To Cut a Long Story Short

I have been a fan of short stories for a while. Mainly because they are digestible and accomplishable in a short sitting. These stories are very well written. Just when you adapt to a storyline, something changes and you stumble down another path. You do physically smirk to yourself at the outcome of a story and I find this work by Jeffrey Archer very enjoyable, though I have yet to read more of his books. There's one slight glitch, If I sometimes settle in for a short story at night, it ends up a long night. It's just hard to ignore the next chapter heading winking at me, saying "read more". I do recommend this book, especially for busy people who don't have time to get through a novel.

The cliche "master storyteller" is appropo for Jeffrey Archer in this incredible collection of short stories, but perhaps not sufficient. After I had read a couple of the stories and been entranced and stunned by them, I couldn't help but try to figure out where the remaining stories were going as I read them. There's always a twist, a surprise, an "Ooohh, alright." I'm not a short-story fan but I am definitely a Jeffrey Archer short-story fanatic.

A collection of short stories of mixed length, quality, and subject matter. Most readers will like at least some of the stories, most of which have an English setting. The stories range from a roughly one-page Arabian nights account ("Death Speaks") to a 78-page account of a man determining his true friends ("The Endgame"). The majority are based on true incidents, and some, e.g., "Crime Pays" and "Too Many Coincidences," involve people using their knowledge of the law for their own benefit. I personally liked the last story, "The Grass is Always Greener," which points out that success and happiness are a matter of perception.

I've only read Archer's novels, not his short stories, so I was pleasantly surprised by the cleverness of these stories. The reviewer who called them "O Henry-esque" is on target. All these stories contain stunning reversals or trick endings that will keep you guessing. I loved The Endgame especially. Most of the stories are short, well-conceived and well-executed. The tale of two pub friends who trade off roles in their lawyer/expert witness routine is hilarious. In fact, Archer's droll wit is apparent on just about every page. I thought 3-4 of the stories were terrific, but even the "sub-par" ones I found enjoyable. I read the whole book in one sitting. Most readers of this kind of surprise short story should find these diabolically clever and suspenseful. Sure, you may guess one or two of the endings, but overall Archer will remain a step ahead.

Jeffrey Archer is by far the most versatile and fluid author of contemporary fiction. He has written novels ranging from politics (First Among Equals) to revenge (Not A Penny More, Not A Penney Less) to corporate rivalry (The Fourth Estate), all of which have elements of his trademark 'twist' at some point.I awaited To Cut A Long Story Short with much anticipation, as I strongly believe that writing short stories is what he does best.I found this book highly enjoyable though certain stories were a little disappointing. 'The Endgame', 'The Grass Is Always Greener' and 'Chalk And Cheese', were especially entertaining. 'The Grass Is Always Greener', in particular, I thought was a really superb read, both in terms of content and language. One aspect of Archer that makes his books so zestful and fun to read is his balanced usage of simple and complex language.Then again, I found 'A Weekend To Remember' rather dull and mundane. Perhaps the plot was rather limited as it was based on a true incident.Archer has written two very short stories, 'The Letter' and 'Love At First Sight'. These were not exceptionally good, but then, how many of us can produce really good short stories?Contrary to the five stars displayed, I award this book 4.5 stars. It loses the 0.5 star as I still think A Quiver Full Of Arrows outperforms it in terms of plot twists. Certain stories, however, such as 'The Grass Is Always Greener' show Archer to be capable of outperforming himself. All in all, this is one terrific book.