A Bad Night by E.W. Hornung (1897)
A Bad Night is a short story written by E.W. Hornung and published in 1894. The story follows the events of a night when a man named Mr. Baxter is awoken from his sleep by strange noises coming from outside his house. He investigates and discovers that a group of burglars have broken into his neighbor's home. With the help of his servant, he manages to capture one of the thieves and turn him over to the police. The story is known for its suspenseful plot and vivid descriptions of the nighttime setting.
By E.W. Hornung · First published 1897 · Genre: Crime Fiction, Adventure, Mystery · 7,594 words
First lines
There was to be a certain little wedding in which Raffles and I took a surreptitious interest. The bride-elect was living in some retirement, with a recently widowed mother and an asthmatical brother, in a mellow hermitage on the banks of the Mole. The bridegroom was a prosperous son of the same suburban soil which had nourished both families for generations. The wedding presents were so numerous as to fill several rooms at the pretty retreat upon the Mole, and of an intrinsic value calling for a special transaction with the Burglary Insurance Company in Cheapside. I cannot say how Raffles obtained all this information. I only know that it proved correct in each particular. I was not indeed deeply interested before the event, since Raffles assured me that it was "a one-man job," and naturally intended to be the one man himself. It was only at the eleventh hour that our positions were inverted by the wholly unexpected selection of Raffles for the English team in the Second Test Match.
What this Textopian page supports
A Bad Night is listed on Textopian as a short story by E.W. Hornung, dated 1897 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: E.W. Hornung
- Date: 1897 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Crime Fiction, Adventure, Mystery
- Length: 7,594 words
- Structure: 1 section, 101 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Bad Night by E.W. Hornung
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering A Bad Night?
- How does this short story by E.W. Hornung fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Crime Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- At Large by E. W. Hornung
- The Man Called Gilray by Fred M. White
- The Unbidden Guest by E. W. Hornung
- The Adventure Of The Copper Beeches by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Biter Bitten by John Arthur Barry
- That Little Square Box by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Genres
- Crime Fiction — The narrative revolves around criminal activities, specifically burglary, making it a primary example of crime fiction.
- Adventure — The protagonist's exploits and daring actions contribute to the adventure genre.
- Mystery — The plot involves elements of suspense and unknown factors, aligning it with the mystery genre.
Tags
mystery · crime · suspense · thriller · detective · short story · literature · fiction · plot twist · narrative · character study · dark humor