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Start with Arsène Lupin, gentleman cambrioleur, then read in publication order. Hachette dates Leblanc’s first Lupin book to 1907. A fully settled, complete order is harder to give: catalogs group stories and volumes differently, and the available records do not consistently date every later or posthumous title.
Recommended Arsène Lupin reading order
For a first read, publication order is the most practical choice. It follows the sequence readers encountered the books in, without implying a fictional chronology that the available bibliographic records do not establish. The sequence below is a sourced guide to early titles, not a complete list of every Lupin story.
- Arsène Lupin, gentleman cambrioleur — Hachette dates Leblanc’s first police-fiction book to 1907. The Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) grouped record describes an edition from 1908 and identifies it as a seventeenth edition, so those dates refer to different bibliographic details. Hachette author page; BnF grouped bibliography
- Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès — It follows in the BnF grouped record; Hachette dates a version or title to 1908. The BnF entry itself does not state a date. BnF grouped bibliography; Hachette author page
- L’Aiguille creuse (1909) — Dated 1909 by both the BnF record and Hachette’s selected bibliography. BnF grouped bibliography; Hachette author page
- 813 (1910) — The BnF record presents it as La Double vie d’Arsène Lupin, part one. Treat its separately titled companion part as part of the same work when following a combined edition. BnF grouped bibliography
- Le Bouchon de cristal (1912) — Dated 1912 by the BnF record and Hachette’s selected bibliography. BnF grouped bibliography; Hachette author page
- Les Confidences d’Arsène Lupin (1914) — The year given in the BnF grouped record. BnF grouped bibliography
- Les Trois crimes d’Arsène Lupin (1917) — The BnF describes this as the second part of 813 and dates that record to 1917. It is not simply an unrelated novel to add after 813. BnF grouped bibliography
- Le Triangle d’or (1918) — Dated 1918 by the BnF grouped record. BnF grouped bibliography
- L’Île aux trente cercueils — Included in the BnF bibliography, but its grouped record does not provide a publication date. BnF grouped bibliography
- Les Dents du tigre (1921) — Dated 1921 by the BnF record. BnF grouped bibliography
- Les Huit coups de l’horloge — The BnF record gives 1923, while Hachette’s selected bibliography gives 1921. Because the sources differ, keep the date qualified rather than treating either as settled here. BnF grouped bibliography; Hachette author page
- La Comtesse de Cagliostro (1924) — Dated 1924 in the BnF grouped record. Hachette’s selected list also names La Cagliostro se venge (1935), but its selected titles do not constitute a complete chronology. BnF grouped bibliography; Hachette author page
Why Arsène Lupin book lists do not match
Stories, books, and volumes are different counts
Hachette describes Leblanc’s Lupin corpus as thirty narratives, not thirty novels. A BnF record for an Archipoche collector edition, published in 2021, catalogs seven books containing thirteen stories. Those figures count different things: the collector set is a selection, not the entire corpus. Hachette author page; BnF Archipoche edition record
813 may appear as one work or multiple titles
Catalogs and editions may show 813 alongside the titles La Double vie d’Arsène Lupin and Les Trois crimes d’Arsène Lupin. Some listings count the parts separately; others present them together. Check the contents of the edition you are reading so you do not mistake a split or retitled part for an entirely separate book. BnF grouped bibliography
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#1 Best Overall
A collector set is not a complete works edition
The BnF catalogs the 2021 Archipoche set as seven volumes and thirteen stories. Its listed contents include Arsène Lupin, gentleman cambrioleur, Les Confidences d’Arsène Lupin, Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès, L’Aiguille creuse, Le Bouchon de cristal, La Demoiselle aux yeux verts, 813, L’Île aux trente cercueils, Les Huit coups de l’horloge, La Demeure mystérieuse, and Les Milliards d’Arsène Lupin. The record counts some parts of 813 separately. Confirm the listing’s contents before buying; the catalog does not establish that this is the complete Lupin corpus. BnF Archipoche edition record
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to choose an edition
Once you have a reading order, compare editions by what they actually contain, rather than by the number of volumes on the cover.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #2
- C'est magnifique! Help your student form a solid understanding of the French language
- Building on the basics, this book covers common phrases, functional vocabulary, conjugation of verbs, basic grammar, and sentence structure
- Over 100 pages of reproducible activities get your students started on the path to speaking and writing French
- Language and translation: Check the edition’s language and, for translations, its translator.
- Included works: Look for a contents list and compare the named stories with the titles you want to read.
- Text type: Verify whether the edition presents the full text or an abridged or adapted version.
- Format: Choose print, ebook, or audio according to availability and preference; the cited catalog records do not establish current stock.
- 813 treatment: Confirm whether the parts are combined or listed separately.
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