A collection of 8 short stories which feature A.J. Raffles, gentleman, cricketer, and amateur cracksman, and his old school mate Bunny Manders, a bunny in most senses of the word. In the first story The Ides of March Raffles prevents Bunny who is constantly in debt, like Raffles, having no honest source of income, from committing suicide. The eight stories are narrated by Bunny, with the plots complicated by the fact that Raffles doesn't always keep him totally informed. At times Raffles uses Bunny as a decoy, and at times Bunny initiates action on his own because he thinks Raffles has failed. Of course Raffles never fails, and in the long run it is Bunny who pays most dearly.

The stories depict Raffles as a master burglar, a gentleman, a sportsman who extends the code of cricket, of "playing fair", to thievery. He is much sought after because he is such a splendid cricketer, both at the bat and as a bowler, and various invitations give him the opportunity to relieve others of their riches. As with Conan Doyle's Holmes and Moriarty, Raffles has his principal opponent in Scotland Yard's Inspector Mackenzie. The Penguin blurb credits Ernest Hornung with creating " a unique form of crime story, where, in stealing, as in sport, it is playing the game that counts, and there is always honour among thieves".

The stories in this collection:

1. The Ides of March.
2. A Costume Piece.
3. Gentlemen and Players.
4. Le Premier Pas.
5. Wilful Murder.
6. Nine Points of the Law.
7. The Return Match.
8. The Gift of the Emperor.

So here we have the forerunner of a style of book that we thought was modern - where the villain is the central character. Although, unlike Jeff Lindsay's Dexter Morgan in DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER, or Simon Kernick's Dennis Milne, Raffles never kills.

I think the text of the stories is a bit dated, the language a bit more formal than we use now, and certainly I noticed the odd word that is no longer part of our regular vocab. But in the late 19th century, these stories must have been a breath of fresh air. Hornung was Conan Doyle's brother in law, and whereas in Holmes vs Moriarty you have good vs evil, in Raffles you really have evil vs. good. Interestingly they both, Homes and Raffles, have rather lame sidekicks in Watson and Bunny.

As you can see, I'm rather taken with the stories although I'm only rating it at 4.2.
They won't be everyone's cup of tea. But they are short quick reads if you want to dabble or listen like I did. ( )

A tale of a couple of English gentlemen of leisure fallen on hard times, The Amateur Cracksman reads like most Victorian-era novels of the A.C. Doyle - J.S. Fletcher crime school, although the Watson, named Bunny in this case, is an even larger idiot than normal, and Raffles is a much less interesting character than Holmes.

The book is presented as a series of short stories, each a separate undertaking of the lawbreaking duo (although Bunny usually offers only ineffectual help) that seem to focus more on Bunny's moral misgivings than any real descriptions of the actual crimes.

This text is also available at Project Gutenberg, and, even so, I doubt I got my money's worth. ( )

Raffles is a series of short stories about a charismatic gentleman thief (narrated by his friend and partner in crime) who steals for the love of the chase as much as for his livelihood. If that sounds a bit familiar, it's worth pointing out that Hornung was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's brother-in-law, Doyle was the one who suggested that Hornung take a one-shot about a gentleman thief and turn it into a series, and the two proceeded to steal ideas from each other with apparent relish. The similarities between Raffles and Holmes are certainly obvious - while I'd hesitate to classify Raffles as a genius of the same caliber as Holmes, he's undoubtedly quite clever in his capers, and the two series bring the same sense of artistry to their respective professions.

There are several issues with the Raffles stories - for one thing, they're rather short and go by far too quickly; the setup for each story takes so long that you sometimes feel rather gypped on the heist itself. The characterization is also somewhat halfhearted; Raffles is certainly charming enough, but it's in a general sort of way, told more often than shown, and though he expresses strong opinions, they usually seem to be thrown in for the sake of expressing strong opinions, and they frequently contradict each other (for example, while Raffles apparently has a code of honor as a thief, he only cites it when he's breaking one of his own rules). His partner Bunny, meanwhile, has very little personality beyond his conflicted morals; I realize Bunny's struggle was deliberate to avoid glamorizing crime as an alternative lifestyle, but in a series intended to be light entertainment, there's only so much self-loathing you can throw in before it starts to drag things down a bit. For all that, though, the series is still a lot of fun, with all the capers quite varied and high-energy. There's a tension that's missing in Sherlock Holmes; we know Holmes and Watson will come through with no permanent damage and with justice upheld, but things can and do go very wrong for Raffles at times, and he and Bunny stand to lose everything if they get caught. Raffles is also surprisingly ruthless, and you can never tell quite how far he'll be willing to go if he feels threatened. Not my favorite entry into the Victorian/Edwardian "gentleman (insert profession here)" borderline-abusive buddy series genre, but thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. ( )

This charming caper story follows Raffles and Bunny, two gentleman jewel thieves. Raffles is the anti-Holmes -- his cleverness is unmatched, though used for ill. Bunny is a somewhat reluctant accomplice at first, and is seems unsporting that he should be the one caught in the end. Still, a pleasant adventure story that seems as relevant in the 21st century as it did when published. ( )

This book (originally published in 1899) is the first collection of stories about A.J. Raffles, 'gentleman thief' and first-rate cricket player. E.W. Hornung, who married Conan Doyle's sister Connie, presents a unique pair in English literature: Raffles, debonair and handsome thief (but the world knows him only as a cricket player) and 'Bunny', who records the adventures of his friend in the tradition of Watson.
A.J. Raffles is the consumate English gentleman. He's quick witted, polite, has a spotless appearance, excels at cricket . . . and earns his living by burglary. Horung's Raffles is a sort of counter to Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, using his intellect for theft rather than for detection. With his sidekick and chronicler Bunny, Raffles has a series of adventures where pulling off the crime is the key, not catching the criminal.
Raffles, though a scamp, isn't a monster. He's not a killer, although he contemplates it in the story "Wilful Murder". Also, he's not always sucessful, as in the story "Costume Piece", where Raffles and Bunny escape by the skin of their teeth, empty-handed.
This book is good fun all around. Definitely recommended for people who like Victorian stories, drawing rooms mysteries, crime novels, and mild satires of conventions. ( )