Many of us are familiar with one of the best detectives of literature, the brilliant Sherlock Holmes. He solved mysteries with deductions so brilliant they border on fantastical. While he was originally a character in a series of novellas, he now makes appearances in everything from cartoons to podcasts.
But did you know he had a French rival? His name was Arsène Lupin, and he was an equally brilliant gentleman-cambrioleur (gentleman robber).
The Origin of Lupin
Maurice Leblanc, author of Arsène Lupin, abandoned his studies of law to write fiction. In 1905, he was commissioned to write a piece of crime fiction for a periodical called Je sais tout (I know all). He wrote a short story titled 'L'Arestation d'Arsène Lupin' (The Arrest of Arsène Lupin), and thus Lupin was created. The piece was an immediate success, and prompted Leblanc to release a collection of stories in 1907. Leblanc would eventually write over 60 short stories and novels about Lupin. Later in Lupin's stories, the brilliant thief gives up his criminal ways to join the police as a genius detective. However, many of the other policemen aren't fully convinced of his reform. Lupin is often suspected when there are particularly clever robberies.
A Rivalry Transcending Literature
Leblanc published the first Arsène Lupin story over a decade after Sherlock Holmes made his first appearance. Since Holmes is one of literature's best detectives and Lupin is one of literature's best thieves, it seemed natural the two characters would encounter one another eventually.
In 1906, Leblanc published 'Sherlock Holmes arrive trop tard" (Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late). In the story, Sherlock Holmes, who was older than when he appeared in his own stories, had his first encounter with the young robber. As the title suggests, the interaction didn't go as well for Holmes as it does for Lupin.
'Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late' was popular with most audiences, but one person in particular had a problem with the story. That person was Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Either due to his objections or to legal issues regarding the literary copyright of Sherlock Holmes, Leblanc changed the name of the British detective in his stories to Herlock Sholmès.
Leblanc then proceeded to feature Sholmès in a collection of stories titled 'Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès' (Arsène Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmès). The stories have these two characters trying to outwit each other in a series of adventures.
Lupin Today
Lupin's adventures have been the topic and inspiration of many stories that came after. Lupin is part of many comics, films, television, theatre, and even video games.
A recent favorite is the 2021 Netflix series Lupin: Dans l'ombre d'Arsène (Lupin: in the Shadow of Arsène). This series stars Omar Sy, who plays the role of Assane Diop. Diop uses Leblanc's books and Arsène Lupin as inspiration in his own life. This series was nominated for and won many awards, and generated lots of interest in Leblanc's original stories.
Written by Jasmine Grace, University Intern
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