Mar 12, 2002 11:49 AM
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(Updated Mar 12, 2002 11:50 AM)
I have always been a fan of Jeffrey Archer. Loved all his books except As the crow flies and To cut a long story short.
So it was like a boon for me when I got some of his best short stories in the form of a collection - 36- The Collected Short Stories.
This is a book that has 36 stories of Archer, taken from his previous books - A Quiver full of Arrows, Twelve Red Herrings and A Twist in the Tale.
The book starts of with Never stop on the Motorway and ends with the story with four endings, One Man's Meat. Instead of talking about all the 36 stories, I will just write on some of them which come to the mind at random.
Old Love
By and far, the best short story I have ever read of any author. The story starts with high school rivalry between William and Philippa, which gradually turns into friendship, then love and subsequently marriage. The constant clashes of the wit, humour and above all the intelligence of both husband and wife are a treat for the reader. The good humoured digs the couple takes at each other makes interesting reading. For example:
When William was awarded an honorary doctorate at Princeton, Philippa attended the ceremony and sat proudly in the front row.
''I tried to secure a place at the back,''she explained,''but it was filled with sleeping students who had obviously never heard of you.''
''If that's the case, Philippa, I am only surprised you didn't mistake them for one of your tutorial lectures.''
The small punches, so typical of Archer, really impress the readers. And then, finally, the last punch...
Clean Sweep Ignatius
This is the story of Ignatius Agarbi, the Finance Minister, Nigeria. He takes it upon himself to rid his country from corrupt politicians. His quest for a corruption free Nigeria takes him to the Swiss Banks, where he is hellbent on getting the names of his cabinet people who hold Swiss accounts. If force and threats is the way to find it, so be it!
Christina Rosenthal
A touching story about a Rabbi, his son, and the son's wife Christina. The end really takes you unawares!
Never stop on the Motorway
It's a terrifying drive for Diana, as she is chased by a maniac who rapes and kills women on the motorway. The thrill, the pace and the emergency is retained till the very end.....
The Loophole
Its a story about two friends Philip Masters and Michael Gilmour, who turn enemies and decide to get even with each other. The matter stands in court and both become the topic of discussion at their golf club. Who wins? Philip? Michael?Or.....????
The Chinese Statue
This was the very first story of Archer that I read! The story that had me hooked on to this author. Its about a Chinese statue which is acquired by Sir Alexander Heathcote when he was posted in China. The statue remains in the family for years. Though no one knows the exact estimate of the statue's worth, still it is believed to be worth a lot. It is Sir Alexander's grandson Alex who finally sets about finding the exact value of the statue which his ancestors estimated to be handsome. What does he find? What is the actual cost of the statue? Read to find it!
Well friends, I guess I will not write about the other stories, but take my word for it! Its a collector's item. The short stories worth a mention are The Luncheon, The First Miracle, Checkmate, Not the real thing, The Perfect Murder and Do not pass go.
A must for short story readers!
