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Caste-Off: The Year of Short Stories – February
Caste-Off is part of The Year of Short Stories and is one of a limited number of digital shorts released to celebrate the publication of Jeffrey Archer’s magnificent seventh short story collection, Tell Tale.
Taken from And Thereby Hangs a Tale, Jeffrey Archer’s sixth collection of short stories, Caste-Off is an enthralling short read with unforgettable characters and a devastating twist.
Jamwal Rameshwar Singh, a hedonistic playboy prince, assumes he will never fall in love but this all changes when he meets Nisha Chowdhury. Their blossoming international relationship continues as she completes her degree at Stanford but even as their love grows, Jamwal knows that his family will oppose the match as Nisha is not of their caste. Will Jamwal choose love or will his family’s wishes prevail?
Taken from And Thereby Hangs a Tale, Jeffrey Archer’s sixth collection of short stories, Caste-Off is an enthralling short read with unforgettable characters and a devastating twist.
Jamwal Rameshwar Singh, a hedonistic playboy prince, assumes he will never fall in love but this all changes when he meets Nisha Chowdhury. Their blossoming international relationship continues as she completes her degree at Stanford but even as their love grows, Jamwal knows that his family will oppose the match as Nisha is not of their caste. Will Jamwal choose love or will his family’s wishes prevail?
33 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
77 people are currently reading
214 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Archer
626 books12.6k 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 34 reviews
May 14, 2018
Master storyteller Lord Jeffrey Archer has chosen to please his fans with a new venture; a short story released each month. Those familiar with Archer’s work will know that he can not only spin long and involved pieces, but also the short story that compacts adventure into a handful of pages. February’s story spins a tale of love, as complex as it is intoxicating. Jamwal Rameshwar Singh is a millionaire playboy with a cocky attitude and a flashy car. When he’s overtaken on the road by an elegant, but equally speed-hungry, female driver, Jamwal will stop at nothing to make her acquaintance. Following her to a hotel, Jamwal eventually learns more about Nisha Chowdhury, a woman he does not remember from his childhood. According to Nisha, a young Jamwal tied her to a lamppost and left her. Now, smitten with this woman, Jamwal will do whatever he can to have her hand in marriage. While Nisha does love him, she is well aware of the impossibility of their union. Jamwal’s father is a maharaja, therefore making their castes incompatible, though that does not seem to deter Jamwal. He would do whatever it takes, even defy his own family, to have Nisha as his wife. During a trip to break the news to his parents, Jamwal discovers just how deeply rooted tradition and caste appears to be and he must make a choice. Archer pulls the reader into the centre of this story and adds a twist that the reader likely never saw coming. Brilliantly executed, fans of Archer’s work will surely enjoy this piece, as might many who prefer shorter tales to fill their time.
Lord Jeffrey Archer’s work is always full of unique perspectives, be they complete novels or shorter story such as this one. I am so pleased to have come across this collection and will review each storey based on its own merits, binging with the five before me to catch up, before awaiting each instalment on a monthly basis thereafter. Archer takes little time to develop backstories for both Jamwal and Nisha, weaving them together and yet still developing in their respective spheres. The story rushes onwards, much like the vehicles they drove to open the piece, and takes a few hairpin turns as the narrative lays the groundwork for some superb plot thickening. There is little time to waste and Archer uses each sentence to enrich the story, tossing off the extra in short order. The reader may enjoy the building momentum that sees this young love flourish, though remain clouded by the issue of caste, so prevalent in Indian society. Archer adds his own flair to keep the reader guessing until the final sentence, his trademark. No matter what one feels about his time incarcerated, Archer frees the reader from any judgment by presenting this top-notch piece.
Kudos, Lord Archer, for a masterful new story collection. How you find so many effective ideas that produce high quality publications I will never know.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Lord Jeffrey Archer’s work is always full of unique perspectives, be they complete novels or shorter story such as this one. I am so pleased to have come across this collection and will review each storey based on its own merits, binging with the five before me to catch up, before awaiting each instalment on a monthly basis thereafter. Archer takes little time to develop backstories for both Jamwal and Nisha, weaving them together and yet still developing in their respective spheres. The story rushes onwards, much like the vehicles they drove to open the piece, and takes a few hairpin turns as the narrative lays the groundwork for some superb plot thickening. There is little time to waste and Archer uses each sentence to enrich the story, tossing off the extra in short order. The reader may enjoy the building momentum that sees this young love flourish, though remain clouded by the issue of caste, so prevalent in Indian society. Archer adds his own flair to keep the reader guessing until the final sentence, his trademark. No matter what one feels about his time incarcerated, Archer frees the reader from any judgment by presenting this top-notch piece.
Kudos, Lord Archer, for a masterful new story collection. How you find so many effective ideas that produce high quality publications I will never know.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
July 14, 2018
A short romantic story that I really enjoyed but I felt the ending was very rushed. This really spoilt the story for me otherwise I would have given this romantic tale five stars.
The book was a freebie on Kobo anyway and I believe it's also free on other mediums.
Brilliant introduction to Jeffrey Archer and I will now be looking for more from this author.
The book was a freebie on Kobo anyway and I believe it's also free on other mediums.
Brilliant introduction to Jeffrey Archer and I will now be looking for more from this author.
September 20, 2022
This one looked like a typical Hindi film story.. with a twisted climax
June 12, 2024
Interesting story
I liked this story from Indian context, but it could carry a better finish. For instance, Jamwal is usually the last name that's used as a first name and the traditional bow by Jamwal in front of his father is actually the traditional feet touching to seek blessings. Then, the conversation between father and son is rushed through, which makes the father appear more stubborn than the circumstances at that time would allow him to be. A few more dialogues in there could justify the anger of the father in a little smoother manner. But, I found all this cute being an Indian fan of the British author. Jeffrey is a great storyteller with good knowledge of Indian contexts, places, traditions and more. Great job with this story.
I liked this story from Indian context, but it could carry a better finish. For instance, Jamwal is usually the last name that's used as a first name and the traditional bow by Jamwal in front of his father is actually the traditional feet touching to seek blessings. Then, the conversation between father and son is rushed through, which makes the father appear more stubborn than the circumstances at that time would allow him to be. A few more dialogues in there could justify the anger of the father in a little smoother manner. But, I found all this cute being an Indian fan of the British author. Jeffrey is a great storyteller with good knowledge of Indian contexts, places, traditions and more. Great job with this story.
July 11, 2018
A lovely love story
It is not just the mystery and courtroom drama he masters, he is equally awesome in describing a couple in love.
Jamwal and Nisha remind me so much of Ruth and Gregory Mallory. And he described the streets of India almost perfectly.
One small thing that bothered me a little. I know one must keep in mind when reading a romantic story, things can be over the top. Jamwal used to fly every weekend to Stanford. Yes, he was madly in love and he was rich. But seriously? every week?
Honestly, makes me envious. :-(
It is not just the mystery and courtroom drama he masters, he is equally awesome in describing a couple in love.
Jamwal and Nisha remind me so much of Ruth and Gregory Mallory. And he described the streets of India almost perfectly.
One small thing that bothered me a little. I know one must keep in mind when reading a romantic story, things can be over the top. Jamwal used to fly every weekend to Stanford. Yes, he was madly in love and he was rich. But seriously? every week?
Honestly, makes me envious. :-(
Want to read
July 30, 2018💝FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (7/30/2018)!💝
December 21, 2019
An Indian love story !
So even Jeffrey Archer has researched about the caste differences in India that hinders love marriages. A sweet love story with a message to be clearly understood by all those who thinks caste is important than love !
So even Jeffrey Archer has researched about the caste differences in India that hinders love marriages. A sweet love story with a message to be clearly understood by all those who thinks caste is important than love !
July 14, 2018
Fast paced
A quick read but surprisingly tender and elegant, like the Ferrari which opens the story. Archer seems to have caught the caste undercurrents nicely.
A quick read but surprisingly tender and elegant, like the Ferrari which opens the story. Archer seems to have caught the caste undercurrents nicely.
March 29, 2018
This story had a lot of promise but was cut off in its prime by an abrupt ending, topped off with an appearance by the author as one of the characters. Just meh.
July 11, 2022
Caste-Off is the February part of The Year of Short Stories
June 20, 2018
Master storyteller is Jeffrey Archer
A masterfully told love story that aches your heart.
I held my breath dreading the worse at the fateful scene...
A masterfully told love story that aches your heart.
I held my breath dreading the worse at the fateful scene...
February 21, 2018
Typical Bollywood movie without the ultimate happy ending too! Tch tch.
February 27, 2018
One of the rare Jeffery Archer short stories that I did not enjoy. The whole plot is too Bollywood-type with nothing to hold the reader's attention. Even the ending seemed to fall flat.
February 27, 2018
Seemed more like a Bollywood cliché plot than something penned by Jeffrey Archer.
March 8, 2018
Always loved Jeffrey Archer's short stories. He can create an entire world in just a few pages. Good read.
March 22, 2018
Abrupt ending
While story build up is excellent Ending is too abrupt & without logic or connection. Attention to detail is also missing in some situations.
While story build up is excellent Ending is too abrupt & without logic or connection. Attention to detail is also missing in some situations.
April 7, 2018
Good story
April 10, 2018
Short and sweet indian story
Nice story in a Indian style, Mr Archer perfectly narrated how an Indian love story will be though the ending is sad.
Nice story in a Indian style, Mr Archer perfectly narrated how an Indian love story will be though the ending is sad.
April 14, 2021
In Jeffrey Archer land, I guess this is what passes for a romance. A lot of glamour with fast cars, beautiful people and an international lifestyle, but there is no real substance to the relationship between the two main characters. As with several of the stories from this series, it feels a bit like Archer is just telling us a story he overheard, rather than really engaging with his characters.
It is another very short book, just a short story really at around 8000 words, as is hinted by the “Year of Short Stories” label on the cover image. I downloaded this book when the whole series was offered free as ebooks from Amazon, but now that I look back they are nowhere to be found. I can only assume that this is because they are now combined into one or more (paid) anthologies rather than being available as individual titles.
Almost all of this story is told from the viewpoint of Jamwal Rameshwar Singh, an Indian of the royal Rajput caste who falls in love with a woman of a different caste. She may be a wealthy celebrity in her own right, but in the eyes of Jamwal’s family she is so unsuitable that when Jamwal announces that he plans to marry her, he is immediately disinherited and disowned, adn has no further contact with his own family for the rest of his life.
Just as the story is building to a head, and Jamwal has fled with his love Nisha, first to get married as quickly as possible, then to a honeymoon in Goa, there is a twist. Readers are left adrift, not knowing what has happened until the conclusion of a kind of epilogue, written from the point of view of an unnamed writer, presumably a placeholder for Archer himself. This final section brushes off what seems to be decades of this tragic romance in a couple of sentences.
I was disappointed by this story, it looked as if it was going somewhere, and then just ended. We got to see none of the consequences of their Romeo and Juliette decision to flout their culture and it all felt like a bit of a let-down.
It is another very short book, just a short story really at around 8000 words, as is hinted by the “Year of Short Stories” label on the cover image. I downloaded this book when the whole series was offered free as ebooks from Amazon, but now that I look back they are nowhere to be found. I can only assume that this is because they are now combined into one or more (paid) anthologies rather than being available as individual titles.
Almost all of this story is told from the viewpoint of Jamwal Rameshwar Singh, an Indian of the royal Rajput caste who falls in love with a woman of a different caste. She may be a wealthy celebrity in her own right, but in the eyes of Jamwal’s family she is so unsuitable that when Jamwal announces that he plans to marry her, he is immediately disinherited and disowned, adn has no further contact with his own family for the rest of his life.
Just as the story is building to a head, and Jamwal has fled with his love Nisha, first to get married as quickly as possible, then to a honeymoon in Goa, there is a twist. Readers are left adrift, not knowing what has happened until the conclusion of a kind of epilogue, written from the point of view of an unnamed writer, presumably a placeholder for Archer himself. This final section brushes off what seems to be decades of this tragic romance in a couple of sentences.
I was disappointed by this story, it looked as if it was going somewhere, and then just ended. We got to see none of the consequences of their Romeo and Juliette decision to flout their culture and it all felt like a bit of a let-down.
February 9, 2019
This review was originally posted on my blog ladybookdragon.com
After reading a few of these short stories I am starting to sense a theme, basically a man sees a beautiful woman and drops absolutely everything to chase her. I picked up this short story over breakfast and soon had it finished and it was a perfect start to the working day.
A classic tale of forbidden love that I absolutely loved. Archer set the book in India which I did not expect at all and was a nice surprise, I particularly liked the random cows on the road during the car race at the beginning. Jamwal is a typical playboy with a phonebook full of women he can call on whenever he feels like but very hard working and a successful businessman. Nisha is a Stanford student studying fashion, who is the most beautiful woman Jamwal has ever seen and guess what when he first sees her he drops all his plans in pursuit of her.
The story is beautifully written and the imagery and detail is fantastic. I loved how Jamwal’s and Nisha’s blossoming relationship is squeezed into the short story and yet it does not feel rushed or in anyway lacking, which proves Archer’s talent as an author. The question of whether Jamwal will choose his family or the love of his life has you on tenter hooks and there was no way I was putting the story down until I had finished the book.
This story took about 20 minutes to read, so an excellent read when you have a bit of time for a mug of tea and your feet up. It is free on Kindle and a wonderful read I can not recommend it enough. I rated this story 5 out of 5 Dragons.
After reading a few of these short stories I am starting to sense a theme, basically a man sees a beautiful woman and drops absolutely everything to chase her. I picked up this short story over breakfast and soon had it finished and it was a perfect start to the working day.
A classic tale of forbidden love that I absolutely loved. Archer set the book in India which I did not expect at all and was a nice surprise, I particularly liked the random cows on the road during the car race at the beginning. Jamwal is a typical playboy with a phonebook full of women he can call on whenever he feels like but very hard working and a successful businessman. Nisha is a Stanford student studying fashion, who is the most beautiful woman Jamwal has ever seen and guess what when he first sees her he drops all his plans in pursuit of her.
The story is beautifully written and the imagery and detail is fantastic. I loved how Jamwal’s and Nisha’s blossoming relationship is squeezed into the short story and yet it does not feel rushed or in anyway lacking, which proves Archer’s talent as an author. The question of whether Jamwal will choose his family or the love of his life has you on tenter hooks and there was no way I was putting the story down until I had finished the book.
This story took about 20 minutes to read, so an excellent read when you have a bit of time for a mug of tea and your feet up. It is free on Kindle and a wonderful read I can not recommend it enough. I rated this story 5 out of 5 Dragons.
October 6, 2019
I don't do book reviews like you keep seeing, as I find that some give too much of the plot away and I personally hate that, as it makes the book not worth reading. I much prefer to take the authors back cover write up as a review as it can either intrigue you enough to read the book of provide you enough information to make you decide that the book is not for you.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way.
My review rules are: The more stars, the more I liked it.
If there are too many typos or errors the less stars I give
If the storyline or plot is poor or contains too many errors, the characters are too weak, the ending lacking something, then the less stars I give.
Simple, uncomplicated and to the point without giving anything away.
Some of the books I read have been given to me by the author as a pre-release copy and this does not bias my reviews in any way.
October 2, 2018
Not exactly the best love story I've ever read. Quite cliché how love conquers all ... even the caste system in India. Which, having been extensively, is definitely NOT the case . The story starts with two people racing cars at traffic lights in India. Seriously? The traffic in India and Delhi, in particular, is nose to tail!! And after this, I could not take either the story or the characters seriously.
A short story to, if not avoid, read with scepticism at the author's lack of imagination.
A short story to, if not avoid, read with scepticism at the author's lack of imagination.
December 19, 2020
A rakish, dissolute playboy, who swears that he will never fall in love finds himself head over hills, and is willing to forsake his future, and family fortune for the woman of his dreams. This he does, but the price he pays for the chance at unconditional love seems worth it to him when it's all said and done.
July 28, 2019
Superb, Short and Sweet Romance
I would give this a 5. Undoubtedly, nicely written. A short and sweet romance that was narrated with all the chapters of love marriage in India. Another smashing work by Archer
I would give this a 5. Undoubtedly, nicely written. A short and sweet romance that was narrated with all the chapters of love marriage in India. Another smashing work by Archer
October 25, 2018
Perfectly depicted the Indian society!!
October 28, 2018
Very good
I find any book by JA very relaxing to read, with good morals, a brilliant story teller with actual life experience
I find any book by JA very relaxing to read, with good morals, a brilliant story teller with actual life experience
January 19, 2019
Great love story I really enjoyed it.
July 24, 2019
A simple story that says - “Love above all else”...
July 31, 2019
⭐️3.5⭐️
October 4, 2019
Wish the story has more details and additional context.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews