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A Wasted Hour
A young student hitch-hiking home from college meets an old man with an incredible story to tell.
Taken from his collection Tell Tale, A Wasted Hour is an ingenious and witty short story sure to delight Jeffrey Archer's many fans and proves why the Mail on Sunday has said that he is 'probably the greatest storyteller of our age'.
If you loved this story be sure to look out for The Year of Short Stories, a collection of digital short stories which celebrate the talent of this incredible bestselling author, including The Endgame and The Man Who Robbed His Own Post Office.
14 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2017
949 people are currently reading
1797 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Archer
657 books12.5k followersJeffrey is published in 114 countries and more than 47 languages, with more than 750,000 5* reviews with international sales passing 275 million copies.
He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.
He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
October 1, 2020
What a witty clever story 😄
فلنوقف السيارات الذاهبة لجامعة ستانفورد مع كيلي طالبة الادب الإنجليزي..وفقا لشروطها الابدية
تريد ان تكون اديبا؟ فلتقراها و لن ازيد
فلنوقف السيارات الذاهبة لجامعة ستانفورد مع كيلي طالبة الادب الإنجليزي..وفقا لشروطها الابدية
تريد ان تكون اديبا؟ فلتقراها و لن ازيد
May 3, 2018
Just 12 pages & 2 characters and Archer weaves a story out of it like a master storyteller.
A young student hitch-hiking to college meets an old man with an incredible story to tell...And as usual with stories by Archer, the twist lies in the 'tale'.
I wish it could have been a bit longer but certainly worth a read.
A young student hitch-hiking to college meets an old man with an incredible story to tell...And as usual with stories by Archer, the twist lies in the 'tale'.
I wish it could have been a bit longer but certainly worth a read.
October 28, 2018
A young girl usually hitchhikes her ride to her school, Stanford. Meets up fairly interesting people at times. Always looking for inspirations to write. Today, she's in for another mildly interesting ride ... or so she thought. A short interesting story, draws you in. Kept the suspense till the end. 3.5 Stars out of 5.
My reaction at the end of the book:
My reaction at the end of the book:
August 22, 2018
Amazing..
This is my first from Jeffrey Archer. I must say its worth more than just a book of pages.Story is that much natural that it feels like real conversation. Amazingly beautiful Story.
This is my first from Jeffrey Archer. I must say its worth more than just a book of pages.Story is that much natural that it feels like real conversation. Amazingly beautiful Story.
March 28, 2018
Jeffrey Archer is not my favourite personality but he is an excellent story teller. This book is only 12 pages long but the story is so well written.
This is a short story with a twist and 'A Wasted Hour' proved to be a very satisfying 10 minutes read.
This is a short story with a twist and 'A Wasted Hour' proved to be a very satisfying 10 minutes read.
January 29, 2019
I am no one to judge the great Jeffrey Archer or his works, yet this short story of just around 12 pages clearly reflects his might as a writer and a master storyteller.
With just two characters, he has spun a world of words which contains all the elements a good story must have.
Oh, and that ending is simply awesome. Don't go by the title, it is misleading in every sense of the word.
Verdict: Highly recommended.
With just two characters, he has spun a world of words which contains all the elements a good story must have.
Oh, and that ending is simply awesome. Don't go by the title, it is misleading in every sense of the word.
Verdict: Highly recommended.
July 22, 2018
A very short story that I really enjoyed reading. Part of the brand new Tell Tale collection of short stories. Recommended.
January 22, 2018
Couldn't be more enthralled.
March 23, 2018
I loved it!!! And that end! Oh my God!
Thans Hitessh for the recommendation!
Thans Hitessh for the recommendation!
June 18, 2018
Excellent short story from a master of the art form. I remember reading “A sting in the tale” a collection of his short stories many years ago.
Since he has made an effort to allow readers more access to his back catalogue of short tales it would be a poor reader to dodge the opportunity to dip into these works. I think it will be like a bag of sweets with some noticeable favourites.
This is a great start; he tells of being too preoccupied by studies you fail to notice life passing you by along the way. Kelley, to counter this has always tried to hitch a ride back to college. Trouble is she has sensible rules to try to avoid difficult situations but you can never be too sure of who’s car you are getting a lift in.
Since he has made an effort to allow readers more access to his back catalogue of short tales it would be a poor reader to dodge the opportunity to dip into these works. I think it will be like a bag of sweets with some noticeable favourites.
This is a great start; he tells of being too preoccupied by studies you fail to notice life passing you by along the way. Kelley, to counter this has always tried to hitch a ride back to college. Trouble is she has sensible rules to try to avoid difficult situations but you can never be too sure of who’s car you are getting a lift in.
February 5, 2018
It was boring.
This one was boring. Though the story had a good start but then it had lost its charm and ended on a boring note.
This one was boring. Though the story had a good start but then it had lost its charm and ended on a boring note.
November 10, 2017
What a waste of 11 minutes.
March 3, 2018
I have already read collection of short stories authored by Jeffrey Archer ten years before. I happened to see many of his short stories free in Kindle edition. I downloaded this book.
A beautiful short story and a little twist at the end. Kudos Jeffrey I always enjoy your stories.
A beautiful short story and a little twist at the end. Kudos Jeffrey I always enjoy your stories.
October 22, 2017
Random conversations
You meet unexpected people in the journey of life... Often the old people share their experiences in life. A good read...
You meet unexpected people in the journey of life... Often the old people share their experiences in life. A good read...
October 14, 2017
A short, delightful read. Simple prose, as befits a simple story. The twist at the end is pretty nicely done and gets the story a star more than I had initially planned.
October 18, 2017
It was good, captivating read. Such a short story and so many things discussed makes you awestruck on the imagination of the author.
PS: It made me think to expand and make it a 900-page novel. 😜
PS: It made me think to expand and make it a 900-page novel. 😜
November 10, 2018
A Wasted Hour follows Kelley, a student at Stanford and an aspiring writer.She always takes lifts from other people primarily for two reasons, firstly she wants to save money and second and most importantly she likes to listen to other people life stories,their past, memories and so on. She gains these factions of life experiences in of hopes incorporating them in writing a book someday. Her curiosity doesn't make her naive when it comes to this sort of arrangement,she abides by a set of rules and if any thing about the driver bugs her then she wouldn't accept the ride.
This time she meets an old man named John. During the short journey to her educational institution,John talks about his life, his job,family and how he survived the war and worked at different places. And it was interesting to read about his incredibly astounding journey of his life.
A wasted hour was a quick read. Although the title of the book seems to me like a misnomer but none the less I enjoyed this short story by Jeffrey Archer.
This time she meets an old man named John. During the short journey to her educational institution,John talks about his life, his job,family and how he survived the war and worked at different places. And it was interesting to read about his incredibly astounding journey of his life.
A wasted hour was a quick read. Although the title of the book seems to me like a misnomer but none the less I enjoyed this short story by Jeffrey Archer.
April 25, 2018
The end took the cake for me. It wasn't at all what I was expecting. I am loving this short story spree I am on!
July 10, 2018
Another masterpiece by the master of storytelling
Another masterpiece by the master of storytelling.
Us mere mortals can't even do justice in an attempt to describe his work. Short and sweet and awesome!
Another masterpiece by the master of storytelling.
Us mere mortals can't even do justice in an attempt to describe his work. Short and sweet and awesome!
February 4, 2018
I was expecting a bit of thriller! It turned out as flat as a story can be!
May 18, 2023
I had no idea that this book would mention Stanford XD. A quick entertaining read as I sat on the bus, crossing the Hoover Tower :P.
November 11, 2025
3.5⭐️ Lovely little short story ☺️
February 17, 2021
42nd book of 2021 (167 Books read overall)
Rating - 4 Stars
*Important take from the book* - Watch out for the little encounters in life.
Plot Summary - A young student hitch-hiking home from college meets an old man with an incredible story to tell.
My Review - A rather very short and insightful story about how simply just simple encounters of our lives can be of much importance if later thought about. This short story is about a budding student who likes to hear stories of different people to know the world better. Thus, she chooses to take a lift every day on her commute to school. Similarly, on one such lazy day, she meets an old man who tells her story about his youth and the adventures he went on. Later on, while arriving at school, he asks the young student a question and that what this book is all about. Totally, loved the last page twist in this story. Such is the beauty of short stories - The "Aah" moments.
Conclusion - This is how a good short story is written.
Full Review on Blog.
Link to Blog - The Tales of Fugitive Biker
Rating - 4 Stars
*Important take from the book* - Watch out for the little encounters in life.
Plot Summary - A young student hitch-hiking home from college meets an old man with an incredible story to tell.
My Review - A rather very short and insightful story about how simply just simple encounters of our lives can be of much importance if later thought about. This short story is about a budding student who likes to hear stories of different people to know the world better. Thus, she chooses to take a lift every day on her commute to school. Similarly, on one such lazy day, she meets an old man who tells her story about his youth and the adventures he went on. Later on, while arriving at school, he asks the young student a question and that what this book is all about. Totally, loved the last page twist in this story. Such is the beauty of short stories - The "Aah" moments.
Conclusion - This is how a good short story is written.
Full Review on Blog.
Link to Blog - The Tales of Fugitive Biker
December 11, 2017
Nothing is a waste
I knew it was going to be a short story but it has a good start, a very good middle and an excellent finish. A good easy read.
I knew it was going to be a short story but it has a good start, a very good middle and an excellent finish. A good easy read.
December 20, 2020
A young college student majoring in Modern American Literature at Stanford hitches a ride back to campus with an older gentleman. Their conversation turns from literature to the story of his life, as Kelly tries out her journalist skills on the man. The stories he tells her keeps he enthralled for the entire trip. Upon arrival at the campus the old man wishes her the best of luck, and tells her she will do fine, and thanks her for reading his book, The Grapes of Wrath, when she was only twelve years old.
April 12, 2018
Definitely not a wasted hour.
A college student and aspiring writer meets an elderly man with an astonishing tale to tell. I loved the surprise at the end. Definitely not a wasted hour.
A college student and aspiring writer meets an elderly man with an astonishing tale to tell. I loved the surprise at the end. Definitely not a wasted hour.
October 26, 2017
Not what I was expecting. Good twist at the end. Wish there was more story...
December 29, 2017
Not so great, but a good story.
January 11, 2018
Simple and predictable short story
March 23, 2018
A Story of a different kind !
Light Reading and keeps you engrossed till the last page.
A Treat for Bibliophiles !!!
Light Reading and keeps you engrossed till the last page.
A Treat for Bibliophiles !!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews