The Amateur Cracksman
(9.00)475 pages.
Following the recent poll about Raffles versus Holmes, I decided it was time to read some of the tales.
As it turns out, Raffles today is well-known by way of movies, television and radioplays, but the original fiction was out of print for many years. I was able to find this 1984 reprint of all of the short stories (not including the sole novel). However, in this digital age and with the expiration of copyright, there are many digital collections available, and the original books are also available through the Gutenberg Project.
This volume includes a 15-page Foreword which provides an excellent history of Raffles in media, as well as George Orwell's essay, Raffles and Miss Blandish, which contrasts the Raffles tales with the excesses of modern crime fiction.
The basic concept is that Raffles, a gentleman (public school boy) and gifted amateur athlete (cricket bowler), secretly provides for his comfortable lifestyle through stealing jewelry and other valuables. Bunny, his old school mate, becomes his brave but less talented partner and chronicler of his adventures.
Note that the author, E.W. Hornung, was the brother-in-law of Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
The original stories were published in three books, and are reproduced here in the same order:
- The Amateur Cracksman
- Starting with the story of how Raffles recruited Bunny, his partner in crime, and ending with the adventure at sea when Raffles goes overboard and is believed dead (and Bunny goes to jail).
- The Black Mask
- Bunny, now a hardened ex-con, reunites with Raffles, who is in broken health, has prematurely white hair, and now must live in the shadows so that no one suspects he's alive. Ends with the duo volunteering for the Boer War, and Raffles dying in combat.
- A Thief in the Night
- Bunny, now revealed to be an invalid veteran, returns to tell the stories he couldn't tell before, ostensibly revealing Raffle's true character. Includes a two-story arc which provides Bunny's character with a finale.
These stories are believed to be the first which made the villain as the hero, which was controversial at the time these were published.
Note that these stories feature a lot of slang, references to English culture, and mentions of then-current events, much of which is obscure to the modern reader. ('Fag', for example, meant something completely different back then!) I found the stories difficult to read at first because of this, but eventually got up to speed. I noticed there is an annotated version available on Amazon which might be helpful. Depictions of foreigners may seem insensitive to modern readers.
Although Raffles has two love affairs in the course of the stories, all sexuality is implied rather than described. The strong bond between Raffles and Bunny may also seem sexual to modern readers, but was not intended as such when written.
As Bunny tells us, successful thefts make boring tales, so many of the stories involve the duo getting out of tough situations, or once again failing to acquire the fortune they desired. Raffles is also prone to take on a project just for the challenge, whether or not it is profitable.
Can you wargame it? You could certainly try to run a campaign inspired by the Boer Wars adventure, though many details would have to be filled in. The characters would be useful for many Pulp games.
Note that there is also an original Raffles novel, not in this collection as the novel is not well regarded. There have also been subsequent Raffles fiction by other authors.
I enjoyed the stories quite a lot.
Reviewed by 
Editor in Chief Bill 
.