Raffles (Crime Classics)

By E.W. Hornung and Ernest William Hornung

Book Overview

Criminal mastermind, man-about-town, master of disguise, and a damn fine gentleman cricketer: Arthur J. Raffles is the classic lovable rogue "Do you think that because a fellow has rooms at this place and belongs to a club or two and plays a little cricket, he must necessarily have a balance in the bank? . . . I have nothing but my wits to live on." Raffles is a public-school cad and master burglar, with an aptitude for cricket and a passion for crime--an immaculately dressed gentleman thief who steals from the rich not to give to the poor, but rather to subsidize his own splendid lifestyle. Along with his sidekick--his former schoolmate and fellow gambler Harry "Bunny" Masters--he embarks on a series of thefts. But will they get away with it? First published in 1899, Raffles was an immediate success. With Raffles, the scoundrel-in-an-evening-suit, Hornung created an irresistible alternative to Sherlock Holmes.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1843548542
• ISBN13: 9781843548546
• Release Date: May 2011
• Publisher: Atlantic Books
• Length: 166 Pages
• Weight: 0.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.5" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

Evil thieving Sherlock Holmes

Yep this book pretty much gives you a take on what would happen if genius detective Sherlock Holmes were instead genius cat burglar Justice Raffles. Raffles commits high collar petty theft for fun and profit. He steals jewelry etc and uses his connections as a gentleman to sniff out new opportunities. At one point as he describes the many middle men involved in reselling a piece of stolen jewelry as he explains to Bunny how crime doesn't pay - financially anyway. Often he steals something just because of the challenge involved in stealing it, which leads to interesting and varied stories for us to read. Bunny is his unwitting and later witting accomplice. He narrates the stoires, as a sort of Watson to Raffles' Holmes. These were very charming stoires. If you like Sherlock Holmes and other victorian fiction then you will probably like these. I haven't read this particular ebook version and have no idea how good it's quality is. You can download the text for free at Gutenburg Project.

Evil thieving Sherlock Holmes

Yep this book pretty much gives you a take on what would happen if genius detective Sherlock Holmes were instead genius cat burglar Justice Raffles. Raffles commits high collar petty theft for fun and profit. He steals jewelry etc and uses his connections as a gentleman to sniff out new opportunities. At one point as he describes the many middle men involved in reselling a piece of stolen jewelry as he explains to Bunny how crime doesn't pay - financially anyway. Often he steals something just because of the challenge involved in stealing it, which leads to interesting and varied stories for us to read. Bunny is his unwitting and later witting accomplice. He narrates the stories, as a sort of Watson to Raffles' Holmes. These were very charming stories. If you like Sherlock Holmes and other victorian fiction then you will probably like these.

Evil thieving Sherlock Holmes

Yep this book pretty much gives you a take on what would happen if genius detective Sherlock Holmes were instead genius cat burglar Justice Raffles. Raffles commits high collar petty theft for fun and profit. He steals jewelry etc and uses his connections as a gentleman to sniff out new opportunities. At one point as he describes the many middle men involved in reselling a piece of stolen jewelry as he explains to Bunny how crime doesn't pay - financially anyway. Often he steals something just because of the challenge involved in stealing it, which leads to interesting and varied stories for us to read. Bunny is his unwitting and later witting accomplice. He narrates the stoires, as a sort of Watson to Raffles' Holmes. These were very charming stoires. If you like Sherlock Holmes and other victorian fiction then you will probably like these.

Wonderfully entertaining

When Bunny (a public-school nickname) finds himself hopelessly in debt, and on the verge of ruination, he turns to an old school chum of his, A.J. Raffles. It turns out that Raffles can help him, but not in the manner he had imagined. Having found himself in a similar predicament years ago, Raffles took a novel solution, he became an amateur cracksman, that is, a cat-burglar. Remarkably free from any sort of moral qualms, Raffles takes Bunny on as his assistant, and together they lead a life of gentleman criminals. Sometimes they score stunning coups, and sometimes they suffer humiliating defeats; this is the life of Raffles and Bunny. A man who was Arthur Conan Doyle's brother-in-law and friend wrote this story in 1899. This book reflects the more gentle style of Victorian literature (as also seen in the Sherlock Holmes stories), where the emphasis is placed on dialogue and suspense, rather than gunplay and action. Raffles is a gentleman, one without a moral compass, but one does know that there has to be a comeuppance somewhere, right? This is a wonderfully entertaining book, one that I recommend to you.

A great classic!

A great book that's very well written, The Amateur Cracksman is a must read classic. Though it lacks moral value (A. J. Raffles steals mostly just for kicks) it has what most great classics lack, a good sense of humor. It's about Bunny, a broke journalist on the verge of comitting suicide, who seeks help from from his best friend from school. Before he realises it, he has just become the loyal side-kick of one of England's greatest thieves. As Raffles is one of the best cricket players in England, he gets invited (along with the ever-faithful Bunny) to the houses of the rich and famous of England. At night, he robs them blind. Marvelously written, its set in the Victorian period. It's packed with action and adventure, and a lot of cynnical jokes. A great introduction to classics, it is a more relaxed story than most books of it's era. Though A. J. Raffles and Bunny are not exactly great role-models for young readers, their almost devious acts are ammended by their courageous acts on the battle field. I definitely recommend reading the Amateur Cracksman!