Advent 2020 Day 1
Dec. 1st, 2020 08:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
galadriel1010Tea: Moroccan Spice - Cinnamon, chicory, licorice, peppermint, ginger and orange herbal tea.
Book: The Collected Raffles by E.W. Hornung
Candle: (Probably) Winter Wonderland
Reading Progress - pp169-223, The Fate of Faustina; The Last Laugh and To Catch A Thief
AJ Raffles, gentleman cricketer and expert burglar, is the creation of EW Hornung, and in his day was described as the most famous cricketer in the world, and the most famous fictional character after Sherlock Holmes. He made his debut in 1898 in Cassell's Magazine alongside his close friend and biographer, Bunny Manders. The Holmes parallels persist - Hornung was Doyle's brother-in-law and they played cricket together for the Authors XI. Both characters also faked their own death, with Holmes falling first and Raffles rising first. But if you think the relationship between Holmes and Watson is shippy, you should give Raffles a try - Bunny can't go a page without telling you how wonderful and handsome he finds Raffles. If you like cricket, you'll also like Raffles - Raffles himself can't go more than a couple of pages without making a cricketing metaphor.
I've been working my way through the (almost) complete collection for a while, and picked it up first as part of my push to the end. I'm partway through the second collection, The Black Mask, with Raffles and Bunny precariously ensconced in their Earl's Court apartment.
Fate of Faustina and The Last Laugh - These are connected stories that were merged into one in the TV series. They aren't standard Raffles fare, and would actually be reasonably suited to a James Bond story. Faustina has a terribly sad ending, and the Last Laugh is as a result less triumphant than in the adaptation. Hornung's descriptions through Raffles are a delight, far more florid than those he gives to Bunny, for all Raffles teases Bunny about his literary aspirations. He conjoured up a world I wanted to step right into and then destroyed it with a blow, a crime for which I may never forgive him.
To Catch A Thief is more in the traditional Raffles vein. Someone is imitating Raffles, and Raffles isn't about to let that stand. This is one where I actually prefer the TV adaptation, but it's a fun romp all the same. It's an occasion where Raffles' pride gets the better of him and Bunny suffers for it, though, which is basically catnip to a fic writer. Watch this space.
It was a shorter session than intended today, so I may pick up the next story after quiz night.
An Old Flame was fabulous. Raffles up to his old tricks, then disaster, and then my heart getting ripped out even though I knew the twist that was coming. A lot of these stories actually hinge on Raffles cocking up but, as Bunny says in his narration, most of their adventures went perfectly smoothly and therefore made for boring tales. This is a story with a lot of shipfic potential, especially angst. Delicious angst.
The Wrong House is another cock-up. They are quite literally in the wrong house. Bunny really comes into his own for this, as brave and daring as he's ever been, and as quick on his feet. The way Hornung tones down his contributions in his narrative is very in-character for him and ever so charming for it.
Knees of the Gods is the final one in the second collection of the trilogy, and is where Raffles' story ends. It brings back Raffles as we and Bunny know and love him, confident swagger, firing off over after over of cricketing metaphors, proud to the last. And it is the last. Raffles gives away his wicket in the end, having run himself out of partners.
And at that point the shippers all step in and go "Don't you dare" and write fixit. Watch this space.
Session number two of the night has nearly finished my candle, and got me through The Black Mask; next up is A Thief In The Night. I absolutely recommend Raffles if you like Holmes/Watson. There is a very good reason that most critics read Raffles and Bunny as in love with each other. Bunny is certainly besotted with Raffles, and although he is an unreliable narrator, I feel like his reading on the situation tends to err on the understated side. The affection is clearly very mutual.
Book: The Collected Raffles by E.W. Hornung
Candle: (Probably) Winter Wonderland
Reading Progress - pp169-223, The Fate of Faustina; The Last Laugh and To Catch A Thief
AJ Raffles, gentleman cricketer and expert burglar, is the creation of EW Hornung, and in his day was described as the most famous cricketer in the world, and the most famous fictional character after Sherlock Holmes. He made his debut in 1898 in Cassell's Magazine alongside his close friend and biographer, Bunny Manders. The Holmes parallels persist - Hornung was Doyle's brother-in-law and they played cricket together for the Authors XI. Both characters also faked their own death, with Holmes falling first and Raffles rising first. But if you think the relationship between Holmes and Watson is shippy, you should give Raffles a try - Bunny can't go a page without telling you how wonderful and handsome he finds Raffles. If you like cricket, you'll also like Raffles - Raffles himself can't go more than a couple of pages without making a cricketing metaphor.
I've been working my way through the (almost) complete collection for a while, and picked it up first as part of my push to the end. I'm partway through the second collection, The Black Mask, with Raffles and Bunny precariously ensconced in their Earl's Court apartment.
Fate of Faustina and The Last Laugh - These are connected stories that were merged into one in the TV series. They aren't standard Raffles fare, and would actually be reasonably suited to a James Bond story. Faustina has a terribly sad ending, and the Last Laugh is as a result less triumphant than in the adaptation. Hornung's descriptions through Raffles are a delight, far more florid than those he gives to Bunny, for all Raffles teases Bunny about his literary aspirations. He conjoured up a world I wanted to step right into and then destroyed it with a blow, a crime for which I may never forgive him.
To Catch A Thief is more in the traditional Raffles vein. Someone is imitating Raffles, and Raffles isn't about to let that stand. This is one where I actually prefer the TV adaptation, but it's a fun romp all the same. It's an occasion where Raffles' pride gets the better of him and Bunny suffers for it, though, which is basically catnip to a fic writer. Watch this space.
It was a shorter session than intended today, so I may pick up the next story after quiz night.
An Old Flame was fabulous. Raffles up to his old tricks, then disaster, and then my heart getting ripped out even though I knew the twist that was coming. A lot of these stories actually hinge on Raffles cocking up but, as Bunny says in his narration, most of their adventures went perfectly smoothly and therefore made for boring tales. This is a story with a lot of shipfic potential, especially angst. Delicious angst.
The Wrong House is another cock-up. They are quite literally in the wrong house. Bunny really comes into his own for this, as brave and daring as he's ever been, and as quick on his feet. The way Hornung tones down his contributions in his narrative is very in-character for him and ever so charming for it.
Knees of the Gods is the final one in the second collection of the trilogy, and is where Raffles' story ends. It brings back Raffles as we and Bunny know and love him, confident swagger, firing off over after over of cricketing metaphors, proud to the last. And it is the last. Raffles gives away his wicket in the end, having run himself out of partners.
And at that point the shippers all step in and go "Don't you dare" and write fixit. Watch this space.
Session number two of the night has nearly finished my candle, and got me through The Black Mask; next up is A Thief In The Night. I absolutely recommend Raffles if you like Holmes/Watson. There is a very good reason that most critics read Raffles and Bunny as in love with each other. Bunny is certainly besotted with Raffles, and although he is an unreliable narrator, I feel like his reading on the situation tends to err on the understated side. The affection is clearly very mutual.
