Book Anatomy · Crime and mystery
Anatomy of The Amateur Cracksman
E.W. Hornung, 1899. Public domain in the UK and the US. The gentleman thief; the reader on the wrong side.
Ask The Amateur Cracksman a question about its craft (free beta)
Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
Lessons to borrow
- A narrator's moral journey can be as compelling as the protagonist's actions; Bunny's internal conflict between honesty and loyalty to Raffles drives reader engagement more than the crimes themselves.
- Recurring motifs like ventilators and disguises create narrative coherence and allow readers to anticipate how the protagonist will solve problems, building satisfaction when expectations are met or subverted.
- A relentless antagonist who appears across multiple chapters and cases creates mounting tension; Mackenzie's persistent pursuit makes each crime feel increasingly dangerous rather than merely exciting.
All 180 lenses
The 20 lenses below are the most asked for. The full set of 180 is grouped in 12 pages:
Beat positions Both
Story and structure · lens A1 · compare across books
| Beat | Where | Our reading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inciting incident | Ch 1 (Section 1), about 3% through | Bunny visits Raffles in desperation over worthless cheques and Raffles offers to help through burglary. | |
| First turning point | Ch 2 (Section 2), about 9% through | Bunny and Raffles commit their first burglary together on Bond Street, crossing the line into active crime. | |
| Midpoint | Ch 10 (Section 10), about 57% through | Raffles and Bunny discover Baird dead, shifting from theft to involvement with murder and deeper criminal entanglement. | |
| Low point | Ch 14 (Section 14), about 80% through | Bunny finds Raffles apparently dead on the floor during Mackenzie's pursuit, believing his partner is lost. | |
| Climax | Ch 17 (Section 17), about 97% through | Mackenzie boards the ship and confronts Raffles, who reveals the pearl and then jumps overboard to escape. | |
| Resolution | Ch 17 (Section 17), about 97% through | Bunny is imprisoned and uncertain whether Raffles survived the jump, left to contemplate his friend's fate. |
You know I dropped over two hundred just now? (Ch 1, para 11)
The equivalent--from his shop. (Ch 2, para 37)
Angus Baird was lying on his own floor, dead, with his gray hairs glued together by his blood (Ch 10, para 81)
A man was lying at full length before the fire on his back, with a little wound in the white forehead, and the blood draining into his eyes. And the man was Raffles himself! (Ch 14, para 110)
Percent is the middle of that chapter as a share of all words. The beat labels are our AI reading of the chapter notes.
Chapter length chart Count
Pace · lens D1 · compare across books
17 chapters. Median 3,078 words, shortest 2,787, longest 3,235. Whole book 52,529 words, about 3.5 hours at 250 words a minute.
Each bar is one chapter in reading order. Hover for the title and count.
Dialogue share per chapter Count
Dialogue and voice · lens C1 · compare across books
44% of all words are dialogue. A further 9% is long told stories inside quote marks (a narrator within the story), which we count apart. Speech tags: "said" is 61% of tag verbs we found.
Cast and presence map Count
Character · lens B1, B2 · compare across books
| Character | Role (our reading) | Share of mentions | Chapters on page | First appears |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. J. Raffles | lead | 50% | 17 of 17 | Ch 1, para 1 |
| Bunny | narrator | 19% | 17 of 17 | Ch 1, para 44 |
| Inspector Mackenzie | antagonist | 8% | 6 of 17 | Ch 5, para 51 |
| Reuben Rosenthall | minor | 4% | 5 of 17 | Ch 3, para 28 |
| Lord Amersteth | minor | 3% | 3 of 17 | Ch 5, para 66 |
| Crawshay | minor | 3% | 4 of 17 | Ch 13, para 52 |
| Captain von Heumann | minor | 3% | 3 of 17 | Ch 15, para 93 |
| Sir Bernard Debenham | minor | 2% | 3 of 17 | Ch 11, para 61 |
| Bennett Addenbrooke | ally | 2% | 2 of 17 | Ch 11, para 36 |
| Lady Melrose | minor | 2% | 4 of 17 | Ch 6, para 43 |
| Angus Baird | antagonist | 2% | 3 of 17 | Ch 9, para 66 |
| Miss Melhuish | minor | 1% | 2 of 17 | Ch 6, para 17 |
Who is on the page, chapter by chapter
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. J. Raffles | |||||||||||||||||
| Bunny | |||||||||||||||||
| Inspector Mackenzie | |||||||||||||||||
| Reuben Rosenthall | |||||||||||||||||
| Lord Amersteth | |||||||||||||||||
| Crawshay | |||||||||||||||||
| Captain von Heumann | |||||||||||||||||
| Sir Bernard Debenham | |||||||||||||||||
| Bennett Addenbrooke | |||||||||||||||||
| Lady Melrose |
Most shared chapters: A. J. Raffles and Bunny (17), A. J. Raffles and Inspector Mackenzie (6), Bunny and Inspector Mackenzie (6), Bunny and Reuben Rosenthall (5), A. J. Raffles and Reuben Rosenthall (5).
Counts use the names and aliases in our cast list. A name in narration or speech counts as a mention.
Chapter ending hooks AI
Pace · lens D8 · compare across books
Chapter endings: 6 cliffhanger, 5 reveal, 4 question, 2 quiet.
Chapters end with questions, cliffhangers, and reveals that propel the reader forward. Early chapters use cliffhangers around burglaries and arrests, while later chapters shift to questions about Raffles's survival and Bunny's fate.
Every chapter ending
- Ch 1: question. Raffles asks if Bunny will do crime, Bunny agrees, leaving reader wondering what Raffles plans
It was the look that came instead which held my hand. Neither fear nor horror were in it; only wonder, admiration, and such a measure of pleased expectancy (Ch 1, para 42)
- Ch 2: cliffhanger. The chapter ends with Bunny and Raffles about to break into the jeweller's shop, with a watchman passing outside
Good old Bunny," he murmured, holding the lantern for one moment to my face; the next he was explaining his plans, and I was nodding, as though we had been fellow-cracksmen all our days. (Ch 2, para 49)
- Ch 3: reveal. Bunny and Raffles join forces as criminals on the Ides of March, sealing their partnership in felony
And that is how Raffles and I joined felonious forces on the Ides of March. (Ch 3, para 26)
- Ch 4: question. Raffles ends by asking if Bunny is ready, leaving the reader in suspense about the robbery
Mind, only one drink to-night, Bunny. Two at the outside--as you value your life--and mine! (Ch 4, para 35)
- Ch 5: cliffhanger. Bunny is arrested and marched away by a policeman while Raffles whispers that he sent for the police as a diversion
The helmet is one of a collection I made up at Oxford; here it goes over this wall, and we'd better carry the coat and belt before we meet a real officer. (Ch 5, para 51)
- Ch 6: reveal. Raffles reveals the detective is Mackenzie watching other thieves, not them, and suggests the situation offers interesting possibilities for crime
Gentlemen and Players at single wicket, by Jove! (Ch 6, para 71)
- Ch 7: reveal. Raffles opens his fist to show the stolen diamonds and sapphires, proving he took them before the gang
he opened his fist, to shut it next instant on the bunch of diamonds and of sapphires (Ch 7, para 66)
- Ch 8: cliffhanger. Raffles escapes into the bush on the doctor's mare, pursued by the real manager and others
- Ch 9: quiet. Raffles reflects on the chase and his escape, noting he shaved his moustache after losing his innocence
- Ch 10: reveal. They discover Baird dead on the floor, killed by someone else, with a poker nearby
Angus Baird was lying on his own floor, dead, with his gray hairs glued together by his blood (Ch 10, para 81)
- Ch 11: quiet. Rutter sails for America; Raffles tells Bunny the police have a warrant but it will never be served
he had left no word. When he reappeared the papers were full of the murder; and the man who had committed it was on the wide Atlantic (Ch 11, para 17)
- Ch 12: question. Bunny realizes Raffles has failed and wonders if he can succeed where Raffles could not
The canvas was in its place among the maps! (Ch 12, para 78)
- Ch 13: cliffhanger. Raffles locks the door and prepares to help Crawshay escape, with Mackenzie closing in outside
- Ch 14: cliffhanger. Bunny finds Raffles apparently dead on the floor with a wound and chloroform smell
A man was lying at full length before the fire on his back, with a little wound in the white forehead, and the blood draining into his eyes. And the man was Raffles himself! (Ch 14, para 110)
- Ch 15: question. Raffles's letter hints at a scheme but does not reveal it; Bunny boards the ship uncertain of what awaits
- Ch 16: reveal. Raffles reveals he has the pearl and they celebrate with whiskey, but must now hide it until Naples
it was nineteen minutes to two when he returned, head first, with the phial still between his teeth, and the cotton-wool rammed home to still the rattling of that which lay like a great gray bean within. (Ch 16, para 84)
- Ch 17: cliffhanger. Bunny sees what may be Raffles's head in the water as night falls, uncertain if his friend survived
Viewpoint per chapter Both
Viewpoint and narration · lens E2 · compare across books
Counted: the narration is mostly first person (first person words per 1,000 outside speech: 66.5).
Bunny narrates in first person throughout, providing intimate access to his moral struggles and emotional reactions. Chapters 8 and 9 shift to Raffles narrating his own past crime, offering a different perspective on his criminal mind.
- Ch 1: Bunny (unnamed narrator)
- Ch 2 to 7: Bunny
- Ch 8: Raffles (narrating to Bunny)
- Ch 9: Raffles (narrating)
- Ch 10 to 12: Bunny
- Ch 13 to 17: Bunny (narrator)
Want and need of the lead AI
Character · lens B3 · compare across books
| Lead | A. J. Raffles |
|---|---|
| Wants | To steal valuable items and live a life of crime without being caught by the police. |
| Needs | To find genuine connection and loyalty with someone who understands his true nature. |
| False belief | That crime is a game he can play indefinitely without serious consequences. |
| Arc | negative. Raffles descends from a charming amateur thief into a hunted fugitive who must flee England and ultimately jump from a ship. |
Scene log AI
Story and structure · lens A4 · compare across books
One line per chapter: goal, conflict, outcome
| Ch | Summary | Goal | Conflict | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A desperate young man visits the famous cricketer Raffles at midnight to confess he has written worthless cheques after losing money at baccarat, and Raffles offers to help him by committing a burglary. | Bunny seeks help from Raffles to escape ruin from bad debts | Bunny is ashamed and expects rejection; Raffles seems cold at first but then reveals he is also hard up | Raffles agrees to help and hints at crime; Bunny offers to do anything, including crime |
| 2 | Raffles takes Bunny to an empty house in Bond Street and reveals his plan to burgle the jeweller's shop below, which Bunny reluctantly joins after initial shock. | Raffles wants to steal jewels from a shop to get money for Bunny's debts | Bunny discovers the deception and is horrified; Raffles must convince him to help | Bunny agrees to assist in the burglary after Raffles appeals to his loyalty |
| 3 | After successfully stealing jewels from the Bond Street shop, Bunny struggles with guilt but is drawn deeper into crime when Raffles reveals his past burglaries and proposes stealing from the wealthy Reuben Rosenthall. | Raffles wants to steal diamonds from Rosenthall; Bunny wants to refuse but is tempted | Bunny's moral sense wars with his fascination for Raffles and the thrill of crime | Bunny agrees to help Raffles rob Rosenthall despite his reservations |
| 4 | Raffles spends a week watching Rosenthall's house in disguise while Bunny grows impatient; Raffles reveals his plan to break in while Rosenthall is out and shows Bunny his secret studio where he keeps disguises. | Raffles plans the Rosenthall robbery; Bunny wants to be included in the planning | Raffles keeps Bunny in the dark about his surveillance; Bunny follows him and is caught | Raffles reveals his studio and explains the robbery plan for the next night |
| 5 | Bunny and Raffles attempt to rob Rosenthall but are caught in a trap; Rosenthall shoots at them, Raffles escapes, and Bunny is arrested while Raffles reveals he sent for the police to create a diversion. | Raffles and Bunny want to steal Rosenthall's diamonds while he is out | Rosenthall has set a trap and is waiting for them with armed men; Raffles uses a clever distraction to escape | Raffles escapes; Bunny is arrested but Raffles has arranged for police to arrive as cover |
| 6 | Raffles plays cricket for the Gentlemen against the Players and is invited to a cricket week at Lord Amersteth's estate; Bunny learns from a rector's daughter that detectives are watching for burglars in the area. | Raffles wants to establish his cricket credentials and gain access to Lord Amersteth's house for a robbery | Bunny learns that detectives are watching for known thieves in the neighbourhood | Raffles and Bunny are invited to the cricket week; Bunny discovers the detective is actually Inspector Mackenzie watching other criminals |
| 7 | At Milchester Abbey during cricket week, a robbery occurs and Inspector Mackenzie is shot; Raffles reveals he stole Lady Melrose's necklace himself before the gang could take it. | Raffles wants the necklace; the criminal gang wants it too; Mackenzie wants to catch them | Multiple thieves competing for the same prize; Mackenzie wounded in the chaos | Gang escapes with the jewel case but Raffles has already taken the necklace |
| 8 | Raffles recounts his first crime: impersonating a bank manager in Australia, he robs the bank after being mistaken for the real W. F. Raffles. | Raffles needs money urgently; he must get funds before returning to Melbourne | He is mistaken for the new manager; the real manager arrives wounded; he must maintain the deception | Raffles robs the bank and escapes on horseback with gold |
| 9 | Raffles continues his story: he breaks into the bank's strong-room, steals gold, and escapes just as the real manager arrives with news of bushrangers. | Raffles must steal the gold and escape undetected | The real manager arrives wounded; Ewbank nearly discovers him; he must flee without being caught | Raffles escapes on horseback with the stolen gold; the real manager and Ewbank are confused about his identity |
| 10 | Raffles announces he will murder Baird, the fence who is blackmailing him; Bunny insists on accompanying him to Baird's house in Willesden. | Raffles wants to kill Baird to prevent blackmail; Bunny wants to stop him or at least witness it | Raffles is determined to commit murder; Bunny is torn between loyalty and morality; they must break into Baird's fortified house | They break in and find Baird already dead, killed by Jack Rutter |
| 11 | Jack Rutter confesses he killed Baird in self-defence after Baird tried to shoot him; Raffles helps Rutter escape to America instead of turning himself in. | Rutter wants to confess; Raffles wants to help him escape; Bunny wants to prevent disaster | Rutter is determined to give himself up; Raffles argues that burglars will be blamed instead; they must get him away safely | Raffles arranges for Rutter to flee to America as a steerage passenger |
| 12 | Raffles and Bunny accept a job from lawyer Addenbrooke to steal a Velasquez painting from a Queensland legislator; Raffles plans to steal it while Bunny dines with the man. | Raffles wants to steal the Velasquez; Addenbrooke wants to recover it for Sir Bernard; Bunny must keep Craggs distracted | The painting is locked in an iron map-case; Craggs is suspicious; Raffles must work in the next room without being heard | Raffles fails to steal the picture; Bunny discovers it is still in the case when Craggs shows it to him |
| 13 | Bunny steals the picture from Craggs but discovers it is a fake copy that Raffles had created, then months later Raffles reveals he is being hunted by escaped convict Crawshay and must flee England. | Bunny wants to prove himself by stealing the picture; later Raffles must help Crawshay escape to avoid blackmail | The picture is a worthless copy; Crawshay arrives at Raffles's rooms and threatens to expose them both | Bunny learns his theft was pointless; Raffles agrees to help Crawshay escape but must evade Detective Mackenzie |
| 14 | Raffles and Bunny must help Crawshay escape while Mackenzie searches the Albany, leading to an elaborate deception involving chloroform and a fake body. | Raffles must get Crawshay out of London without Mackenzie catching him | Mackenzie is searching the building; Crawshay refuses to be left alone; they must maintain appearances | Raffles fakes his own death with chloroform and a head wound to fool Mackenzie while Crawshay escapes |
| 15 | Mackenzie discovers Raffles is not dead but chloroformed; Bunny later meets Raffles at Thames Ditton where they discuss a sea voyage and the emperor's pearl. | Bunny struggles with honest work; Raffles invites him on a voyage to the Mediterranean | Bunny is poor and tempted back to crime; Raffles hints at a new scheme involving the pearl | Bunny agrees to join Raffles on a voyage, though he does not yet know the true purpose |
| 16 | Aboard the Uhlan, Raffles reveals his plan to steal the pearl from Captain von Heumann using the ventilator system, while Bunny grows jealous of Raffles's attention to Miss Werner. | Raffles must steal the pearl from von Heumann before reaching Naples | Bunny is jealous of Miss Werner; von Heumann is suspicious; the theft must be done perfectly | Raffles successfully steals the pearl through the ventilator while von Heumann sleeps, chloroforming him |
| 17 | Mackenzie boards the ship and accuses Raffles and Bunny of stealing the pearl; Raffles reveals the pearl hidden in a bullet cartridge, then jumps overboard after kissing Miss Werner goodbye. | Raffles must escape with the pearl; Mackenzie must arrest him for the theft | Mackenzie has a warrant; the captain demands the pearl; Raffles is cornered in the cabin | Raffles produces the pearl, then jumps overboard while Bunny holds back the mate; Bunny is imprisoned |
Setups and payoffs AI
Story and structure · lens A8 · compare across books
| Planted | Pays off | |
|---|---|---|
| Bunny's financial ruin from worthless cheques (Ch 1) | Bunny's desperation drives him back to crime with Raffles despite his moral struggles (Ch 15) | |
| Raffles has a latch-key to an empty house in Bond Street (Ch 2) | Raffles uses similar access and preparation for all subsequent crimes (Ch 4) | |
| Raffles claims to be hard up despite comfortable rooms (Ch 1) | His financial need is explained by his criminal activities and lifestyle (Ch 3) | |
| Raffles has a secret studio in Chelsea with disguises (Ch 4) | He uses disguises throughout his crimes to avoid recognition and deal with fences (Ch 13) | |
| Raffles knows Inspector Mackenzie from Scotland Yard (Ch 5) | Mackenzie becomes Raffles's primary pursuer across multiple cases and continents (Ch 17) | |
| The ventilator system at Milchester Abbey (Ch 6) | Ventilators become Raffles's signature escape method used repeatedly in later crimes (Ch 16) | |
| Baird as a fence blackmailing Raffles (Ch 10) | Baird is murdered by Jack Rutter, drawing Raffles into helping a killer escape (Ch 11) | |
| The emperor's pearl worth a hundred thousand pounds (Ch 15) | Raffles steals the pearl from von Heumann aboard the Uhlan but must flee England (Ch 17) |
I have nothing but my wits to live on--absolutely nothing else. (Ch 1, para 50)
Did you hear about the Thimbleby diamonds? Well, that was the last time--and a poor lot of paste they were. (Ch 3, para 12)
it's a very useful little pied-à-terre--there's no saying how useful it might be at a pinch. (Ch 4, para 21)
Speech fingerprints Count
Dialogue and voice · lens C3 · compare across books
| Character | Share of attributed speech | Lines | Words a line | Questions per 100 lines | Exclaims per 100 | Pet words |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. J. Raffles | 85% | 213 | 17.3 | 26.3 | 31.5 | it's, bunny, that's, don't, night, there's |
| Lord Amersteth | 8% | 18 | 18.1 | 33.3 | 55.6 | play, fellow, gentlemen, he's, shall, jove |
| Inspector Mackenzie | 4% | 23 | 7.4 | 30.4 | 13.0 | he's, sirs, yon's, below, just, murder |
| Crawshay | 2% | 11 | 9.0 | 0.0 | 45.5 | love, talk, lord, didn't, gone, mind |
| Sir Bernard Debenham | 2% | 7 | 9.7 | 14.3 | 0.0 | fairly, rush, manage, trust, won't, certainly |
We give a line to a speaker only when one cast name appears in the narration of that paragraph, so many lines stay unattributed. Treat the figures as a sample.
Sentence length per chapter Count
Pace · lens D2 · compare across books
Mean sentence 14.3 words, median 11. 44% of sentences are under 10 words and 10% over 30. In the last fifth of the book, chapters run at 96% and sentences at 100% of the earlier average.
Emotional arc shape Count
Pace · lens D7 · compare across books
Computed shape: Man in a hole (fall then rise) (fit 0.33 on a scale of 0 to 1).
We score the mood of each paragraph with a standard word list, then average across 20 equal slices of the book and smooth it. It is a rough reading of word mood, not of plot, and old styles of English can fool it. Shapes follow Reagan and others (2016).
When the lead and the first dialogue arrive Count
Openings and endings · lens F3, F4 · compare across books
First line of dialogue: after 89 words (Ch 1, para 2), 0.2% into the book.
The lead, A. J. Raffles, is first named after 0 words (Ch 1, para 1). In a first person book the narrator may be on the page from the first line before we learn the name.
Mystery clue list AI
Genre craft · lens G4 · compare across books
| Clue | Kind | Laid | Explained | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A florid overdressed man at a wayside inn whom Raffles recoils from | clue | Ch 6 | ||
| A serious Scotchman photographer at Milchester Abbey | clue | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | |
| The rope hanging from the spout with a hook during Crawshay's escape | clue | Ch 14 | Ch 14 | |
| The ventilator six windows along from Raffles's room in the Albany | clue | Ch 14 | Ch 14 | |
| Mackenzie's beard removed revealing his true identity | clue | Ch 17 | Ch 17 | |
| The ventilators discovered by Mackenzie aboard the Uhlan | clue | Ch 17 | Ch 17 |
Are you afraid of burglars? (Ch 6, para 20)
Simply that he's been on my track for some time, probably ever since friend Crawshay slipped clean through his fingers last November. (Ch 17, para 32)
Antagonist AI
Character · lens B7 · compare across books
| Who | Inspector Mackenzie |
|---|---|
| Goal | To arrest Raffles and Bunny for their crimes and bring them to justice. |
| Methods | Surveillance, disguise, following leads, boarding ships, and persistent investigation across multiple cases. |
| Shows their hand | Ch 6 |
| Our note | Mackenzie is relentless and methodical, appearing at key moments to close in on Raffles despite repeated escapes. |
Tension curve AI
Pace · lens D6 · compare across books
Tension score per chapter, 1 to 5 (our AI reading). The narrative moves briskly through multiple crimes and escapes, with tension building from petty theft to murder involvement to international pursuit. Slower moments of reflection and planning alternate with sudden violent action.
Subplot thread map Both
Story and structure · lens A7 · compare across books
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bunny's debt crisis and moral decline | |||||||||||||||||
| Raffles's criminal career and escapes | |||||||||||||||||
| Inspector Mackenzie's pursuit | |||||||||||||||||
| Jack Rutter's murder of Baird | |||||||||||||||||
| Bunny's jealousy of Miss Werner | |||||||||||||||||
| The pearl theft and final escape |
- Bunny's debt crisis and moral decline: Bunny's financial desperation drives him into crime and deeper moral compromise throughout the book.
- Raffles's criminal career and escapes: Raffles commits increasingly bold crimes while staying ahead of Mackenzie until forced to flee.
- Inspector Mackenzie's pursuit: Mackenzie appears repeatedly as Raffles's nemesis, closing in from the Bond Street burglary to the final confrontation at sea.
- Jack Rutter's murder of Baird: Rutter kills Baird in self-defence and Raffles helps him escape to America rather than face justice.
- Bunny's jealousy of Miss Werner: Bunny grows jealous as Raffles shows romantic interest in Amy Werner aboard the Uhlan.
- The pearl theft and final escape: Raffles steals the emperor's pearl from von Heumann but is cornered by Mackenzie and jumps overboard.
Motif tracker AI
Theme and motif · lens J3 · compare across books
- Ventilators and hidden passages (Ch 6, 13, 14, 16, 17): Ventilators represent Raffles's ingenuity and his ability to find escape routes where others see only walls.
- Disguise and false identity (Ch 4, 5, 8, 13, 14, 17): Disguises allow Raffles to move between worlds and hide his true criminal nature from society.
- Diamonds and jewels (Ch 2, 3, 6, 7, 12, 15, 16, 17): Precious stones represent the allure and danger of Raffles's criminal life, drawing both men deeper into crime.
- Cricket as cover (Ch 6, 7): Raffles uses his cricket career and sporting reputation to move freely in society while committing crimes.
- Trust and loyalty between criminals (Ch 1, 3, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17): Bunny and Raffles's bond deepens through shared crimes, though it is tested by jealousy and danger.
- Narrow escapes and pursuit (Ch 5, 8, 9, 13, 14, 17): Raffles repeatedly escapes capture through quick thinking and preparation, but each escape brings him closer to final ruin.
March 15th. 'The Ides of March, the Ides of March, remember.' Eh, Bunny, my boy? (Ch 2, para 8)
Raffles was a burglar. I had helped him to commit one burglary, therefore I was a burglar, too. (Ch 3, para 5)
There's nothing like putting the nervous players in first; it's the sitting with their pads on that upsets their applecart (Ch 4, para 27)
you're far too fond of the uphill game; you will eventually fall a victim to the sporting spirit (Ch 7, para 1)
Signature words Count
Prose style · lens H3 · compare across books
Words this book uses far more than the other books on our shelf (log odds, at least 8 uses). Names often top the list.
Commercial facts card Research
Commercial facts · lens L1, L2, L4 · compare across books
| First published | 1899 |
|---|---|
| Author died | 1921 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the UK (author died 1921, so life plus 70 years has passed) and in the US (first published 1899, before 1931). |
| Length | 52,529 words in 17 chapters; about 3.5 hours to read |
| Genre | Crime and mystery |
| Sales and adaptations | Coming in a later phase, with sources. |
Method: counts come from a clean public domain plain text, split into chapters and paragraphs with stable IDs (for example c3p12 is chapter 3, paragraph 12, in reading order). Lenses marked AI are our AI reading of each chapter, made once and stored. Every quote shown was checked word for word against the text; 9 AI quotes for this book failed that check and were dropped.
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