Joseph Rouletabille

Joseph Rouletabille is a fictional character created by Gaston Leroux, a French writer and journalist.

Contents

Overview

In the first novel, The Mystery of the Yellow Room, Rouletabille solves an attempted murder in a locked room mystery. The book reveals that Rouletabille is the nickname of 18-year-old journalist Joseph Josephin, who was raised in a religious orphanage in Eu, a small town near Fécamp.

It the novel Rouletabille's meets Ballmeyer, an international criminal of great repute and many identities (a character possibly inspired by fictional Arsène Lupin). As Jean Roussel, Ballmeyer married a rich American heiress, Mathilde Stangerson, the Lady in Black of the second novel.

(The second novel has a dating problem: the first is stated as taking place in 1892, yet the sequel is stated as taking place in 1905 and three years later. Perhaps 1902 is a more acceptable date for the first novel.)

Ballmeyer returns in The Perfume of the Lady in Black at the end of the story, which takes place in a castle on the French Riviera. Soon afterwards, Rouletabille is summoned to Russia by the Czar, where he solves a murder at the Imperial Court.

Then there is a break. The next novel takes place contemporaneously, circa 1914. The fearless journalist marries the beautiful Ivana Vilitchkov and defeats the mad Turkish warlord Gaulow.

In Rouletabille chez Krupp, Rouletabille became a French secret agent and infiltrates the Krupp factories. This is one of the earliest espionage thrillers. Rouletabille saves Paris from being annihilated by a German missile.

In Le Crime de Rouletabille, the detective is almost framed for Ivana's murder. Then, in Rouletabille chez les Bohémiens, he helps recover a sacred book stolen from the Gypsies.

Books

  1. Le Mystère de la Chambre Jaune (The Mystery of the Yellow Room) (serial. in L'Illustration, 1907; rep. Lafitte, 1908)
  2. Le Parfum de la Dame en Noir (The Perfume of the Lady in Black) (serial. in L'Illustration, 1908; rep. Lafitte, 1909)
  3. Rouletabille chez le Tsar (Rouletabille and the Czar) (serial. in L'Illustration, rep. Lafitte, 1913). Reprinted as The Secret of the Night in the U.S.
  4. Rouletabille à la Guerre (Rouletabille at War) (serial. in Le Matin, 1914; rep. as 2 vols.: Le Château Noir (The Black Castle) and Les Étranges Noces de Rouletabille (The Strange Wedding of Rouletabille), Lafitte, 1916)
  5. Rouletabille chez Krupp (Rouletabille at Krupp's) (serial. in Je Sais Tout, 1917; rep. Lafitte, 1920)
  6. Le Crime de Rouletabille (The Crime of Rouletabille) (serial. in Je Sais Tout, 1921; rep. Lafitte, 1923)
  7. Rouletabille chez les Bohémiens (Rouletabille and the Gypsies) (serial. in Le Matin, 1922; rev. Lafitte, 1923)

Authorized Sequels by Noré Brunel:

  1. Rouletabille contre la Dame de Pique (Rouletabille vs. The Queen of Spades) (serial. in Le Soir, 1947)
  2. Rouletabille Joue et Gagne (Rouletabille Plays and Wins) (serial. in Le Soir, 1947)

Films

Television

Comics

Radio

The Secret of the Yellow Room was adapted, fairly faithfully, for BBC Radio Four around 1999, with a far looser adaptation of The Perfume of the Woman in Black following around a year later.

External links