Reviews for Alfred Hitchcock presents

The average rating for Alfred Hitchcock presents based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-07-19 00:00:00 Brett Nunley I had been looking for a book to use in tutoring an ESL adult through the public library's program, Project Second Chance. As I was leaving a library branch recently, I discovered just the thing on the Friends of the Library's sale shelf. Among the stories in Hitchcock, three were suitable for the ESL work. In "De Mortuis..." by John Collier, a man is putting the finishing touches on a section of new concrete in his basement. Two friends come to his house, discover him there and jump to conclusions about what might be under the concrete. Next "The Wager," by Robert L. Fish, tells the story of a man willing to pay to have a small two thousand-year-old ivory carving smuggled into the country for him. For twenty thousand dollars. In Bill Pronzini's "The Same Old Grind", Mr. Mitchell has gotten in the habit of buying his lunch at a little out-of-the-way delicatessen, most particularly because he saves so much money there. He feels sorry for old Mr. Giftholz who is clearly struggling to make ends meet. Because of the extrememly low prices, Mitchell is fairly sure Giftholz must be operating a scam or using the deli as cover for something illegal. He, Mitchell, is an independent contractor, doing 'favors' for friends--for money, of course--so he recognizes all the signs. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed short stories, particularly those by Collier. In appreciation, I downloaded both volumes of Collier's Fancies and Goodnights to reacquaint myself with his collected work. The short story smorgasbord can also be a reminder to take another look at work by old friends. Caveat regarding short stories: One disadvantage of ranking a story collection is that the number of stars give may give a false impression in speaking for the whole collection. So, giving this three stars for all (five stars for each of three mentioned here and two more at the same level though not for ESL, plus six more stories at four stars) may seem unfair. However since there are 27 stories, that's a solid average.

Review # 2 was written on 2015-07-25 00:00:00 Timothy Leto This is an interesting and varied collection. The lead story, "She Fell Among Thieves" is the best. The author, Robert Edmond Alter, offers to us a perfect example of a high-concept idea beautifully executed in a short-story format. Hollywood should take note: high-concept ideas don't necessarily translate into a two hour entertainment. I think Hitchcock was truly a master at selecting stories for his TV show as opposed to stories for the big screen, and a master at selecting and publishing good-to-great short stories.