Arsene Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmes
Encyclopedia
Arsène Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmès is a collection of two adventures of Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin
Arsène Lupin is a fictional character who appears in a book series of detective fiction / crime fiction novels written by French writer Maurice Leblanc, as well as a number of non-canonical sequels and numerous film, television such as Night Hood, stage play and comic book adaptations.- Overview :A...

, written by Maurice Leblanc
Maurice Leblanc
Maurice Marie Émile Leblanc was a French novelist and writer of short stories, known primarily as the creator of the fictional gentleman thief and detective Arsène Lupin, often described as a French counterpart to Arthur Conan Doyle's creation Sherlock Holmes.- Biography :Leblanc was born in...

. These adventures feature a match of wits between Lupin and Herlock Sholmes, a transparent reference to Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...

, the hero of Conan Doyle
Conan Doyle
Conan Doyle is a rugby player. His club is Garryowen. His usual position is inside centre, but he also plays out-half. He has made two appearances for Munster Rugby in the Magners League, but was released by Munster at the end of the 2008/2009 season. While at Munster he was selected for the...

's detective stories. It follows the appearance of Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar
Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar
Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar is a collection of stories by Maurice Leblanc recounting the adventures of Arsène Lupin. The first story of this collection was published in July 1905 in the magazine Je sais tout, marking the first appearance of Arsène Lupin. The success of this story encouraged...

, in which Sherlock Holmes also makes an appearance in "Sherlock Holmes Arrives Too Late". The collection was translated into English as Arsène Lupin versus Holmlock Shears in England and The Blonde Lady in the United States.

Publication History

The two stories were initially published in the magazine Je sais tout
Je sais tout
Je sais tout was a French magazine established by Pierre Lafitte in 1905. It was noted for its publication of the works of Maurice Leblanc, in particular the adventures of Arsène Lupin. It appeared on the 15th of each month, but publication was interrupted from August 1914 to the end of 1914. The...

from November 1906. The first story, The Blonde Lady, was published from November 1906 to April 1907, while the second, The Jewish Lamp, appeared in September and October of 1907. The collection of these two stories was published with modifications in February 1908, and in 1914, another edition appeared with further modifications. The English translations appeared in 1910.

Contents

The collection contains the following stories:
  • "The Blonde Lady", comprising six chapters
    • Number 514, Series 23
    • The Blue Diamond
    • Holmlock Shears Opens Hostilities
    • A Glimmer in the Darkness
    • Kidnapped
    • The Second Arrest of Arsène Lupin
  • "The Jewish Lamp", comprising two chapters

Summary

The first story, "The Blonde Lady", opens with the purchase of an antique desk by a mathematics professor. The desk is subsequently stolen, as it turns out, by Arsène Lupin. Later, both Lupin and the professor realize that a lottery ticket, left inadvertently in the desk, is the winning ticket, and Lupin proceeds to ensure he obtains half of the winnings while executing a near-impossible escape with a blonde lady. After the theft of the Blue Diamond, again by a blonde lady, Ganimard made the connection to Lupin and an appeal was made to Holmlock Shears to match wits with Lupin. Inadvertently, Lupin and his biographer met with the newly arrived Shears and his assistant, Wilson, in a Parisian restaurant, and they shared a cautious détente
Détente
Détente is the easing of strained relations, especially in a political situation. The term is often used in reference to the general easing of relations between the Soviet Union and the United States in the 1970s, a thawing at a period roughly in the middle of the Cold War...

 before Lupin sets off to lay his traps. Despite Lupin's efforts, Shears is able to unveil the identity of the blonde lady and Lupin's involvement in the crimes linked to her. Lupin succeeded in trapping Shears, however, and sends him off to Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...

 in a boat, but Shears manages to escape back to Paris and engineer the arrest of Lupin. After Shears leaves, however, Lupin outfoxes his French captors and manages to bid farewell to Shears and his assistant at the Gare du Nord
Gare du Nord
Paris Nord is one of the six large terminus railway stations of the SNCF mainline network for Paris, France. It offers connections with several urban transportation lines, including Paris Métro and RER...

.

"The Jewish Lamp" opens with another appeal to Holmlock Shears for help in recovering a Jewish lamp. After reading the appeal, Shears is shocked to read a second letter, this time by Lupin and arriving on the same day's post, which warns him not to intervene. Shears is outraged by Lupin's audacity and resolves to go to Paris. At the Gare du Nord, Shears is accosted by a young lady, who again warns him not to intervene, and finds that the Echo de France, Lupin's mouthpiece newspaper, is proclaiming his arrival. Shears proceeds to investigate the crime and finds out the true reason for Lupin's appeal not to intervene.

External Links

The Blonde Lady available on Project Guthenberg Arsène Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmès available on French Wikisource
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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