Sons of Fortune was Jeffrey Archer’s first novel published after his release from prison on a perjury charge. Fans who might have been concerned that the author’s time behind bars might adversely affect his storytelling ability needn’t have worried; the book is classic Jeffrey Archer, an epic tale of political, financial, and relational intrigue set against the tumultuous backdrop of America in the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s.

The story follows two boys—twins—who are separated at birth and grow up in very different circumstances. One lives with his birth parents, a poor couple who make sacrifice after sacrifice to ensure that their son has every possible advantage. The other grows up with wealthy parents who lavish him with material blessings while not neglecting to instill in him the value of a strong moral character. The narrative’s point of view switches between the two parallel stories for the entire book, providing the reader with a broad picture of life in mid-to-late-twentieth-century America.

As one might expect in a story about twins, the boys make similar choices at key moments in their lives, though the outcomes of their decisions are often very different. Both are interested in politics from a young age, though one finds success while the other falls victim to a devious opponent who continues to plague him throughout his life. One falls in love as a boy and marries his childhood sweetheart, while the other falls in and out of love with a variety of women. One is accepted to Yale, while the other is drafted and shipped off to Vietnam. Both make early friendships that help shape them as individuals, and both seem committed to doing the right thing in every situation.

Inevitably, the lives of the two unsuspecting brothers intersect when they each decide to mount a campaign for governor of Connecticut and end up running against each other. But as both work individually to shape the future, they cannot escape the past, and when the truth is finally revealed, the consequences are farther-reaching than either could have imagined.

Sons of Fortune is a lengthy book filled with fun anecdotes from the two men’s lives and several moving moments, but its effectiveness is reduced by an overreaching scope, as the book seems to be at least four stories in one. Part political thriller, part campus romance, part courtroom drama, and part a novel of corporate intrigue, the book begins to drag about halfway through. Despite this, Archer nicely weaves his story into the political and social climate of America’s “growing-up years,” and as always builds his characters in a very lifelike and relational manner. The dramatic ending will bother some readers who would prefer more closure after investing the time necessary to read more than 500 pages.

There is some objectionable content, most notably of a sexual nature as one of the brothers falls prey to society’s abandonment of moral standards in the 1960s and ’70s, but it is not explicit. For the most part the book upholds integrity and a kind of secular righteousness as both brothers become men of principle and in general succeed on the merits of their character.

Overall, while perhaps not in the same class as Kane & Abel, the book is good escapist fiction and will be enjoyed by Jeffrey Archer fans who are willing to overlook a bit of plot rambling and can enjoy the story for what it is. ( )

Sons Of Fortune, well what can I say, it was a masterpiece in my view. I think the author showed much affection to how the characters lives were planned out. I loved the authors ability to provide us the information to which the both sons grew up, each going to different schools. I always wondered in my reading of the book how the boys would meet, but Archer found a way to provide a very well put ending to this wonderful book. I would recommend this book to all people who love reading a very well put drama. ( )

A very well written story. Technically speaking. The text has a tremendous flow. Easy to read, still it doesn’t feel too simple. But what is the man writing?
These two sons – twins – who don’t know of each other’s existence are the best boys in the world, later ditto men. They do nothing wrong (almost), they succeed in anything they set their minds to do, and becomes rich (of course) and popular. Both have a go at politics, one on “each side”. That makes it a bit interesting, since it is clearly shown that the two “parties” in American politics really don’t differ much. And just here is the strength of the novel, in my opinion: Archer gives an insight into how the (sometimes complicated) American political system is constructed.
Apart from that it is a fantastic (as in fantasy) success story, where all energy is put into the two main characters – men – and where the women step aside, both for the main characters, but also for Archer’s writing. It was a long time since I read a modern book with so obvious sexism.
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En mycket välskriven historia. Tekniskt sett. Språket flyter oerhört bra. Lätt att läsa, även om det inte känns alltför enkelt. Men vad är det han skriver, karln?
Dessa båda söner - tvillingar - som inte känner varandras existens är världens bästa grabbar, senare dito män. De gör ingenting fel (nästan), de lyckas med allt de tar sig för och blir (naturligtvis) förmögna och populära. Båda ger sig in i politiken, på "var sin sida". Det gör det lite intressant, då det tydligt visas att de båda "partierna" i amerikansk politik verkligen inte skiljer sig särskilt mycket åt. Just här ligger romanens styrka också, tycker jag: Archer ger en inblick i hur det (ibland komplicerade) amerikanska politiska systemet är uppbyggt.
I övrigt är det en osannolik framgångshistoria, där allt krut offras på de båda huvudpersonerna - män - och där kvinnorna får stå till sidan, både för dessa romankaraktärer och Jeffrey Archers karaktärstecknande. Det var längesen jag läste en modern bok med så tydlig manschovinistisk underton. ( )

Great read but predictable ending. The story of two twin brothers who upon their birth one was removed - the two grew in different circles -- one in privilege and the other in middle class. Both well educated - one easily get into the Ivy leave because of wealth and connections and the other because of hard word and intellect. The story intertwines their lives - the good twin and the bad twin and their foray into politics and the predictable happens - they discover they are brothers. ( )

Good fiction novel with plenty of the required drama. ( )