Customer Reviews

I, Richard

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I'm a great Elizabeth George fan. She is one of a small number of writers whose works I buy in hardbound.

But I'm afraid she's no short story writer.

The collection gets off to a bad start with "Exposure," which ought to be interesting to George fans because of the presence of detective Thomas Lynley. But the story is a mess. I don't understand the perpetrator's motive. The "puzzle" aspect is poorly presented--we're not really given enough of a clue to solve the puzzle ourselves. The perpetrator actually commits two crimes--and I don't believe that the methods used to commit either crime would have worked in real life.

Three of the the stories feature "O. Henry endings," none of which, in my opinion, quite come off.

The title story, "I, Richard" intertwines a sort of pseudo-mystery story concerning the truth about Richard III and the Princes in the Tower, with a modern-day murder story. Unfortunately, to someone who isn't a "Ricardian," the Richard III part is muddled and boring--and the framing murder mystery is unbelievable, except for the ending--which is all too predictable.

Similar motifs recur in several of the stories--giving a slightly stale or repetitious flavor to the collection.

Perhaps the best is "Good Fences Aren't Always Enough," which comes close to being sad and touching. But all of them, even this one, read more like extended jokes than like real stories. The characters in them are paper cutouts. The author's attitude toward her characters is remote and almost contemptuous. She never seems involved with them, nor do we. The stories succeed neither as slices of life nor as clever little clockwork gadgets.

And, incidentally, the book is a rather poor value. There are only five stories in it. It's thin, the type is large, and the lines are widely spaced. By my estimate, it contains roughly about 70,000 words (for [money amount]) or about one-fifth as many as "A Traitor to Memory" ([money amount]). Distinctly short measure, to my way of thinking.

I was so excited when I saw that another Elizabeth George book had been published I wanted to read it right away - but what a disappointment it was! I was willing to give her plenty of leeway because I'd enjoyed all her other books so much. But some of the stories were not even well written, and none of them are up to her usual fine writing, characterization and plot development. I do hope she is at this moment working on a mystery novel that will make me forget that this one ever saw the light of day.

For the Elizabeth George fans who have been disappointed with her increasingly long-winded and convoluted novels - take note!. This latest offering - her first ever collection of short stories (to appear in the U.S. at least) - contains five stories which average around 30 pages each. This is indeed refreshing! George includes an introductory preface to each story explaining her inspiration for writing them. The first one is a reworking of an earlier story she did and is, in my opinion, the weakest of the five. It involves a murder among a group of architecture students visiting a manor estate. Thomas Lynley makes an appearance in this one and solves the case with ease. "The Surprise of His Life" was inspired by a famous celebrity murder case (and it is obvious from George's description that it was the O.J. Simpson case) and involves a man who, prompted by a psychic, becomes increasingly paranoid that his wife is cheating on him. The third story (and my personal favorite) shows what happens when an eccentric old woman with a peculiar fondness for rats moves into a cozy New England neighborhood. "Remember I'll Always Love You" is the story of a woman who discovers that her recently deceased young husband led a mysterious life outside their marriage and the final story, "I, Richard", follows a man whose literary masterpiece, an enlightenment on the life of Richard III, results in dire consequences. All of the stories are page turners and most of them end with surprising conclusions. Many are psychological in nature and reminded me of the works of Ruth Rendell. Recommended!

Fans of Elizabeth George will be disappointed in I, Richard. The quality of the short stories may not be George's best work, but they are an enjoyable read if you like either the approach or want to read everything written by a favorite author.

What was very disappointing is that all of these stories have been published previously (one was slightly changed from the original version), but this is not noted anywhere in the book. This slim book appears to be not much more than an attempt to take advantage of unknowing buyers.

It has always been worth waiting a year for a George novel - One of my favorite authors. But this book of short stories - not a novel is very disappointing and the stories are not up to her usual fine writings.

Three of the stories in this collection have actually appeared before, in a book entitled "The Evidence Exposed". (These titles are, "Exposure" (although the story featured here is a slightly rewritten, altered version) "I, Richard", and "The Surprise of His Life".

If you're looking for stories of substance or great depth, this probably isn't the collection to go for.

"Exposure" has a good premise...this second version is much better than the first, but it is still disappointing. the ending is anticlimatic, and the motive for the killing is not actually explained. The plot lacks great depth, as does the character developement. (Which is a surprise from George...who is usually the mistress of character and plot development.)

"The Surprise of His Life" has a nice twist to the end, and the main character is interesting if a bit dislikeable. However, the story once again lacks development. The same can be said of "I, Richard". This one is a very interesting piece (contains good information on English history) but both its central characters arent at all likeable, and overall the story is too long and drawn out. However, the ending is a nice display of irony.

The two new stories in the collection are far more sucessful. "Good Fences Aren't Always Enough" is a very good story. It's interesting, original, and more than a little creepy. It's well written with a good atmosphere, and good characters. Theres also a nice subtle sting in the tail, which works very well. It's certainly my favourite of the collection.

"Remember, I'll Always Love You" is another strong story. It's got a very good plot, and the central character is well drawn even if the others are not. It has nice twists, and is unpredictable and interesting to read. However, at times George shifts the story a little too much, perhaps leaving the reader slightly dizzy.

All that said, all of these stories entertained me. I enjoyed them, and i am glad i read the collection. Some of them may not fulfill their potential or match with the quality of other short stories by other writers in this genre, but that they are enjoyable, quick reads is undeniable. To any fan of Elizabeth George, i do reccomend this collection.

Elizabeth George wrote this collection of short stories (with the possible exception of one) in 1999. It was called The Evidence Exposed. If you buy this "new" book expecting new material from a really great writer, you will easily recognize the stories. I am horrified that she and her publisher would pull such a trick.

I'm a former fan of George's but this is the worst book I've tried to read in years, in fact, I simply couldn't finish it. First time I've wanted to ask Amazon[.com] to refund my money! Should never have been published. Characters are one dimensional, plots are silly, no redeeming literary or entertainment qualities, a general waste of time, either author or publisher cashing in on what was a strong name in her genre.

I'm a Road Warrior, spending many hours behind the wheel of my car which I special-ordered with both a cassette tape deck and a CD-player so that I could have a larger selection of audio-books. I'm surprised that the other reviewers did not mention the appalling narration of "I, Richard" (audio-book version) by Derek Jacobi. Mr. Jacobi is a fine actor, based on my experience with "Masterpiece Theatre", but his impression of an American accent sounds like Attila the Hun on helium. Since most of the short stories in this collection are set in America and have characters who are young women, Mr. Jacobi's unintentionally hilarious accent made me wish I could award this recording "negative stars".
2nd fatal mistake of this production - the "Interview with the Author" was in fact conducted by a young American woman (who managed to sound worse than Jacobi's bad impression of a young American woman) mechanically reading trite questions with no real enthusiasm or interaction with the author. Ms. George has a pleasant voice and is thoughtful and articulate, and I very much wanted to ask her a question: "Ms. George, your introduction to one of the stories (the first one, I think) indicated that in an earlier version you killed off the wrong character. Who did you kill, and why?" I mean, what's the point of an interview that doesn't rise above cliches?

I almost find it hard to believe this book was even written by Elizabeth George. ALL of the stories were horrible and predictable less than half way through the story. I can't believe the author who develops her characters so deeply in every one of her other books to the point that you feel like you know them personally, could have written these stories. It was a struggle just reading the first one, but I kept thinking that the next one had to get better. I knew something was wrong when I said that same thing after each story. By the last one it was just a matter of not leaving the book unfinished. I have a co-worker who is also a EG fanatic and I have strongly advised her not to go anywhere near this book. There is no need for another fans to be disheartened. I was a little disappointed with the book before this one, but it is looking much better after reading this horrible collection. The only reason I give it one star is because they won't let you not give any.