Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar

The story

Arsène Lupin robs the rich, but he does it with manners, jokes and a calling card. The first story opens on a transatlantic liner where everyone learns that Lupin is on board — under a false name, and possibly sitting at their table.

In the stories that follow he steals from inside a prison, slips out of the Santé on the day of his trial and crosses paths with an English detective who looks suspiciously like a certain resident of Baker Street.

Themes: disguise, wit versus force, justice and the law, Belle Époque Paris.

Why it's a good book for language learners

Each story is short and self-contained, which makes Lupin ideal for steady, low-pressure practice: one story, one sitting. The narration is playful and full of twists, so you stay curious enough to push through unfamiliar words. If you are learning French, the original text by Maurice Leblanc is one of the most readable classics of its era.

What you'll practise

• Narrative past tenses (passé simple vs. passé composé in French)
• Vocabulary of crime, police and prison
• Polite and ironic register
• Describing people and disguises

Did you know?

Lupin first appeared in 1905 in the magazine Je sais tout; the stories were collected as a book in 1907.

The PageWalker adventure

In the adventure you plan the heists yourself — pick the wrong move and the police win. The first page is free to play in your browser, and the adventure is available in 13 languages with click-to-translate.

Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar in other languages

• EnglishArsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar
• العربيةأرسين لوبين، اللص الظريف
• DeutschArsène Lupin, der Gentleman-Gauner
• EspañolArsène Lupin, caballero ladrón
• FrançaisArsène Lupin, gentleman-cambrioleur
• हिन्दीआर्सीन ल्यूपिन, सज्जन चोर
• ItalianoArsène Lupin, ladro gentiluomo
• 日本語怪盗紳士アルセーヌ・ルパン
• 한국어괴도 신사 아르센 뤼팽
• PortuguêsArsène Lupin, o Ladrão de Casaca
• РусскийАрсен Люпен, джентльмен-грабитель
• TürkçeKibar Hırsız Arsène Lupin
• 简体中文亚森·罗平，绅士怪盗