now know there have been anime called Lupin the 3rd, as well as a Netflix show called Lupin.

This book is a collection of the first 9 novellas with beautiful illustrations. I popped this ARC onto my tablet rather than my e-reader so that I could take in the colourful illustrations (though reading on my tablet for a long period tends to hurt my eyes!). I fell in love with the writing style of Maurice Leblanc, and with Lupin himself. Lupin is very witty and loves to put on a show. One of my favourite parts involved him breaking into a baron's estate and not stealing anything, just leaving a note saying something like "I'll return when the furniture is real".

We get to see Lupin go up against the police, have to deal with somehow breaking out of jail, and even face off with the famous detective, Herlock Sholmes. This book is like being in an amusement park and each short story is a different, fun ride to take. I've added the next book to my TBR and can't wait to read the further adventures of Lupin.

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Actual Rating: 3.5

Maurice Leblanc's classic stories of Arsene Lupin Gentleman Thief are refreshed in this new collection accompanied by illustrations from Vincent Mallie. Editor Mike Kennedy compiled the collection.

I was already familiar with Maurice Leblanc's stories involving Lupin, and enjoy them. The NetGalley listing unfortunately had this collection advertised under comics and graphic novels, which this was not. This was a true collection of novellas accompanied by illustrations. I was very much looking forward to a graphic novel and hope to see one in the future. I did not allow this misadvertisement to affect my rating.

The collection of stories is a solid one, all very entertaining exploits of Lupin. The true addition, then, is the illustrations which were lovely. Mallie's artwork seemed to be of a time with Lupin and evoked some of the line work seen in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The color palette chosen was of lovely saturation and seemed consistent with historical availability as best I could tell with my past experiences. I really do think that Mallie's artwork added to the experience of reading the stories and that the stories included provided a nice overview of Lupin as a character.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publishers Magnetic Press and Diamond Book Distributors for an advanced copy of these classic tales illustrated for a new audience.

The creation of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lead to many other imitators joining the ranks of consulting detectives. In addition there were men who had the trappings and elocution to be considered men of wealth and taste, but who gained said wealth but theft, blackmail, and other underhanded ways. Some examples include Raffles, created by Doyle's brother-in-law E. W. Hornuing, a Victorian cracksman who never met a club or a safe he couldn't enter. The early super villain model Fantômas who stole, murdered, lied, blackmailed and entered and left prison as it if was a hotel, created by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre. And finally, a fellow Frenchman to Fanômas, one who like Holmes always seems to be found be a new generation, be it television, anime, or streaming service Arsène Lupin. In Arsène Lupin, Gentlemen Thief, the first collection of stories written by Maurice LeBlanc are reprinted along with illustrations by Vincent Mallié and edited by Mike Kennedy, introducing the thief and his world.

Our collection begins with a short story that takes place on a boat, that is warned that the master thief Arsène Lupin is on board, and to watch your valuables. The warning comes to late as some jewels are stolen, but the identity of who Lupin is disguised as remains in doubt. This story sets the theme, a crime, a puzzle, the cat and mouse of both Lupin and Inspector Ganimard who has promised to catch him, and a little amour fou for fun. The rest of the stories feature escapes from prison, locked room mysteries, disguises, and even a meeting with the great Herlock Sholmes.

The technology might lack the flair or elan of an Oceans' Eleven movie, but the stories still thrill and make you cheer for the bad guy, or salute a well played heist. Lupin is funny, intriguing, always quick to point out mistakes, and has his own unique code. Some stories don't date well, but that is usual in collections like these. The illustrations are quite good, a mix of both period art with Lupin looking quite a bit like he does in Lupin The 3rd animated movies. The colors are very detailed and tell quite an interesting story in themselves. I only wish there were more pictures, but appreciate the care that those that appear took.

A great starting point for those introduced to Lupin via the NETFLIX streaming shows. Fans will appreciate the time and the effort it takes to make a heist look so flawless. If these stories are a hit the previously mentioned Raffles and Fantômas stories might be of interest, or for a more comic heist series the Dortmunder mysteries by Donald Westlake which are intricately plotted heist tales, where everything ever possible goes wrong.

Thank you to NetGalley and Magnetic Press for providing my copy.

I heard about Lupin but never read book about him. So for me this book is very nice way to start learning about this gentleman thief. Although less plot twist the plotline still gripping my attention. The illustrations is lovely and compliments the story perfectly.

tl;dr
If you've never read Arsène Lupin before and you want to, this is absolutely the way to do it. Would also look very attractive on your shelf.

About:
Arsène Lupin, the original gentleman thief! This is an illustrated collection of the first nine Lupin novellas, detailing several classic Lupin tales.

What I Liked:
Okay, so there are a lot of things to cover, here. I will try to organize them.

1.) The actual stories (you can skip this if you've already read them)
As the original gentleman thief and inspiration to generations of thieves after him, Lupin continues to hold up surprisingly well! I was worried that all the plot twists and tricks would feel old and stale after seeing them remade for so many years, but the absolute audacity of this man transcends all who followed him. His battle against the "I swear this is not copyright infringement" British detective Herlock Sholmes was especially entertaining. They don't include all the Herlock Sholmes stories here, but the one that is here is the best one, anyway. Stories are tightly plotted and fast-paced, written with the feeling of someone recounting a story to you.

2.) The localization
Translation is tricky business. I've read other translations of these books before, but since I don't know French, I cannot speak to the accuracy of any of them. I can say, however, that this is a very readable book. Nothing feels too "translate-y," and the flow is quite natural. The story is very dialogue-forward, and the localization does a reasonable job differentiating the various character voices.

3.) The illustrations
I love them! The sketches are lovely, and the full page color shots are very well-composed. I'm a fan of the soft lines, and the "mystery adventure" vibe that most of the images give off.

What Wasn't For Me:
Genre-savvy readers will find very few surprises when it comes to plot twists, and some of the reveals might be disappointing. The fact-forward writing is not very immersive. But if I'm being honest, these are very minor issues. The description promises a Miyazaki-like flair for the illustrations, which I didn't really see. At the most, maybe Miyazaki pulled from similar influences, but there's a distinctly French look to this, and I don't really feel any anime influence.

These are the original stories, so if you like Lupin, you like Lupin. The illustrations are beautiful. I was disappointed, however, by the fact that they are simply that-illustrations. I was at least given the impression that this was a proper graphic adaptation, and instead it's a repackaged version of the original. Not bad, modern reprints are always great, but not what I was hoping for. I was honestly hoping to appeal to my anime/manga patrons and maybe get them to read a graphic version of the originals. Oh well.

I imagine that, like many others, I became familiar with Arseen Lupin when the delightful series starring Omar Sy came to streaming. This book gave me the chance to become acquainted with the author’s original stories. They are fun to read and almost certainly will be enjoyed by those who read the works of Arthur Conan Doyle.

This edition has absolutely lovely illustrations accompanying the text. I felt something akin to the joy of childhood when early chapter books had pictures. Here, they added much to this edition.

So, get to know the Gentleman Thief. You will be glad that you did.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Magnetic Press for this title. All opinions are my own.