To Cut a Long Story Short (Windsor Selection) [Import] [Hardcover]

JEFFREY ARCHER (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: HARPER COLLINS; New Ed edition (2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0754014843
• ISBN-13: 978-0754014843
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Jeffrey Archer was educated at Oxford University. He has served five years in Britain's House of Commons, fourteen years in the House of Lords and two in Her majesty's prisons, which spawned three volumes of highly acclaimed Prison Diaries. All of his novels and short story collections--including Kane and Abel, Sons of Fortune, and False Impression--have been international bestsellers. Archer is married with two children and lives in London and Cambridge.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Smashing Collection, November 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: To Cut a Long Story Short (Hardcover)

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.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the best ones are excellent, May 24, 2001

By 

M. H. Bayliss "book queen" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Cut a Long Story Short (Hardcover)

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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Short Story! - A Long Night!, April 11, 2006

By 

Irish Buachall "D. de Róiste" (Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Cut a Long Story Short (Mass Market Paperback)

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.