Reviews

The Amateur Cracksman by E.W. Hornung

eirinstiva's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

likecymbeline's review against another edition

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3.5

Akin to Dracula Daily, I've been subscribed to regular updates that share the Raffles stories through a Substack newsletter that comes a few times a week. I've been doing this with the Jeeves and Wooster stories as well out of an interest in these classic short stories that I never seem to sit down and just read. I've heard of Raffles and watched the Niven film (I have Ronald Colman's in the queue, too, given how much I simply love to listen to his voice), and had heard before that Hornung based their characters partly on Wilde and Bosie Douglas. That's a whole discussion, what with Bunny's abundantly clear and in no way casual adoration of Raffles, his fierce jealousy when Raffles pays attention to anyone else, and Raffles leading him into vice, etc. etc.

They're interesting stories when we're required to think of morality in the Victorian publishing landscape. Of course the criminals can't be seen to "get away" with it, but realistically the audience wants to see them triumph. Outwit the police and make off with their cunningly won prizes. It's thrilling and, after all, they're both so lovable or alluring (Raffles) or pathetic (Bunny) or whatever it is in the moment. Just fascinating. I want more crimes. 

jackievr's review

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

retrophrenologist's review

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lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

mtb_za's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Aping Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, except that Raffles and Bunny do crime instead of solve it. Also, Holmes and Watson are at least interesting. The hero-worship of Raffles by Bunny is incredibly strange, given the treatment he gets. Funnily enough, the best story in here was the first crime committed by Raffles, not least because there was no clueless and hopeless Bunny mooning around after him in despair of being ignored.

The ending is also deeply strange, and any sequel should only reveal that Raffles has some sort of mind-control powers, or that Bunny is merely a masochist in a very dependent relationship, but I doubt that it will.

a_random_lady's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

drivera956's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Imagine being Arthur Conan Doyle and your brother in law writes a gay thief AU of your OCs. Insane. Beautiful prose, thrilling plots, paper thin queer subtext. I, like Bunny, got completely engrossed until the journey was over. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

jobinsonlis's review against another edition

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3.0

Raffles is a terrible guy. Not because he’s a gentleman thief but because he’s such a shitty friend. Poor Bunny. That man needed someone in his life to tell him to quit being charmed by Raffles and look at his history of lying to him for shits and giggles. At least when Sherlock played tricks on Watson for a case, nothing bad happened to him in the end. Poor, poor Bunny.

belvidere's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

bmip666's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25