I had heard Arsene Lupin mentioned in the same context as Sherlock Holmes so, as an ardent Sherlock Holmes fan, I went into this with very high expectations. I should have known I’d be disappointed. 

The Lupin stories show none of the discipline of Conan Doyle’s plotting. With Holmes, there’s always suspension of disbelief - you know these situations would never happen but you go along with it because the stories are so good. With Lupin there’s no reality within the stories themselves - Lupin ostensibly explains how he was so successful in his thievery, but it’s beyond unlikely. I could never believe it within the confines of the story. 

Had I never read Sherlock Holmes I might have appreciated Arsene Lupin more but as it is, I found him an unlikable character and his exploits to be absurd.