The book is quite a departure from the regular thrillers that Forsyth is famous for, but that doesn't take away anything from the quality of the work. It consists of five stories, which showcase the research that characterises Forsyth's works. I'd actually have taken these for Jeffrey Archer's work for the quality of the 'twists', and sometimes, even the wit. 'The Veteran' and 'The Art of the Matter' are renditions of the concept of justice, with the latter giving us quite a few insights about the art world and its inhabitants. 'The Veteran' would seem an open-and-shut mugging case and the trial that follows, but develops layers as it proceeds. There is something very satisfying about this story as well as the last one. In 'The Miracle', a tourist couple on their way to experience the Palio horse race in Siena, come across a stranger and his tale of the supernatural. 'The Citizen' involves a drug enforcement officer and a range of characters who are involved in a drug trafficking episode. 'Whispering Wind', the last story is considerably larger than others, and while the average 'Bollywood' viewer would find the concept familiar, it is still a great story based on 'The Battle of the Little Bighorn', the amount of detailing takes it up several notches. 'The Veteran' might be named after the first story or perhaps the expertise that key characters in all five stories exhibit. The most endearing aspect of this book is how it marries clinical descriptions and detailing with stories that exude warmth and humanity. That, and the excellent endings make this a great read.
This collection of short stories by Frederick Forsyth was engagingly vivid, well plotted, and displayed Forsuth's ability to write excellent short stories outside of the thriller genre. The stories are all written, to the extent that the fact that they were short stories didn't bother me (I usually prefer a novel over a short story.) The first story, The Veteran, was a interesting mystery story which gave me a new found appreciation for ability to create amazing word pictures using details. The second story, The Art Of The Matter, was pleasantly different tale of revenge. The Miracle, the third short story, had a rather wrenching ending, which gave me quite a surprise. The Citizen, was the forth short story, and besides having a good secret kept hidden till the end, I quite enjoyed the opening passages, because they showed how Forsyth can keep me interested simply describing mundane occurrences using splendidly verbal imagery. Whispering wind, the fifth short story, was the most unique story in the collection, and the most unusual (being a historical fantasy of sorts.) Altogether, a short story collection worth reading.
What do You think about The Veteran (2003)?
Dit was mijn eerste boek van Frederick Forsyth. Het bevat vijf korte verhalen, die elk weer heel anders zijn. De verhalen zijn verrassend en vaak zie je de ontknoping niet aankomen. Het boek is ingedeeld in het genre van de thrillers, maar na het lezen van de verhalen ben ik het niet echt eens met deze classificatie. Vooral het laatste verhaal is eerder mysterieus dan spannend. Ik vond de verhalen erg leuk. Ze lezen vlot en hebben een prettige lengte. Lang genoeg om boeiend te zijn en kort genoeg om in een avond te lezen. Het laatste verhaal is wel iets langer. Eerst boeide het mij ook niet, omdat het over soldaten gaat die jagen op de indianen. Niet echt mijn onderwerp. Dat verhaal heb ik dan ook niet in een keer uitgelezen. Uiteindelijk heb ik dit boek na twee dagen toch weer opgepakt en dit keer boeide het verhaal mij wel. Ik ben blij dat ik het uitgelezen heb, want het is een zeker de moeite van het lezen waard. In het verhaal is niets wat het lijkt. Het is maar goed dat dit verhaal niet het eerste verhaal was, want dan had ik misschien niet verder gelezen. Dit boek was zeker de moeite waard en ik ben dan ook wel benieuwd naar andere boeken van Frederick Forsyth.
—Hannie
I listened to this collection of five long stories by Frederick Forsyth on an audiobook in the car. I was on my road trip when I started it, but when I got home it was early in the book. I don't drive much, so it has taken a long time to finish, and now that I've finished the fifth story I don't really remember the first, except that I think I liked it. This book certainly made me enjoy my times in the car more, both because they are engaging stories and because they are read by three first-rate narrators: Patrick McNee, Bruce Boxleitner and Christopher Kazenov. I especially enjoyed McNee's unusual speaking voice, but all three were good. The final story, about the supposed survivor of Custer's Last Stand, becomes a fantasy about halfway through. This is a departure from other things by Forsyth that I've read, and it's pretty silly, really. But I certainly got caught up in it. These stories often had me on the edge of my seat, which I suppose is OK when one is driving.
—John
This story will bruise your ego and insult your intelligence because you will not see it coming. Despite this warning you will be amazed at the sheer evil and devious nature of the crime. Frederick Forsyth is best known for his espionage thrillers like The Day of the Jackal and Avenger; and in this short story he introduces us to a painstakingly methodical detective, a tenacious legal mind and an ice-cold avenger cloaked in the guise of a gentleman but with the brute instinct of a hunter. Stay with the story for till page 99. Then on, page 100 will stay with you forever.
—Webster Fortyone
