12 Shots In One

Book : A Twist In The Tale 

Author : Jeffrey Archer


Synopsis from the dust jacket :

No one can weave a web of suspense, deliver a jolt of surprise, or teach a lesson in living like bestselling author Jeffrey Archer. From Africa to the Middle East, and from London to Beijing, Archer takes us to places we've never seen and introduces us to people we'll never forget.
Meet the philandering husband who thinks he's committed the perfect murder; the self-assured chess champion who plays a beautiful woman for stakes far higher than cash; and the finance minister who needs to crack the secrets of a Swiss bank. Jeffrey Archer's collection of twelve spellbinding stories will sweep you on a journey of thwarted ambition, undying passion, and unswerving honour that you'll never forget.

My Review:


This is one of the best collection of short stories I have read . Though all 12 stories have something unique , I liked a few of them more than the rest..

The Steal which is about a middle aged couple on a vacation is a great story.There is lot of wit and humor in the story.Also something instored for people who like to read about cultural aspect of  places travelled.



Then there is Just Good Friends which is another winner , which I wont be revealing much about as it is something to be read and enjoyed. I still wonder I as to how I read the story without realizing where it was leading  until the very end :)



Then there is a romantic short story Christina Rosenthal in epistolary format which made me cry . Ya , it did.


Of all the stories one story stands out Cleansweep Ignatius.. Haven't read a wittier story . It is a perfect example of mystery, humor and splendid story telling.


So I finished 12 stories in this book .Feeling really good about myself after slacking in this task for a week .Remember every single story has a twist , just about when you feel you know what's going to happen..:)


My Rating : combined for the collection 4.5 out of 5


My Rating for Cleansweep Ignatius - 5 out of 5

The Ruin Of Grant Lowery

Story: The Ruin Of Grant Lowery

Author :Audrey Niffenegger

Link:Here

The Ruin Of Grant Lowery is a modern fairy tale but with a twist. It's 21st century and I think fairies too have ultra feministic ideas .  Felt bad for poor Grant though :) Worth a read .

My Rating : 4 out of 5

Fat And Thin

Story : Fat And Thin

Author : Anton Chekhov

Link : Here

Plot : Chekhov's tale of two friends who meet after many years where in one tries to show off to the other about his job and worthy marriage and kid only to be surprised when his friend reveals his occupation and status.Then comes the sudden change in the first man's attitude towards his friend. Typical Chekhov kind of humor .

My Fav quote:

The thin man turned pale and rigid all at once, but soon his face twisted in all directions in the broadest smile; it seemed as though sparks were flashing from his face and eyes. He squirmed, he doubled together, crumpled up. . . . His portmanteaus, bundles and cardboard boxes seemed to shrink and crumple up too. . . . His wife's long chin grew longer still; Nafanail drew himself up to attention and fastened all the buttons of his uniform.

My Rating : 4 out of 5

Talent by Anton Chekhov

Story :Talent

Author :Anton Chekhov

Online Reading Link: Here

Plot: It is a story of a young painter Yegor Savvitch who has big dreams of a future as great painter  but hasn’t yet managed to turn it into reality.

My Thoughts:It is a story of people who just dream of being someone great but forget that Talent needs to be practiced and polished for it to shine. Dreamin of being great is not enough but people like Savvitch who have admirers like Katya will not realise it until it’s too late.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Some really short stories:

Hemingway's self confessed best short story :

"For sale: baby shoes, never worn"

He wrote it in just six words but it brings so much with it.  I googled and found a few other such short stories  by some other authors  :) Read on they are all just six word stories :)

Longed for him. Got him. Shit.
- Margaret Atwood

Lie detector eyeglasses perfected: Civilization collapses.
- Richard Powers

We went solar; sun went nova.
- Ken MacLeod

Chocolate

 Story : Chocolate

 Author : Michal Olszewski 

Online Reading Link : Here

Plot : This is the story of Dudek who is shopping for breakfast at a supermarket. Now , you must be feeling what is so big about shopping, we all do. That's the catch , he is not exactly doing it the way we do :)

 My fav quotes from the story :

"He must be quite rich," thought Dudek. "He must have lots of money. Even if that Hunnish manager woman were to tell him to pay for my breakfast he wouldn't starve

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5

White Nights by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Story : White Nights

Author : Fyodor Dostoyevsky 

Online Reading Link: Sorry , didn't find a online link ( Read from a book of short stories)

Plot : I will make this very easy for you , have you watched Saawariya ? the movie that people watched but then denied having  watched it :) This is the original Saawariya and let me tell you, it's way better this way. It is the story of a young man , sorry a lonely young man and his search for companionship . It is the story of  Nastenka,
the girl he falls in love with  and her wait for her true  love.

My thoughts : I knew within a paragraph into the story how it was going to end but that didnt stop from discovering an author whose works I have ignored for so many years. The style of writing was poetic and the story as a whole was a bitter sweet experience.

Highly Recommended
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5