Mr Justice Raffles

A.J. Raffles, The Gentleman Thief #4

by E.W. Hornung

Raffles had vanished from the face of the town, and even I had no conception of his whereabouts until he cabled to me to meet the 7.31 at Charing Cross next night. That was on the Tuesday before the 'Varsity match, or a full fortnight after his mysterious disappearance. The telegram was from Carlsbad, of all places for Raffles of all men!

Of course there was only one thing that could possibly have taken so rare a specimen of physical fitness to any such pernicious spot. But to my horror he emerged from the train, on the Wednesday evening, a cadaverous caricature of the splendid person I had gone to meet.

"Not a word, my dear Bunny, till I have bitten British beef!" said he, in tones as hollow as his cheeks. "No, I'm not going to stop to clear my baggage now. You can do that for me to-morrow, Bunny, like a dear good pal" ...

Genres: Classics, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Short Stories, Victorian, Ebooks

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1909

About the author

Ernest William Hornung known as Willie, was an English author, most famous for writing the Raffles series of novels about a gentleman thief in late Victorian London.

In addition to his novels and short stories Hornung wrote some war verse, and a play based on the Raffles stories was produced successfully. He was much interested in cricket, and was "a man of large and generous nature, a delightful companion and conversationalist".

Reviews

[Amy Spector · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad to say this looks to be the last of original A.J. Raffles stories. It’s also the only title that contains a single story and not a collection of short, sequentially linked adventures.

While with all previous books in series you occasionally find a quiet racism (these were published between 1899-1909), this story is quite a bit louder about it.

In truth, I think it’s my favorite story, with dear Bunny (our Watson to Raffles’ Holmes) vowing to finally portraying Raffles with all his flaws. Just be warned, the racial bits do pull you out of the story. And I can see it affecting someone's enjoyment.

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is rather like the curate's egg - good in parts. Yes, the London scene pre-World War I is well set and the action does, on occasions, move swiftly along but on other occasions the plot seems long drawn out and there are, consequently, lengthy spells of inactivity.

I do love Raffles as a character and it is no surprise to find one lady in this novel stating, 'Of course I don't know much about him. But does anybody know anything of Mr Raffles except as a cricketer?' To which the devoted Bunny Manders says, 'I do.' Asked then what he is, Bunny replies, 'The best fellow in the world, among other things.'

And Bunny's devotion is quite apparent in this tale as he is prepared to follow Raffles anywhere - to the grave if necessary! They are on the tail of a moneylender who has got a hold over some of Raffles' friends and they get into various scrapes as they try to get the better of him.

Inevitably they finally do get the better of the moneylender but by then the reader may well have lost interest or be just continuing the tale to see what exactly happens ... as I did. But, as I have said, there are some good parts and it is overall a light-hearted read, if not as enjoyable as other of Hornung's Raffles stories.

[Sylvester (Taking a break in 2023) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite entertaining - but almost more of a tease, as there are references to other adventures that make me wish this was an omnibus! Now I'm going to have to ferret out the others! (Yes, cricket lovers would have added incentive to read this.)Raffles is smart as a whip and keeps his friend (and me) guessing to the end. What larks! Really.

A lot of Raffles adventures are available on Librivox.

[Jim Dooley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of the amateur cracksman, A.J. Raffles, will likely want to read this final installment of his adventures. The change in format, though ... going from short stories to a novel ... works against it.

It is impossible not to sense the similarity in style between the Raffles stories and those of Conan-Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. But, while Sherlock Holmes successfully made the transition to the occasional novel, Raffles seems out of his depth. The result is an extended series of incidents between the protagonist and the antagonist rather than one solid story that continually builds to a resolution.

There are twists and turns aplenty. I was infrequently surprised by any of them. That can be seen as the writer “playing fair” with the Reader and not pulling a mysterious “fact” out of a hat. For me, the result was wondering when the story would catch up with what I already knew.

The jaunty affability between Raffles and Bunny is still fun, and there are a couple of “tight spots” that are very exciting. So, there are rewards to be found. It would just have been so much better if there was one major conflict source that built throughout instead of multiple incidents. The former would have made a worthy send-off.

[Rhiannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably shouldn't have had this as my first experience of reading Raffles, but I enjoyed it well enough. The story was cleverly crafted and it took me a little bit to come to know Raffles and Bunny, but I grew fond of them rather quickly. I really enjoyed their relationship, and certainly saw the similarities to Holmes & Watson. I will say, that there are elements of this that have aged rather poorly, when looked at through modern eyes, especially the descriptions of the character Dan Levy which made for uncomfortable reading, as well as some unsavoury language choices.

[Dovile · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can see why the readers were disappointed when this novel first came out, but it's not bad really, just less of a typical Raffles theft story and somewhat drawn out. There's more place for character development though and I especially liked the rarity in a Victorian novel - a strong female character.
Since sports in novels usually bore me and I have zero knowledge on cricket apart from what I've seen in the occasional Brit movie (there are more Quidditch players over here in Lithuania than cricketers), and since cricket is a large part of this novel, I found myself skipping over some scenes. Also, were I the author, I'd have put the epilogue chapter 'Apologia' as a framing prologue (it would've worked better at the beginning intriguing the reader) and only left for the epilogue the explanation of where Teddy had been on the day of the game.

Just do yourself a favour and read an annotated version - there are so many then-current and classical references in this novel. All Raffles stories, one of the plays and this novel are available for free here online.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, even though I of course love all the stories about Raffles, this was a bit of an odd one.
I must say that I personally liked the first and the third book best, and the second book probably least.
This book feels as if Mr. Hornung tried to drag out what would have suited a much shorter story better and make it as convoluted and full of twists as he possibly could. Even Mr. McKenzie, the Scotland Yard detective, makes an appearance towards the end.

I wasn't convinced by what the novel stated as Raffles's motivation either, at the end. Here we had the author convincing us over about 160 odd pages, that he nobly was trying to help a friend, but wait ... no, that wasn't his true motivation at all! And Teddy Garland, Raffles' friend, was supposed to have been fine with this somehow? Also, Mr. Manders (that is, Bunny) seemed quite taken with Teddy's fiance himself ...
All in all, this is a very odd story, full of twists and turns. As always, it gives a very true and living description of the time and lives that people lived around that time; a time of smoky London, full of hansoms and cabbies, and that makes it enjoyable.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would. Like I said, this is not my favourite in the series, and an odd note to end the series on, but it is enjoyable and entertaining enough.

[Okuta Otherside · Rating 4 out of 5]

First i want to say that A.J. Raffles and Harry "Bunny" Manders have the most beautiful friendship in book that i ever read! Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are have a beautiful friendship too but A.J. Raffles and Bunny friendship is on different level in my opinion. In this book, the story start when Teddy Garland, Raffles junior is in the problem because of his debt with Daniel Levy. Raffles then doing all of he can do to help his junior, and this means stealing, deceiving and kidnapping Daniel Levy to save Teddy. This book is really thrilling, and in this book we can see more about Raffles and Bunny characters. I can say that this book has a good story and it end Raffles and Bunny adventures beautifully!

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the final book in the Raffles series. I have really enjoyed this series. I loved Bunny's pov as he narrated his life with Raffles and the capers and crimes they got involved in. Unlike the other three books this is not a collection of short stories instead it is a full length novel. Raffles and Bunny come to the rescue of Raffles friend Teddy who has borrowed from a moneylender who charges massive amounts of interest. Raffles who has had run-ins with the moneylender before so he decides to teach the man a lesson. The antagonist is Jewish and so the anti-Semitism is somewhat frequent. Which is a bit of a disappointing note to end on. Overall I think Hornung really shows his strength in his short stories, novel length is not as quite as great but still good.

[Laura Rye · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read....the very British phrases and words made it a tougher read than expected. His style of writing is unusual compared to most of the authors I have read before this. I missed some of the action and some of the play-on-words while winding my way through this book. But, it was a fascinating read and I will re-read it later on to catch more of the richness inside the story. I seem to remember reading it was the only full length Raffles novel, also the last of the series. I will be looking for the other three books--short stories--of this series...After reading those I may be able to step into this final novel and appreciate it to its fullest. I heartily recommend it!

[Micha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the only Raffles novel, and it felt quite drawn out even if it doesn't make for a terribly long book altogether. The plot seemed convoluted and the antisemitism is sure, uh, rife. It's definitely a glimpse at Victorian culture and preoccupations, and Raffles remains a curious character for his utter refusal to be a hero no matter how often Bunny (and the presumed reading public) wish to make him into one. I liked that we returned to the time when Raffles was at full liberty and pursuing his cricket and thievery in equal parts, but I could've done with much more of his high-class burglary and less of hostage situations.

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it was a thrilling story with a slow burn and a remarkably threatening villain. On the other hand, I can't put my finger on it, but it felt darker than the others Raffles books and I struggled to understand Raffles and his intentions. I think, too, I struggle in general with how Raffles treats Bunny, for example in this story drugging his food and keeping him in the dark about so many things.

That being said, I think I might give this one another go when I'm in a better frame of mind. Perhaps a second reading will find me kinder than the first one.

[Lisa Isabella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meskipun aksi Raffless kurang menggigit. Ada satu pesan moral yang saya dapatkan dari novel ini yaitu pencuri dan rentenir sama-sama salah. Keduanya bukanlah pekerjaan yang pantas ditiru, apa pun alasannya. Setiap orang punya potensi melakukan apa saja, baik atau buruk. Tetapi, setiap diri punya pilihan hidup masing-masing. Pengendalian diri sangat penting dalam kehidupan anak Adam.

Rating Book: ★★★★★ (5/5)

[Hillary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welp, I've got some mixed feelings about this one. This is the only Raffles book that's a single story rather than a collection of short stories that fit together a little disjointedly, so that part I liked. Hornung is actually stronger in this format, I think. However, the good comes with a steaming pile of racism and antisemitism, which is decidedly not good. Raffles and Bunny are also less wildly in love this time around, so there's less to savor there as well.

[Philip McLaughlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nod to The Merchant of Venice, with the Jewish money lender very much the villain in the same way. Unsurprisingly very racist given the time it was written. The only sympathetic note sounded for Hornung's "Shylock", Daniel Levy, is that he complains he would never get justice in a British court of law. The long form of the novella allows a story to build, and Raffles as well as evading the law for his nefarious activities chooses to evade the love of a good woman.

[stormhawk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some characters work better in short stories. Raffles seems one of these. The novel is overly long, overly labrythine, and dear Raffles does not seem to behave entirely like himself, branching out from some gentlemanly burglary to deeper crimes, including extortion and kidnapping. Unless, like myself, you are a completeist, I'd give this one a pass.

[Squeaky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am enjoying these stories rather much. Of course I started with the last book!

I read the Project Gutenberg EBook edition, not the one I selected for this "review". So much for bibliographic veracity. I'm just too lazy to create a new edition. I am ashamed.

[Charles A Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raffles is a good read

I enjoyed reading about the adventures of Raffles and
Meanders and how Raffles got out of his problem with his enemy.

[Patience Panneflek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

All 4 books are really good, all of good quality. I enjoyed this book as much as the others, i am only sorry the adventure has come to an end.

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: Raffles had vanished, and even Bunny had no idea of his whereabouts. Two weeks later, he called for a meeting. What's happening?

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raffles at his nastiest and most sinister— which is an interesting change of pace. not a great story, but certainly has it’s particular moments.

[Adhit]

Sepertinya yg ini juga gagal dibaca habis.

[Jennifer Booth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very slow

I felt it moved very slow. The chapters were pretty much dry with no real action! I felt to not to get the second installment

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are fun parts, but the short stories are generally much better.

[Eirin Stiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good mix of "An Old Flame" and "Wilful Murder" with a hint of ACD's "The Final Problem". It's good except for the antisemitism.

[Samrat]

Raffles and Bunny back at it again. It's darker in tone, by a fair bit, than the previous works, and quite a bit more overtly bigoted - possibly even for its time.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Raffles stories are fine. This novel was overlong, wordy, and antisemitic. Wouldn’t recommend.

[s · Rating 4 out of 5]

nobody talks about this story at ALL for some reason ?? i was worried raffles wouldn’t work in full length novel style but the story definitely did. some people were complaining there was too much cricket but honestly that’s the point? and even i wasn’t annoyed (irish person↖️) so it must have been fine. a star is taken off because this story heavily features an antisemitic caricature tho😭 the story could have worked exactly the same without the constant reiteration that the main villain is “a jew”... it soured the story significantly imo. but it’s a shame this is the last story because raffles is eternal tbh

[Hobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books “PENCURI LEGENDARIS DARI INGGRIS”
Judul Asli : MR. JUSTICE RAFFLES
[ book 4 of A.J. RAFFLES Series ]
Copyright © E.W. Hornung | first published by Smith, Elder & Co. in 1909
Penerbit Visimedia
Alih Bahasa : Melody Violine
Editor : Fitria Pratiwi
Proofreader : Tim Redaksi Visimedia
Desain Sampul & Lay-out : Nuruli Khotimah
Cetakan I : Maret 2013 ; 422 hlm ; ISBN 979-065-173-2
Rate : 3.5 of 5

Siapa yang tak kenal dengan sosok A.J. Raffles – pemain kriket yang terkenal akan kemampuannya di lapangan permainan. Sosoknya yang menawan, tampan dan pandai bergaul, selalu memikat khalayak umum serta para penggemarnya. Namun hanya sedikit bahkan bisa dikatakan tiada satu pun dari mereka yang mengetahui secara persis, siapa sebenarnya sosok beliau. Hanya ada satu orang yang mengetahui ‘rahasia-kelam’ dibalik penampilan Raffles yang sempurna itu. Ia adalah Harry ‘Bunny’ Manders – adik kelas sekaligus sahabat serta rekan Raffles dalam bidang yang sama sekali berbeda.

Kalangan sosialita papan atas mengenal Raffles sebagai salah satu dari mereka. Sebenarnya Raffles beserta rekannya Bunny, melakukan ‘penyamaran’ yang nyaris sempurna, demi menutupi aktifitas rahasia yang menjadi sumber penghasilan kehidupan mereka di kalangan atas. Mereka atau tepatnya Raffles adalah pencuri budiman (gentleman thief) yang mencari korban kaum kaya raya, terutama yang suka memamerkan harta serta simpanan berharga mereka. Atau pihak-pihak yang menyombongkan kemampuan sistem keamanan mereka yang tak bisa ditembus, menimbulkan sebuah tantangan tersendiri bagi sang pencuri budiman ini.

more about this book, just check at here :
( http://my-mystery-readings.blogspot.c... )

[Yngvild · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr Justice Raffles ends the Raffles series by E W Hornung with one long story in which Raffles matches wits with a moneylender as clever and resourceful as himself. Hornung is a superb storyteller and this comes closer to a conventional crime novel than the earlier Raffles stories, with hero and anti-hero (whichever is which) creatively thinking their ways out of all sorts of impossible situations.

“You may be the biggest man alive at your job; you are certainly the biggest villain.”

“But I’m up against a bigger now,” said Levy, shifting his position and closing his crimson eyes.

“Possibly,” said Raffles.
--Mr Justice Raffles, E W Hornung (1909)

Raffles’ behaviour is unconventional, but only technically illegal, which removes some of the tension of the other stories. In exchange, Hornung makes the “stupid” character (there always has to be one) Raffles’ loyal chum, Bunny, rather than the villain (too easy) or a girlfriend (too predictable). That is only a small twist, but it is typical of choices Hornung makes to bring Mr Justice Raffles up to the level of a highly superior early twentieth-century crime-adventure story.