Arsène Lupin Versus Herlock Sholmes
1910
The great French gentleman thief versus the world's most famous detective, but in this delightful literary prank, the thief might just be more charming than the hero. Maurice Leblanc created Arsène Lupin as France's answer to Sherlock Holmes, then turned the tables by pitting his roguish aristocrat against a suspiciously similar British detective named Herlock Sholmes. The result is pure popcorn entertainment: a dazzling game of cat and mouse played across two interlocking mysteries involving stolen fortunes, missing daughters, and a master criminal who simply cannot resist toying with his pursuers. Lupin steals a winning lottery ticket, frames an innocent professor, kidnaps the man's daughter for leverage, and still finds time to send mocking notes to the press. Sholmes, for his part, matches Lupin trick for trick. Who will triumph? The pleasure lies not in the answer but in watching two brilliant minds collide...
Editions
X-Ray
“Difficult, yes, but possible, therefore certain.””
— Maurice Leblanc
“Señor Lupin, existen dos hombres en el mundo de los que nada puede extrañarme: el primero, yo; el segundo, usted.””
— Maurice Leblanc
“Sé que los jóvenes tienen con frecuencia sueños sin la autorización de sus padres.””
— Maurice Leblanc
“There was something fascinating about Lupin; it was the fascination of the great actor who plays his rôle with spirit and understanding, combined with assurance and ease.””
— Maurice Leblanc
“What an adventure! … Ah! Sholmes, life is just one damn thing after another!””
— Maurice Leblanc
“era Herlock Sholmès; es decir, una especie de fenómeno de intuición, de observación, de clarividencia y de ingeniosidad. Se creería que la naturaleza se entretuvo en tomar los dos tipos de policías más extraordinarios producidos por la imaginación, el Dupin, de Edgard A. Poe, y el Lecoq, de Gaboriau, para construir uno a su manera, más extraordinario e irreal aún. Y se lo preguntan verdaderamente cuando se oye el relato de los hechos que le han hecho famoso en el mundo entero; se preguntan si este Herlock Sholmès no es un personaje legendario, un héroe surgido vivo del cerebro de un gran novelista, de un Conan Doyle, por ejemplo.””
— Maurice Leblanc
