Raffles, Further Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman by E.W. HornungMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I didn't love the first book, and enjoyed this one a little less. It's even more obvious that Bunny's only positive quality is his loyalty, and that this is why Raffles keeps him around - to have a convenient patsy who will always do whatever he's told, albeit sometimes incompetently - despite the fact that Raffles also clearly views him with contempt. He never apologizes for abandoning Bunny to the mercy of the authorities when he made his own escape, either (which resulted in Bunny serving 18 months in jail, although to be fair Raffles didn't have a great time either).
The author, through narrator Bunny, argues that his books are not the bad influence that critics have alleged, glorifying criminals, because the two characters are living in fear and not even really doing that well from their crimes, which... is a point, if not really one that applies so much to the first book.
Both of the characters are, in their different ways, romantics; they've abandoned parts of their society's standards while leaving other parts, like jingoistic patriotism, unquestioned, and that's their ultimate downfall. (view spoiler)
All in all, not a favourite.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment