Definition of 'cut a long story short'

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They were enjoyable enough but perhaps a bit of a curate's egg as so many collections of short stories often are.

To Cut a Long Story Short

Archer does not have a terribly high opinion of humankind it seems to me and this is reflected in his rather tawdry characters who are, generally, unfaithful or insipid, devious or dull with a couple of notable exceptions. The heroes of A Change of Heart and Other Blighters' efforts being their places to shine Three stories stood out for me. The Endgame , Chalk and Cheese and the already mentioned A Change of Heart , all of which dealt with a loosely similar theme, though dealt with in totally different ways, of relationship and how looking at the world in a specific way can healthily enlarge or cripplingly skew our vision.

I suppose that this is actually what a good story is always suposed to do; each one beginning as a window and ending as a mirror which is a quotation I love though can never remember where I first read it but know it is not from my own thought sadly. A numbr of the stories dealt with the legal profession both as the source of story and the end result of some of them. Archer, understandably enough thinking about his history, is ever so slightly pre-occupied with criminality, embezzlement and fraud but unlike himself who had the 'fragrant Mary Archer' as a judge so memorably described her during one of his court appearances, none of the women come out of his story terribly well.

Indeed there seems a strain of misogyny, mild in its influence, but flavouring the atmosphere nonetheless. The last story The Grass is always greener is a clever reflection on the inability of most of us to see beyond the limitations of our own experience. It is well constructed and imaginative but again populated with, in the main, unattractive and bitterly closed off people. The world of Jeffrey Archer, certainly from this volume, is not a joyous one, not one in which people generally pull together or look for the good.

Here again was the curse of the highblown fly-leaf where we were told that this story is possibly the best piece Archer has written, and will haunt you for the rest of your life. It was good but not that good. That, I think, is why i liked particulalry the three I mentioned earlier because they do, at least, give a glimpse of something which manages to throw a healthier glow naturally rather than a cold, unsympathetic shine raking over his rather sordid world view. View all 15 comments. Aug 04, Labijose rated it liked it.

Anyway, some of his stories are wonderful and make the book worth reading. Dec 18, Sumit RK rated it liked it. Overall great but not his best! Sep 27, Tiger rated it really liked it. I am an avid fan of all Archer books. In general, I avoid short stories, probably because I find myself unable to master the genre, but I was willing to give anything by Archer a chance.

I found the the pleasure in reading these that I did in reading his novels. They are well written, with unseen plot twists that grab you when least expected. If you've never read anything by Jeffrey Archer, give these a try. Then move on to his longer works which are even better. Aug 01, Pamela rated it really liked it. Engaging stories by a master storyteller! Apr 24, J. This review and other book reviews can be found on my blog, among other kinds of posts: I don't know about anybody else, but I've always felt that Jeffrey Archer was a famous name I had heard many times but could not remember where I heard the name or anything about him.

I saw his name on the cover of a book every time I walked into a bookshop, but I never really gave him much consideration.

Definition of 'to cut a long story short'.
Like Christ: Thoughts on the Blessed Life of Conformity to the Son of God.;
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Then one day I decided to pick this up, only for my dad to say, " This review and other book reviews can be found on my blog, among other kinds of posts: Then one day I decided to pick this up, only for my dad to say, "He went to prison, didn't he? From cheating wives and cheating the law to love at first sight from across the train tracks and faking debt to decide who's worthy of inheriting the family fortune.

Some are true stories or based on real events, whilst others are pure fiction crafted using the experience Archer has attained over the years as an MP and other political positions he's held. The collection is a mixed bag of a few great stories, some good tales, and a few bores that I can't remember anything about. Call me a sado, a sap, a hopeless romantic, or whatever, but I do love to hear a true love story that brings a genuine smile to my face.

One man is an unappreciated artist struggling through life, and his older brother is always having to give him money whenever they meet. You can't help but feel sorry for the older brother, but the ending is one of the most satisfying endings to a story I've ever read.

The blurb hyped up "The Grass is Always Greener. At first, I didn't think much of it. But towards the end, I realised how Archer had been structuring the story and how all of the characters were connected, and I must credit Archer on his genius portrayal of perception and envy. Without ever saying the words, he paints the perfect picture to represent the phrase the title is taken from--a phrase all of us should never forget. The ending to "The Expert Witness" will remain with me for some time, but I can't say anything about it without spoiling it. For me, "The Endgame" proposed interesting questions about who really loves us and why.

Sometimes it's those who have nothing that value us for who we are, yet it is those with wealth--even if it is minimal wealth--only see how much we are worth financially. However, it also showed that those we doubt sometimes surprise us, and we might never truly know how one feels about us. The other stories, though, were a bit 'meh. After reading this collection, I don't get the urge to rush to a bookstore ASAP and pick up an Archer novel or delve into any of his other short stories.

But I don't feel discouraged, either. This book was well worth my time, which wasn't much time as it was only a short book, and I'm confident I'll be reading more Archer in the future. Mar 22, Ammey rated it really liked it. Death Speaks This story is written by an anonymous writer. Jeffrey was so moved by the story that he placed it at the beginning of his book.

The fourteen short stories reviewed below are written by Jeffrey archer. No doubt this is based on a true incident. The story has a very good climax and equally good ant-climax I would rate it as 4 ou Death Speaks This story is written by an anonymous writer. The story has a very good climax and equally good ant-climax I would rate it as 4 out of 5. A rich man declares himself as bankrupt just to test his relatives on where they stand if he has no money left.

I loved the way the rich man carries out his plans. An excellent story, I would rate it as 5 out of 5. I would rate this as 5 out of 5 as well. Hats off to the crime master on whom this story is based on. Yet another story with a 5 on 5 rating 5 Chalk and Cheese This story could have been shorter.

to cut a long story short

It story does not end on a very high note. I was able to guess how it is going to end and it ended exactly in the same way. I would rate this story as 3 out of 5. It runs very close to reality.

8 Comments

The book consisted of 14 stories varying in length from 3 pages to Although I enjoyed some stories more than others, I only abandoned one in the entire book from lack of interest. From cheating wives and cheating the law to love at first sight from across the train tracks and faking debt to decide who's worthy of inheriting the family fortune. I am an avid fan of all Archer books. I would rate this as 5 out of 5.

The story might bring tears to over emotional people. While reading the story we know where it is leading to and what might happen. But the way it ends is again a master stroke. I bet you will always remember this story. As they say fact is stranger than fiction. The story could have been better.

This is one of the best stories from this book.

It is a roller-coaster ride that ends with a bang! I would rate it as 3 out of 5. I would rate this as 5 out of 5. You would love the way the story ends. I wish Jeffrey had not included this story in this book. You may choose to skip this story if you want to end this book on a high note. Jun 07, Mira rated it it was ok Shelves: Aug 06, Catherine rated it liked it Shelves: I enjoy reading Jeffrey Archer's books.

His style is one that appeals to me a great deal. He particularly demonstrates a mastery of 'the twist ending' in his short stories which generally prompts me to gasp aloud in astonishment. In all honesty, this volume is not a collection of what I consider to be his best. I do not regret having read it He has published several other collections of short stories; I have found the others to be more compelling. Sep 01, Abu Yillah rated it liked it.

Some of the stories are amazing. Others leave you wondering 'what was the point of this story again?! This book was, to me, intriguing as nine of the fourteen books were based on true events meaning that the stories had a lot more impact on me as they had actually happened. The only problem was that it only told you which were true at the start which meant constant flicking back to the contents page.

I have read the book twice now in two weeks, and the stories remain just as fresh upon the second reading. In my opinion some of the stories were not as interesting as the other; Crime Pays and Other Blighters Efforts. They were however both still very readable.

SPANDAU BALLET / TO CUT A LONG STORY SHORT

Also The Grass is Always Greener brings to light how we all have problems and always want what someone else has. Overall Archer is an excellent short story teller. Jan 02, Alikokinav rated it liked it. I would give this a 3. The book was overall, quite good.

to cut a long story short

Some stories standing out much more than the others. But what I felt was that the endings of some of the stories were predictable. I managed to guess or maybe 4 stories' endings. The language and certain events in the book It was a bit hard to relate to. I am not sure if it's because it's an old book or because it is very English. There are many references to English culture. Or maybe I am just not that well-read: P Anyway, I would give this a 3. The romantic in me is gushing at the fact that it was based on a true story. And the one with the man pretending to go broke.

That one was very nice. Overall, I would say the book was good, but a bit too predictable to be awesome. Jan 05, Joan rated it really liked it. No Replies Log in to reply. There was an error. My Interpretation I always thought it's about post-war male prostitution. General Comment Seems like the OST from Manchurian Candidate - mixes war trauma, childhood and adult manipulation - it's hauntingly paraniod. General Comment One of their best songs in my opinion, though I've never quite understood the meaning behind it. Damn you people, and your bad tastes for no commenting here your thoughts!

General Comment Great song full of typical new romantic nonsensical nonsense. My Interpretation Same as most peoples' posted already except "war" does not necessarily mean putting on a uniform and wielding a gun. Log in now to add this track to your mixtape! Why not add your own? Log in to add a tag. More Spandau Ballet Lyrics.