Sep 01, 2004 08:14 PM
9786 Views
(Updated Sep 01, 2004 08:16 PM)
Mmm...good to be back, people..been a while now.
This is a collection of Jeffrey Archer's earlier 3 publications, each a collection of short stories. Why did I pick it up? Well, it was sorta lying around in my friend's place, and I had nuthin better to do, actually ; ).
The Verdict: If you are a big Archer fan, you will be disappointed.
Pros: A few of them stories are quite good. I especially recommend the first one (Serial killer on the loose, a crazy car chase, and a few scares)! It has a nice twist which one would not have anticipated, and is quite racy. As is probably just one more, which stacked about halfway through the pack (Golf and friends, a trial and a pact). A couple more can be called interesting for the way Archer handles the stories. With subtlety, and grace (special mention of the one about 2 english professors). These, however, are so timid in the way they end, so as to make the Da Vinci Code ending look like a stunning unbelievable climax!
Cons: Hmmm...most of these stories are strictly humdrum. They start, they meander, they end...the humor draws a wan smile rather than a chuckle, let alone a full throated laugh! The endings are extremely unpredictable! Unfortunately, this is only because one would predict at least a semblance of a twist in the tail for a short story. Unfortunately, the reader is left dejected more often than not.
Surprise element: How in hell did this get to be on the New York Times Bestseller list?!! Come to think of it, almost every paperback I read seems to have No. 1 Bestseller written on it!
Hmm...there you go, then..a mundane review for a mundane book..sigh..I am beginning to yawn here!
Cheers!