Back in Britain in 1886, Hornung worked as a journalist as well as a fiction writer. He was writing during the time when Jack the Ripper was terrorizing London. Crime was rising throughout the city—a phenomenon that sparked his interest in the criminal mind

(E.W. Hornung, 2021).

Hornung spent most of his life in the Marleybone district of London. He was friends with many famous writers, including Jerome K. Jerome, Rudyard Kipling, and Oscar Wilde. He was respected by his fellow authors and known as a kind and humorous gentleman

(E.W. Hornung, 2021).

Though his own health prohibited playing much cricket, Hornung was an avid fan. In fact, it was a passion throughout his life. He belonged to two cricket clubs, which led to meeting the likes of Arthur Conan Doyle. His most famous fictional character, A W. Raffles, was in that sense his cricket alter ego!

Hornung wrote many other fiction pieces as well as poetry. His work included poetry, non-fiction, three plays, 56 stories (in eight collections), and 21 novels.

Hornung’s writing career slowed down during World War I.  His only son was killed in Ypres in 1915, a sorrow Hornung dealt with for the rest of his life. The war motivated Hornung to join the YMCA, where he helped run a library and a canteen in Britain and then in France. He wrote poetry and non-fiction about his time during the war.

The stress took a toll on Hornung’s health. He died in 1921 at the age of 54 (E.W. Hornung, 2021).

Where did Raffles come from? One theory is that the character was based on a real person, George Ives. According to Hornung biographer Andrew Lycett, Ives was a Cambridge-educated criminologist and cricket player of the time. Ives, presumably, was not a criminal himself, though like Raffles he lived in the gentleman’s exclusive residence, the Albany (E.W. Hornung, 2021).

Another biographer, Peter Rowland, suggested that Raffles and Bunny were based on Hornung’s friends, Oscar Wilde and his lover Lord Alfred Douglas.

He navigates in high society, quite above his actual social class. He and Bunny commit numerous burglaries over time—until they are caught during an ocean voyage. Raffles escapes (faking his own death by diving overboard). Poor Bunny is arrested and serves a prison sentence.

The final phase of stories occurs years later, when Bunny is released from prison. He is invited to the house of a rich invalid…who turns out to be Raffles in disguise. In this series, they are more traditional thieves who try to conceal Raffles identity. These stories were collected in The Black Mask magazine.

Here’s what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had to say about Raffles:

“I think I may claim that his famous character Raffles was a kind of inversion of Sherlock Holmes, Bunny playing Watson. He admits as much in his kindly dedication. I think there are few finer examples of short-story writing in our language than these, though I confess I think they are rather dangerous in their suggestion. I told him so before he put pen to paper, and the result has, I fear, borne me out. You must not make the criminal a hero.”

Literary critics have analyzed Hornung’s portrayal of Raffle and found several themes.  One theme we see in many stories reflects society’s view of a “New Woman.” Raffles stories don’t include romance; he doesn’t use or abuse women to conduct his crimes. On the contrary, his views of gender suggest that women are potentially equal to men.

Two other related themes play with social class and power. In his own way, Raffles sees a certain fairness in his thievery. He steals from the upper class as well as the rich. He shares his treasures, too, especially with down-and-out friends and others in need. And a final theme to mention ties back to society and belonging…or not. Hornung raises the ideas that Raffles is only accepted and invited to gatherings because of his fame as a cricket player.

Notice the qualities of Hornung’s writing:

• Clear and descriptive style of writing (he was known for this)

• The formal dialogue and picturesque vocabulary

You have to marvel at his use of language:

“Taken so horribly unawares, even Raffles must fall an easy prey to a desperado in resource and courage scarcely second to himself, but one whom he had fatally underrated from the beginning”

Translation: Raffles underestimated Lord Ernest Belville

And another example:

 “There is no keener honor than that which subsists, or ought to subsist, among thieves; and I need hardly say that I soon spotted you as one of the fraternity. Not in the beginning, mind you! For the moment I did think you were one of these smart detectives jumped to life from some sixpenny magazine; but to preserve the illusion you ought to provide yourself with a worthier lieutenant. It was he who gave your show away.”

• Compare the style/story to others of its time (Conan Doyle, Christie, etc.)

•  Consider the relationship between Raffles and Bunny and its role in the story

As you work through “To Catch a Thief” see if you can figure out our fascination with this mystery fiction story line. In a few weeks we’ll explore Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 variation on this theme, featuring Cary Grant.

E.W. Hornung. (2021 Wiki).  Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._W._Hornung

E.W. Hornung Biography. (2020). Retrieved from https://victorian-era.org/victorian-authors/e-w-hornung-biography.html

Raffles Stories. (2021). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raffles_stories_and_adaptations