Synopsis "The Frontier"

"The Frontier" is that old idea of the conflict between the old and the new, between fathers and sons, between the intense convictions of yesterday and to-morrow. The form which Le Blanc recreates it is that of the conflict between devotion to country and devotion to that latest ideal, world-wide Peace. The father is a rugged old French patriot who fought in the war with Germany, whose heart is still bitter, and whose hate flames quickly at the thought of Alsace and Lorraine. The son is a professor of history whose studies have taught him how vain are bloodshed and violence. The scene is at the father's home, on the frontier, and he himself precipitates the war between France and Germany that comes crashing along in the last few chapters like a thunderstorm out of a Summer sky. Woven in with this intense and agonizing emotional drama that goes on between father and son. and woven so cleverly that the very doing of it excites one's admiration, Is one of those fateful outbursts of elemental human passion which French novelists are accustomed to present as matters of course.

Maurice LeBlanc

(Author)

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Maurice-Marie-Émile Leblanc (Rouen, December 11, 1864-Perpignan, November 6, 1941), better known as Maurice Leblanc, was a French novelist and short story writer

Born into a wealthy family, his father was a rich shipowner based in Rouen. After finishing his law studies, he dedicated himself to working in various industries in the region. After a while not applying himself much to industrial work, he moved to Paris, where he began his literary career, from around 1892 until 1904. He published about ten books, the first of which was titled: Des Couples (Couples).

In 1904, Pierre Laffite, director of Je sais Tout, commissioned him a story for his newly founded magazine. Maurice accepted the commission and soon delivered an original titled "The Arrest of Arsène Lupin". According to the author's own words, this was the only Lupin story he had planned. However, Pierre Laffite was strongly impressed by the character and encouraged Leblanc to develop the character.

Thus, at forty years old and with a literary prestige earned by his previous works, Arsène Lupin was born from the hand of Leblanc, a gentleman thief, whose work consists of almost 20 books.

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