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Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
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Kane and Abel (original 1979; edition 2009)

by Jeffrey Archer

Series: Kane & Abel (1)

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3,609693,484 (3.93)70
Fiction. Literature. HTML:

The mega-bestselling novel that made Jeffrey Archer a star, Kane and Abel, "a sprawling blockbuster!"â??Publishers Weekly
TWO STRANGERS BORN WORLDS APART. ONE DESTINY THAT WOULD DEFINE THEM BOTH...
William Lowell Kane and Abel Rosnovski, one the son of a Boston millionaire, the other a penniless Polish immigrantâ??born on the same day near the turn of the century on opposite sides of the worldâ??are brought together by fate and the quest of a dream.
Two menâ??ambitious, powerful, ruthlessâ??are locked in a relentless struggle to build an empire, fueled by their all-consuming hatred. Over sixty years and three generations, through war, marriage, fortune, and disaster, Kane and Abel battle for the success and triumph that only one man can have.
"Archer is a master entertainer."â??… (more)

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Title:Kane and Abel
Authors:Jeffrey Archer
Info:St. Martin's Paperbacks (2009), Edition: Anv, Mass Market Paperback, 656 pages
Collections:Your library
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Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer (1979)

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English (57)  Spanish (5)  Portuguese (Brazil) (4)  French (1)  Portuguese (1)  Korean (1)  All languages (69)
Showing 1-5 of 57 (next | show all)
A rather light, breezy read, nicely divided between scion of privilege and a recent immigrant as they make their way through the world and how hatred of each other forms their actions and reactions. I was enjoying it most of the time, until it slightly off the rails during a Romeo & Juliet-esque chapter or two and then never really recovered. The more I think about it, the less satisfied I am with the book. You'll know the ultimate ending about halfway through the book, but for some reason the character involved never figures it out (though there is no reason why he shouldn't have. I guess it can be argued by how obsessed he was by revenge that he was blinded to the bleeding obvious).
Reading up on the author, it does seem a little striking that one of the minor characters seems to share a certain moral laxity with him. ( )
  hhornblower | Nov 23, 2023 |
(4.5, rounded down to 4)
'Kane and Abel' is a very clear cut novel - follows the life journeys of two people, Abel Rosnovski and William Kane, born on the same date - whose circumstances cause them to grow up drastically different, but later they clash with each other heavily - causing them to disregard everything around them for revenge.
This is a marvellous piece of fiction, but as much as I want to sing this novel's praises, it lets you down at several points - for example, the character motivations of Kane and Abel, the titular characters.
Even though the book describes the odysseys of Kane and Abel in excruciating detail, I still got the feeling that both could be further developed. This complaint was repeated with several characters, all of whom are described (and developed) in zero detail. The plot also slows down heavily in the last quarter of the book - the part where ideally, I should have been the most excited.
Barring that, the first two parts of the novel, and the ending - are one of the best in modern dramatized fiction I've encountered so far. Will definitely be returning to Jeffrey Archer in the future. ( )
  SidKhanooja | Sep 1, 2023 |
Although I like the audiobook reader, the women in the book are treated contemptuously. ( )
  drmom62 | Apr 21, 2023 |
Although I like the audiobook reader, the women in the book are treated contemptuously. ( )
  drmom62 | Apr 21, 2023 |
This is a book written in 1979, republished as paperback in 2009 by St Martin's press.
The author makes a an allegorical tale of the biblical story of Cain and Abel.
The characters are Abel, a rags-to-riches boy, and William kane, a rich to further riches boy, who are both born on the day of the San Francisco earthquake in April of 1906. I didn't really care about the characters.
The first part of the book was interesting for what the rags-to-riches Abel went through in the White Russian prison camps, then his journey as he struggled to reach the United states.
Meanwhile, Kane is growing up, assured of every privilege.
By serendipitous events, the two men become lifelong enemies, involving everyone around them in the feud. ( )
  burritapal | Oct 23, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 57 (next | show all)
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Epigraph
Dedication
To Michael and Jane
First words
April 18, 1906
Slonim, Poland

She only stopped screaming when she died.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
ISBN 1851522603 is for Kane and Abel; The Prodigal Daughter; and Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less.
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (1)

Fiction. Literature. HTML:

The mega-bestselling novel that made Jeffrey Archer a star, Kane and Abel, "a sprawling blockbuster!"â??Publishers Weekly
TWO STRANGERS BORN WORLDS APART. ONE DESTINY THAT WOULD DEFINE THEM BOTH...
William Lowell Kane and Abel Rosnovski, one the son of a Boston millionaire, the other a penniless Polish immigrantâ??born on the same day near the turn of the century on opposite sides of the worldâ??are brought together by fate and the quest of a dream.
Two menâ??ambitious, powerful, ruthlessâ??are locked in a relentless struggle to build an empire, fueled by their all-consuming hatred. Over sixty years and three generations, through war, marriage, fortune, and disaster, Kane and Abel battle for the success and triumph that only one man can have.
"Archer is a master entertainer."â??

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