Strong character descriptions cooked in picturesque yet simple narrative,
Can a seemingly simple man drive us readers crazy with a strong motive?
Deep-Fried in strong emotions like revenges and deceptions
Enjoy the master-story teller’s convincing concoctions!
Frederick Forsyth- Also known as the master storyteller, this handsome author has touched the peaks of popularity with his loved novels- The Day of the Jackal, The Afghan, The Fist of God and The Dogs of War. He wrote his first short story collection No Comebacks in 1982.
No Comebacks is a wonderful collection of immensely gripping 10 short stories with a seemingly common, meek man as the protagonist in each story, who performs extraordinarily in a trying situation. Interestingly, the geographies covered by the book range from Mauritius to Ireland to India to UK. This book was ranked among the best short story collections in goodreads.com and after reading tons of favourable reviews, I gifted it to myself! Flipkart promptly provided the book at my doorstep and I got reading.It was a herculean task to pick a favourite. But I’m listing a few stories that I adored a trifle more than the rest.
The Emperor- Middle aged banker Murgatroyd is thrilled for having won a prize trip to Mauritius for his sincere efforts at banking. His life has offered nothing interesting till now. Taking care of bank accounts and ignoring his wife’s constant nagging and complaints has become his daily routine. He is fascinated by the carefree Mauritians and wants to make his holiday a memorable one. While indulging in the scenic and verdant beauty of Mauritius, his colleague invites him on a day at fishing. But Murgatroyd balks as he thinks of his wife who will never approve if she gets to know that he intends to follow an adrenaline rush. The simple day at fishing seems to promise of unseen joys! Will this day change Murgatroyd’s life forever?
No Comebacks- The title story features a millionaire Sanderson who falls in love with a married woman Angela. He wants to marry her at any cost although she has no plans of ditching her simple husband. Sanderson’s flaming passion turns into a glaring obsession and he hires a contract killer to kill her husband. He wants no dissatisfying comebacks now! Will his millions buy her love for him as well?
The Careful Man- Hanson is a content millionaire but has been detected with terminal cancer. He just has 6 months to go. He prepares a will and hands it over to his lawyer friend for execution. He commits suicide a couple of months later since he realizes that his body is losing the battle of life. He has no family of his own but has a sister whom he sharply dislikes. He knows she would be the first to grab her share of the huge empire. What does his will contain? How does the meticulous and careful man escape the Inland revenue team and wriggle clear out of gift tax bodies to satisfy a noble cause? Will he manage to fool his cunning sister and other money-minded family members after his death?
Sharp Practice- Judge Comyn, O’Connor and a priest, strangers to each other meet in a train in Dublin. To pass the long journey interestingly, O’Connor pulls up his pack of cards and they start playing. Being new to the game, the priest is hesitant initially. However, with the goading of the other two, he manages to learn the game good enough to win a few shillings. O’Connor appeared to be a shady player, but does not win anything in the end. Who of the trio has a sharp practice at conning?
My Opinion- Though I normally note down a handful of quotes from books for my reviews, I found none noteworthy this time. The language, the style is extremely special though not rich in vocabulary. The flow of each story was so gripping that I was almost thankful that they are short stories else I couldn’t have put the book aside till its finish. An olio of flavours, I enjoyed this book to the fullest.
I read each story twice and I am not exaggerating this! This was mainly because I was shocked at the end and wanted a recap of how it all actually happened. My feelings were shock to perplexity to dawning realization to applause to deepening respect for the author! This holds true for each of the gems in this book. I couldn’t reduce even one star try as I did. This is not a book to be borrowed or rented but one to be purchased and treasured!
As the famous novelist William Styron has aptly put, “A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading.”