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Jeffrey Archer

Started by pigamus, November 05, 2019, 07:26:55 PM

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pigamus

Have you ever read a Jeffrey Archer novel? Are they as bad as they're supposed to be, or is that just snobbery?

iamcoop

I don't think I've ever read a novel by him. I remember once reading a collection of his short stories. My local library when I was about 13 was housed in a tiny old church in my local village. I got tonsillitis once and was completely bedridden. I sent my mother down to get me some books and bizarrely she returned with a Jeffrey Archer short story collection and Shaken but not stirred, the autobiography of Keith Chegwin.

The only thing I remember about the Archer short story collection was that one of the stories recycled the whole "somebodies trying to flag you down as you drive, you think they're the enemy but it turns out there was someone hiding on your back seat waiting to murder you all along" trope.

As for the Chegwin Autobiog I think I've talked about it before on here but I remember it being actually quite well written and very moving.

Apologies for the rambling reply, I've torn my lumbar muscle in my back and am completely fucked on pain killers.

Tl:dr Jeff writes trashy shit that's easy to read, says nothing and will contribute nothing towards your life. But it will at times be entertaining. McDonalds books.

Bennett Brauer

Yes, there's some snobbery involved, but his unattractive public presence is to blame for that. I think it's more or less accepted now that his books are generally good page-turners that rattle along with a few twists along the way, but that he owes a lot to his editor who rewrites it and restructures where necessary.

Bennett Brauer

I've just remembered what a bumptious berk he was when Giles Coren (I know) asked him for writing advice in the documentary Coren did about his own failed novel. Very little charm and zero humility. I can't remember his advice, but I don't think it was useful.

Keebleman

Some of the stories in his collection A Quiver Full of Arrows have stayed with me over thirty years after I read them, especially one about the time he visited an Hungarian professor of English in Budapest, so there must be some ability there, but I find the rumours of heavy editorial assistance very easy to believe as the quality of his stories varies wildly. 

For example, the first story in his next collection A Twist in the Tale (lame title) was something called The Perfect Murder (even lamer title).  This was a long story of 60 pages or so, and from about page 7 the big twist was as obvious as an elephant in a hen house.  I thought it might be some lumbering attempt at misdirection, but no.  It was like playing hide and seek with some idiot fat kid who thinks he's undetectable behind a lamppost and leaps out with delight shouting 'Surprise!'

The only one of his novels I've read is First Among Equals.  It's not terrible: there's some good info about the House of Commons and British political life in general, and it tries hard to avoid any bias (the Labour figures are generally more sympathetic than the Tories), but it's all a little inconsequential and soft-centred.

Glebe

I bought one of his novels in Poundstretcher once. I can't remember the title, but it cost me a full £1.49 - not a penny more, not a penny less.

Panbaams

Private Eye used to run articles about how some of his short stories were pinched from other authors – including one (where I think the twist was 'the narrator is a cat') that he took from the winning entry in a short story competition he was judging.

EOLAN

Quote from: Panbaams on November 06, 2019, 01:31:51 PM
Private Eye used to run articles about how some of his short stories were pinched from other authors – including one (where I think the twist was 'the narrator is a cat') that he took from the winning entry in a short story competition he was judging.

Was watching his Clive Anderson interview last night. Sounds like that story of pinching a prize-winning entry was the main item Clive was using to tease Archer with. Archer trying to pass it off as every romance being a rip-off of Romeo and Juliet and everything is influenced by others.

Icehaven

He's weirdly got a bit of a fanbase with prisoners because of the Prison Diaries, a lot of blokes read them then read his novels afterwards.

timebug

Shit for Cunts,written  by the one of the biggest cunts going. Next.....