The Complete Raffles Collection

A.J. Raffles, The Gentleman Thief #1-4

by E.W. Hornung

This Halcyon Classics ebook collection contains the complete Raffles series by E.W. Hornung in four THE AMATEUR CRACKSMAN, FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE AMATEUR CRACKSMAN, A THIEF IN THE NIGHT, and MR. JUSTICE RAFFLES. Includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.

Raffles is a gentleman thief who supports himself by carrying out ingenious robberies through safecracking, lock-picking, masterful disguises, and unbelievable escapades. Well-dressed and well-spoken, Raffles is accompanied by his sidekick "Bunny" Manders; the two gentlemen cut a swathe of theft and adventure through the fashionable areas of London.

Ernest William Hornung (1866-1921) was an English author and brother-in-law to Arthur Conan Doyle. An accomplished writer, Hornung is most famous for writing the Raffles series of novels about a gentleman thief in late Victorian London.

This unexpurgated edition contains the complete text with errors and omissions corrected.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

653 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1984

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

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

E.W. Hornung was an English author of the late Victorian period, a friend of Arthur Conan Doyle and, later, married to Doyle's sister. Already a fairly popular fiction author in his own right--his stories of Stingaree and other characters inspired by his adventures in Australia as a young man--the success of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes compelled Hornung to write about a sort of anti-Holmes (an "inversion," Doyle called him), a gentleman and patriotic Englishman who was also a burglar and thief, albeit one with principles. This was one of the first times in English literature an author tried to make a criminal into a popular, even heroic character, and given the reception of his anti-hero Arthur J. Raffles and his sidekick, Harry "Bunny" Manders, when the stories were published serially in various British magazines, one has to conclude that Hornung succeeded. This book is a collection of all the Raffles stories Hornung published between 1898 and 1909.

His Raffles is one of those creatures peculiar to the place and time--fin de siecle England, at the height of its imperial power and with a rigid class structure. Raffles himself is a gentleman, meaning he maintains a certain lifestyle, but he is not titled and has no visible means of support for his sometimes lavish expenses. He lives in a well known (and actual) building in London that furnished apartments for bachelors, the Albany, and occasionally plays cricket for a popular team. He's actually quite a good cricketer, and famous for it, which gets him invited to social events that would usually be far above his station and which provide him with many of the opportunities he needs to ply his darker trade. It also makes his life of crime doubly dangerous, since he is so widely recognized. Imagine David Beckham as a cat burglar.

I can't talk too much about the plots of the various short stories without giving away spoilers related to the whole story arc. Suffice it to say that the first collection in this book, "The Amateur Cracksman," describes how Raffles and Bunny began their life of crime together, and sets the tone for their usual types of capers: Raffles senses an opportunity, hatches a plan, is very scanty on the details of the plan with Bunny, and counts on Bunny to behave in certain ways in order to pull it off, which Bunny always does. Bunny oscillates between worship of Raffles for his skill, brains, and principles, and being furious with him for not letting him in on all the details until after the heist. This first collection of their stories ends with a dramatic moment which surely must have had fans of the series shocked and dismayed when it was first published in Cassell's Magazine.

The second collection is "The Black Mask," and it...how to say this without giving anything away? It is more of the same, only the circumstances are changed. It also ends with a dramatic, almost Joss-Whedonesque final scene in the last story. I'll leave it at that, but rest assured that the stories are as enjoyable as those in the first collection.

The third collection, "A Thief in the Night," is again a collection of short stories, all set during the time period of the first collection, as Bunny (the narrator for all these tales, as Watson was for most of the Holmes stories) essentially is looking back and filling in some interstices in the chronology with additional stories, but he occasionally throws in a reference to events in the first and second series that help stitch them all into a whole, consistent collection.

The fourth part of this book, "Mr. Justice Raffles," is a novella that recounts a single incident over the course of just a few days--the reaction of Raffles when a Jewish loan shark takes advantage of some of his friends. I found this story particularly hard to read: between Hornung's elliptical language, liberal use of British middle-class slang, and sprinkling of incomprehensible cricket terms, it was very difficult to follow the plot, particularly at pivotal moments. Add to that the fact that the Raffles in this story doesn't really act like the Raffles in all the other stories--and at some points Bunny seems to hint at this, meaning Hornung himself probably realized it, even though this story is set during the time period of the first series. Truthfully I'd have enjoyed the book more (and it would have been about 150 pages shorter, a more manageable 370) had I not had to struggle through this final, odd story. But overall the collection is a wonderful read, with most of the stories being 10 pages or less, just right for some light entertainment before bed each night; and Raffles and Bunny are two of the most memorable and enjoyable characters you're likely to meet in your readings.

[Melinda Borie · Rating 4 out of 5]

EW Hornung married Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s sister and proceeded to pose to the world the following scenario: would the Sherlock Holmes stories be better if the detective were an infamous jewel thief and famous athlete, if they ripped details from Oscar Wilde’s life to suggest an elaborate homosexuality, if they contained twice the faked deaths, if the sidekick’s name were Bunny?

And the answer is yes.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lesser-known gem of the late Victorian/early Edwardian era, Raffles was once on a par with Sherlock Holmes, with Arthur Conan Doyle related to this author by marriage.

This complete collection contains some excellent stories of larceny and intrigue, along with a relationship between the two leads that looks rather like a homoerotic one by most readings. The details of the period are lovingly referenced by the editors, who clearly know their stuff and some of the other references can be found with a simple web search.

There are some questionable elements - antisemitism rears its ugly head more than once - so be prepared. Unfortunately, that comes with the territory in this era.

I feel that these characters would be well-served by another adaptation of their stories. Does anyone know how I can propose this to Netflix?

[Rowan MacBean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This complete collection includes, in order:

The Amateur Cracksman
Further Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman
A Thief in the Night
Mr. Justice Raffles


I enjoyed the first two parts, but the end of the second part kind of knocked me for a loop and I had to put the book down for about three months before I could muster up the will to keep going. When I started reading again, it just didn't feel the same, and I found myself struggling to keep going. So I'm not going to.

Fans of Victorian crime-related bromances, definitely look into The Amateur Cracksman and Further Adventures of. Then see if you're interested in going on with the others.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read the first story in this book. I found it interesting that the author was A.C. Doyle's brother-in-law and was writing a flip side to the crime-fighting duo of Sherlock in Watson in creating the gentlemen thieves Raffles and Bunny. That said, their relationship and adventures were okay. Just okay. But I guess it's hard to play second fiddle to one of the greatest duos ever created. As a writer, I'm glad A.C. Doyle isn't my brother-in-law! ;)

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holmes and Watson if Holmes was an egotistical jewel thief who took glee in keeping a well-meaning Watson in the dark. Raffles is a minor cricket celebrity who's full of himself. Bunny is his devoted friend who is not always treated very well and whose trust is taken advantage of. Entertaining as an historical curiosity, although too often I'm left with the mood "poor Bunny" to fully find them fun. This version has lots of useful notes capturing references of the time, so it's recommended.

[J R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd maybe bump it up to a 3.5 if the site let me. Raffles and Bunny are meant to be the anti-Holmes and Watson. The series was written by E.W Hornung to pay homage to his brother-in-law, Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories are entertaining, but not as good. I first heard of Raffles in a Raffles meets Holmes pastiche and, when I read online that the stories dealt with more complex issues (namely the unfair distribution of wealth), I wanted to read it. I was disappointed.
The first story, the Ides of March, begins with Harry "Bunny" Manders in debt and in danger of being taken to court if he doesn't get money in his bank very soon. He visits his old school friend, A.J. Raffles, as a last-ditch attempt at getting the needed money. Instead of lending him money or refusing him, Raffles tells him he's broke, too. Raffles then leads Bunny into crime to steal the money.
What disappointed me was that the more complex issues I had heard about are all but absent. The unfair distribution of wealth is only mentioned as a throw-away comment in the first story. Raffles doesn't steal because he wants to help others (except maybe Bunny); he does it for the thrill of it. And any sympathy for either Bunny or Raffle's poverty is confined to the first story. They steal enough to make them both rich and keep them rich if used wisely. Only they're stealing again in the next story, and the next, and the next. It seems like their justification is simply that they want to steal and keep up the appearance as gentlemen and spend whatever they want, so of course they should be able to. Raffles does it for the fun of it, Bunny because he loves Raffles. I mean, obviously the point of the series is that the main characters are criminals; the first collection is called "the Amateur Cracksman." But generally I like protagonists to have something sympathetic about them.

Now, one does get rather fond of Bunny and Raffles as time goes on. They are as loyal to one another as Watson and Holmes, and it's hard to not get fond of main characters unless they're absolute monsters (and they do have some morals). The stories themselves are entertaining. However, the writing style lacks something I can't put my finger on. The storylines and characters aren't all that complex. I don't feel all stories need to have deep philosophical aspects to them, but when there are absolutely none in an entire series of stories they become rather flat. I wouldn't call them classics, and they pale in comparison to the Sherlock Holmes stories. I'm not saying that the style isn't that good because the Holmes stories are better; I mean that the Raffles stories' writing style on its own isn't very good and that when one looks at the series next to the stories that inspired them the styles simply aren't in the same league.

The unsympathetic characters and the writing style detract from otherwise entertaining stories. They're still notable works simply because of the works that inspired them and the author's relationship to Doyle, but I wouldn't say the average reader, even the average bibliophile, is missing much if they don't read these stories.

[Lester Muirhead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raffles is the product of a minor public school, intelligent, charming, adventurous, good with his hands but with few scruples other than those that allow him to keep face with his peers. Such men would presumably become functionaries in the British empire at its height, Raffles chooses a different course, if he had not Edgar Wallace could have been writing about him in Sanders of the River.

[Kris]

I quite enjoyed the first half of the book until Raffles faked his death and left his friend Bunny (Boyfriend in my opinion) to take the rap for him. Said friend Bunny did PRISON time, had his reputation ruined and all Raffles could say was "Oh terribly sorry, my bad, that must have sucked." Not much of a gentleman really.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hornung writes at length but frankly with little depth. Light reading from days before television and BookFace or Twit/X. Manly titillation.

"...separated therefrom by an iron curtain,"
"It was Raffles I loved. It was not the dark life we led together, still less its base rewards; it was the man himself, his gayety, his humor, his dazzling audacity, his incomparable courage and resource. ..... I rose to greet him almost with a shout."
"...You stimulate me more than you think."

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Sherlock Holmes had been a burglar, he's be Raffles. Great collection of short stories, really enjoyed the characters.