reading(The Amateur Cracksman and A Burlesque Autobiography)

E. W. Hornung's "The Amateur Cracksman" introduces Raffles and his sidekick and biographer, Bunny. The attributes and professions of the two make it obvious that they are a poke at A. C. Doyle's famed detective stories. The stories are from Bunny's point of view and Raffles does most of the tricky parts alone. As a result there is less suspense and vitality to the stories than you'd expect in the genre. For the slash fans out there, this is golden material, you don't get any more slashy than this and still keep everybody clothed. The text is just dripping with hot sweaty subtext. That said, this is a family book, you can read it to the kids.

Mark Twain's "A Burlesque Autobiography" is short enough to be read in one sitting. I read it last night and wasn't even late to bed. The first part is the autobiography proper and the second half is a gender bending fairytale. The autobiography is hilarious. The delivery has a wonderful flavor to it filled with spice and sauce. Many bits fit very well to reading aloud. If this hasn't already been adapted to a one man show, it really should be. It's a gem. The second half is lighter and more sweet, a dessert. I was amused to see how Twain played with gender and reality. This isn't humor for young children. I think this work would be good for an older child, one who has studied enough history to get the jokes and a strong enough grasp of the implications in the first part. Almost all the humor here is understated and implied.

3. E. W. Hornung "The Amateur Cracksman"
4. Mark Twain "A Burlesque Autobiography"