No Comebacks : Collected Short Stories
by Forsyth, Frederick
Published by : Corgi Books (London) Physical details: 331 Pages 18x10 cm | PB ISBN:0552121401. Year: 1984| Item type | Current location | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode |
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Books
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Fiction | Fiction | 823.914 F692N 1984 (Browse shelf) | Available | 15717 |
Browsing Garrison Public Library Multan Shelves , Shelving location: Fiction , Collection code: Fiction Close shelf browser
| 823.914 F692F 1994 The Fist of God | 823.914 F692F 1994 The Fist of God | 823.914 F692F 1996 The Fourth Protocol | 823.914 F692N 1984 No Comebacks : Collected Short Stories | 823.914 F692N 1989 The Negotiator | 823.914 F692N 1990 The Negotiator | 823.914 F692N 1996 The Negotiator |
Forsyth is best known for his taut thrillers, especially The Day of Jackal, but this collection of short stories reveals him a very competent crafter of clever short stories. Originally written in the early to late '70s (and three of which appeared in Playboy), each of the ten tales is a mini-morality tale, with a lighthearted tone and a twist of some sort. Their unifying theme is revenge/comeuppanceóeach story is about someone getting their just desserts one way or another. The exception to this is "Duty", which is not light at all and quite different in theme and perspective, and for those reasons, feels wholly out of place.
Two of the stories feature wealthy protagonists, including the title story, which tells of a handsome, successful English businessman who can have anything he wants from life and yet is still bored. It's the old "money can't buy you happiness" story, until one day he falls for a married woman. She admits the mutual attraction but won't leave her husband, and so the tycoon decides to send a hitman to solve the problem. The mechanics of the hitman's assignment are very compelling, and it all leads to an obvious twist that reaffirms the moral. "A Careful Man" is another rich man tale, but in this case, the wealthy coin dealer is dying of cancer and has no one he wants to leave his fortune toóleast of all his detestable sister and her family. His solution is fairly clever and the fun is in watching the odious family catch up with what the reader already knows.
Another set of stories feature unassuming hard-working middle-aged men who have yet to reap many fruits from their labors, and are generally married to unpleasant frigid nags.
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