8 h 26 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if the only way to save a condemned man lies with a politician who thrives on blackmail?
A burglary at Daubrecq’s house goes badly wrong. Gilbert, a young member of Arsène Lupin’s band, faces the guillotine. In Maurice Leblanc’s The Crystal Stopper, the gentleman burglar must turn his wit toward something more urgent than jewels: saving a man whose time is running out.
Daubrecq holds a secret list of compromised names and uses it to bend others to his will. As Lupin studies his houses, habits and friends, Gilbert’s mother, Clarisse Mergy, risks everything for her son. Police official Prasville also wants the secret, adding another obstacle to a contest already thick with traps.
What you’ll discover
- A burglar under pressure Follow Lupin as loyalty forces him to think faster than ever against a ruthless opponent.
- A secret worth blackmail Discover how Daubrecq turns a dangerous list into power over the people it could ruin.
- A mother’s fierce resolve Meet Clarisse Mergy, whose determination gives the race to save Gilbert its human weight.
- Traps and hiding places Trace a contest of minds through ingenious concealments, close scrutiny and plans that meet resistance.
- Suspense that keeps moving Feel the pressure of quick scenes that leave a question or danger hanging.
Who will love it
For readers who love fast, clever plots, villains with real menace, and a hero who wins by wit, with blackmail, betrayal and a race against the clock.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A burglary goes badly wrong
- A mother and a death sentence
- Daubrecq holds a list that could ruin many
- Lupin searches, and every trap fights back
- Loyalty, power and corruption beneath the chase
- How Leblanc builds suspense
Who’s who
- Arsène LupinThe gentleman burglar who must use all his wit to save a member of his band from execution.
- DaubrecqA powerful, ruthless deputy who uses a secret list of compromised names to bend others to his will.
- Clarisse MergyGilbert's mother, who will risk anything to rescue her condemned son.
- GilbertA young member of Lupin's circle, caught after a burglary at Daubrecq's house and sentenced to death.
- PrasvilleA high police official who also has reasons to want Daubrecq's secret and who complicates Lupin's task.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet, computer or Kindle, with the type as large as you like.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 8 h 26 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 7 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
eBooks and audiobooks open right away. Download EPUB or PDF, or send the book to your Kindle. Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then 0,14 USD a day in your first year on the yearly plan and 0,27 USD a day after, or 0,66 USD a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Read and hear Le Bouchon de cristal in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Le Bouchon de cristal
by Maurice Leblanc · 1912
Arsène Lupin must seize a ruthless politician's secret list to save a young man from the guillotine.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
Excellent
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then 0,14 USD a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A burglary goes badly wrong
The story begins with a robbery. Two men from Lupin's band, Gilbert and Vaucheray, break into the house of Daubrecq, a deputy in the French parliament. They are after something Lupin wants, and the plan seems simple. But the night does not go as planned, and violence enters the house.
The result is a disaster for the gang. Gilbert is caught and held for a crime that stains the whole enterprise. From this first scene, Leblanc makes clear that this is not one of the light, playful Lupin escapades. A real life is at risk, and the law moves quickly.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
Free gifts
580 USD in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
170 USDFREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
120 USDFREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
60 USDFREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
60 USDFREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
170 USDFREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Le Bouchon de cristal
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is The Crystal Stopper about?
It follows Arsène Lupin as he tries to save a condemned young man from the guillotine. To do so he must take a secret list of names from Daubrecq, a deputy who blackmails powerful people.
When was The Crystal Stopper written?
Maurice Leblanc published it in 1912, in French, as Le Bouchon de cristal. It is a work of fiction in the Arsène Lupin series, not a true story.
Who is Daubrecq in The Crystal Stopper?
Daubrecq is a French deputy who holds a list of names of compromised public figures. He uses it to blackmail others and is Lupin's most dangerous opponent in the book.
The author
Maurice Leblanc
1864–1941 · French mystery novelist
Maurice Leblanc was a French writer born in Rouen in 1864. He wrote novels and short stories, including the Arsène Lupin series, which began in 1905. His books include The Hollow Needle, published in 1909, and The Crystal Stopper, published in 1912. He died in Perpignan in 1941.
More by Maurice Leblanc
All 15 books
Free
Free
Free
Free
More like this
Free
Free
Free
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Popular in mystery and crime
See all
Free
