The Camera Fiend

Hornung, E. W. (Ernest William), 1866-1921Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.3

Word count: 394K words
Chapters: 40

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Camera Fiend by E. W. HornungAuthor: Hornung, E. W. (Ernest William), 1866-1921,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Sep 26, 2009

Editor's review

The Camera Fiend is a suspense-tinged novel by E. W. Hornung, an author known for clever characters and intricate plots. Centered on photography, then a new technology, the book interweaves technological curiosity, personal obsession, and narrative suspense, giving readers the pace and atmosphere characteristic of early twentieth-century popular English fiction. Its strength lies in the figure of the "camera fiend," which both captures photography's appeal as a new medium and drives the plot toward tension and reversal. As a public-domain ebook, the text preserves its original language, making it a useful supplementary read for understanding Hornung's work and the early suspense genre. It suits continuous reading in a quiet setting to appreciate the build-up of suspense, and can also serve as ancillary material on genre fiction in English literature courses. Note that the photography and period details are now distant from the present, so readers should treat it as a literary text rather than a technical manual.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy early English suspense and crime fiction
Readers interested in the history of photography or how new media enter literature
Literature enthusiasts looking to broaden their reading of public-domain English novels

Not a good fit for

Suspense readers expecting modern forensic detection and fast-paced reversals
Practical readers seeking systematic photography instruction or equipment knowledge
Readers uncomfortable with early twentieth-century English narrative style who prefer concise contemporary prose

Reading tips

First note the symbolic role of the camera in the story, then trace the characters' motives.
Read chapter by chapter, noting suspense points at the end of each to keep the clues coherent.
Mark period expressions and look them up later rather than interrupting the reading flow.
After reading, compare Hornung's other works for his character portrayal and suspense techniques.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a detective novel?

It is closer to popular fiction with suspense elements, building tension around the camera fiend and camera-related events rather than being a strict fair-play mystery. Readers can approach it as an early English suspense work, focusing on atmosphere and character obsession.

Can I understand it without photography knowledge?

Yes. Photography functions more as a plot element and a vehicle for the character's interest, and no technical background is required. Occasional period terms can be understood from context without affecting the main storyline.

What else did Hornung write?

Sources indicate that Hornung was an English writer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, known for his novels. This book is one of his public-domain works. To learn more about his style, readers can look for his other public-domain texts on Project Gutenberg for comparison.

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About the author

Hornung, E. W. (Ernest William), 1866-1921 Author

E. W. Hornung (Ernest William Hornung, 1866–1921) was a British author best known for creating the gentleman thief A. J. Raffles. The collection here holds twenty-nine of his works, including the Raffles stories such as The Amateur Cracksman, Raffles: Further Adventures of the Amateur Cracksman and A Thief in the Night, as well as crime and adventure novels like Stingaree and Dead Men Tell No Tales, and Notes of a Camp-Follower on the Western Front, based on his experiences in the First World War. His writing is brisk and neatly plotted, with a polished tone suited to characters who live on the edge of the law, and it holds a place in the traditions of crime and adventure fiction. Public information about his life is limited, so this introduction concentrates on his subjects and style.