A book compiled with many short stories, is often a good read when one doesn’t wish to go through a painstakingly long novel. For those who feel they can’t possibly develop the habit or patience for reading a book just yet, Jeffrey Archer’s ‘And thereby hangs a Tale’ proves to be the right choice. It not only has colourfully woven fifteen short stories, but since some of them are shared through true experience of the author collected during his travels around the world, one can possibly feel it happening for real.
One of the stories, ‘High heels’ revolves around the author’s encounter with a loss adjuster working for a firm, who claimed to have one of the greatest stories to tell the author. How Alan Penfold managed to get his first case solved in a limited time, is a quest worth reading for. This one’s surely a thriller if nothing less.
Another one named, ‘Caste-Off’ is set up in an Indian backdrop, Delhi to be exact. It gives an insight to a deep-rooted problem in the Hindu society – ‘Caste’. While, the love story of Nisha and Jamwal gets you a bit too emotional, a heart throbbing suspense of how their struggle finally ends will leave the reader gasping for air.
The story, ‘No room at the Inn’ is more of an experience by a traveler, having almost given up to look for a room at late hours in an ancient village of Monterchi. A surprise awaits Richard Edmiston when he approached the seemingly last hotel in the village, that is one which he could afford, before leaving for London.
The best thing about reading such a book is one doesn’t need to spend several hours together to finish off the story. Archer’s this particular book is just the right one if you’re looking for a compilation of thrillers, drama, romance supported with a tinge of light and witty humour. Also labeled by the Mail on Sunday –‘Probably the greatest storyteller of our age’, he stands true to his reputation as a commendable storyteller.
Publisher: Pan Books, an imprint of Pan Macmillan.
