To Cut A Long Story Short by Jeffrey Archer

Alhamdulillah....last year I managed to write 15 book reviews, although I've enjoyed more than 15 books. Anyway, at least I can say that I've read not less than 15 books on 2011, right? Still, it's such a small number. So, one of my 2012 wishes is to read and review a minimum of 24 books, that means an average of 2 books per month, and write about it here, InsyaAllah. Let's say that this blog also serves as my report card, savvy?

So, the numero uno book for this year is a collection of short stories written by Jeffrey Archer. This is the second short stories compilation from Mr. Archer that I've read. The first one is in here. 

Title : To Cut A Long Story Short

Author : Jeffrey Archer

Publisher : Harper Collins, 2001 (Paperback Edition)

Pages : 419

Genre : Short story

Bought at : Book Xcess, Amcorp Mall, PJ

Price : ..opps, forgot...but definitely not more than RM20

There are 14 original selected short stories in this edition, 9 of it are based on true incidents and 1 is a translation from an Arabic story (somehow I think I've read this one before but dunno when and where...). I enjoyed all of them but my best choice would be ..... er....almost all! Haha. Well, the ones that I fully enjoy reading are as follows....

The Endgame, an honourable mission brilliantly executed by a rich man and his lawyer to know which of his family member deserves a good place in his will; Chalk and Cheese, the tale of 2 brothers who each have a different start in life and end theirs in the opposite ways; Both Sides Against The Middle, about a cunning con man making use of the land and law to get away from being caught but finally lost; and finally The Grass Is Always Greener, an interesting chain of stories about one's perspective about the others and how they always think that the other person is luckier than him and so on and on.

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There's also the story that moved me such as A Change of Heart, about a white South African who's into apartheid but has a change of heart after an accident; the story that made me cry hate to gold digger men in Too Many Coincidences; terrorized and chuckled at the same time with Something for Nothing; and lauded a diplomat's daring effort to provide for the people by using all resources he could find in Other Blighter's Efforts.

An interesting collection, this one. A truly enjoyable one. Smart and brilliantly written, catching the reader's interest all the time by the wonderful story-telling, regardless of the theme whether it's a court drama, crime story, love affair, family drama etc. and etc. Love it!