Jeffrey Archer

Why read a historical novel about the life of George Mallory, who may or may not have actually been the first man to reach the top of Mount Everest? Because it’s there — in audiobook read by Roger Allam. That was my reason for reading this, anyway. Despite knowing how his life ended, I found the book interesting overall. I laughed out loud at the story of his climbing the church tower in Venice; rolled my eyes at the imperialist attitudes of the English in India, Nepal, and Tibet; and show more choked back tears at Mallory’s last letter to his wife.

Although I did enjoy the story, I found it cringey to read about how the expedition leaders talked about the mountain as a woman that they were trying to “conquer”, and I had to fast-forward through the Mallorys’ wedding night, because I didn’t need to hear about that.

After finishing this, I am struck by how much of a waste it was that Mallory took that one last chance for glory. He wasn’t to know for certain that it would end in his death, but he could have turned back at any point and remained alive. He had already achieved a great deal. Did he really need to be the first to the top of the mountain? Maybe I am just not sufficiently adventuresome (my idea of “roughing it” these days is staying in rented accommodation that doesn’t have wifi), but Mallory should perhaps have taken the hint from Sagarmatha/Chomolungma when his first expedition did not reach the summit.

If you’re interested in Mallory’s story, this is as good a place to start as any. It’s a bit shorter than Wade Davis’s biography Into the Silence, which I now want to try again after getting this book under my belt. show less

The assassination of Konstantin Karpenko sets in motion the events that will change the lives of his wife and son forever.

Certain that their lives are in danger, Elena and Alexander stow away inside a crate destined for the hold of a container ship, an escape arranged for them by Elena’s brother, Kolya. A toss of a coin determines whether they will hide inside a crate bound for England or inside a crate bound for the United States.

With mother and son secured inside the crate, the show more narrative becomes parallel “what-if” stories, one imagining their lives in America, the other imagining their lives in England. After thirty years, the stories come together in a surprising twist to answer the question of Alexander’s true destiny.

Woven into the tale are the history and political details of the time in which the story is taking place, bringing a strong realism to the events taking place. There are twists and unexpected occurrences in each of the timelines of the story; yet, while the unique narrative is truly inventive, some readers may find the continual switch between the two unfolding stories a bit difficult to follow, even with chapters titled to denote which timeline they are reading.

For those who wonder about “the road not taken,” this exploration of two possible futures is likely to pique their interest; however, there are times in each timeline when things seem to fall into place far too easily. Nevertheless, the story commands the reader’s attention and keeps the pages turning.

Recommended. show less

Story Overview

Two men—William Lowell Kane and Abel Rosnovski—are born on the same day in 1906. However, their births could not be more different. Abel is a penniless orphan who is adopted by a poor Polish woodcutter's family after his mother is found dying by the road. Kane is born into a life of privilege—the only son of a powerful Boston banking millionaire.

The book chronicles the parallel lives of the two men. Abel endures hardship, tragedy and oppression but manages to immigrate to show more America and build a successful hotel chain. Kane takes full advantage of his birthright and receives the finest education money can buy and becomes the leader of one of America's oldest and most powerful banks—yet suffers a series of tragedies of his own that make him wary of trusting people.

Although their lives run parallel as they establish their careers, there are moments when their lives intersect. Eventually, they confront each other in a business situation that ends up affecting both their lives forever and leading to a game of one-upsmanship that affects not only their individual businesses but the U.S. financial community. As the conflict unfolds between them for the bulk of their adult lives, both are stunned to find that the biggest price ends up being paid by those they love the most.

My Thoughts

I'm going to say this upfront: I didn't like this book. I forced myself to finish reading it—hoping it might get better. It didn't. Once I was 200 pages in, I felt I needed to just go ahead and slog on through.

I had high hopes going in because I'd seen a few bloggers raving about Jeffrey Archer and his books—especially Kane & Abel. But whatever they might have seen in this book eluded me because it left me cold.

My first problem is with the writing style. I found the writing to be very choppy. The entire book is written in a kind of rat-a-tat-tat style that I found off-putting. The majority of the narration and dialogue simply exists to move the story along; there isn't a lot of introspection, character development or extraneous description. I kept thinking: "This book seems so masculine. So abrupt and cold." I don't know if this is typical of Jeffrey Archer, but I don't plan on finding out. Characters are introduced and then dispatched with cold abandon. Perhaps this is meant to mirror the characters themselves—both of whom are somewhat unlikable and ruthless—but I feel it doesn't allow the reader to get a toehold into the story.

My next problem was with the amazing coincidences that keep bringing these two together. I guess I should have expected that from the very beginning when Archer chose to have them born on the same day. However, it began to annoy the heck out of me when they kept having run-ins that were really unbelievable. I mean, in all of the insanity of World War II, the fact that Abel (who mostly stays behind battle lines managing the food prep) ventures into "combat" exactly one time and manages to heroically save one person and it ends up being Kane was just too much for me.

Another coincidence that drove me up the wall was when these men—who end up being the bitterest enemies bent on mutual destruction for almost the entire book—both have one person they love more than anyone in the world—their children. I'll give you one guess who ends up falling in love. Yes....their children. Doesn't that just beat all? I mean it isn't like they live in a small town or anything where the choices are limited. No, they "find" each other in the podunk town of New York City. Oh, did I spoil the book for you? Well, you should have seen it coming a mile off—I know I did and I'm terrible at that kind of stuff.

But perhaps the biggest reason I didn't like the book was that I didn't like Kane or Abel. I just didn't give a darn what happened to either one of them. Both are obsessed with money and power and have few "real" human relationships. So once you factor in unlikable characters, add in a writing style that didn't grab me, and multiply by plot turns that seem unbelievably contrived, I ended up giving this book two stars (and that is being generous).

My Final Recommendation

I don't recommend this book at all. I didn't enjoy it in the least. So, I guess I've defying Otto Preminger, who has a blurb on the back of my book that reads: "I defy anyone not to enjoy this book, which is one of the best novels I have ever read." Well, Mr. Preminger: I didn't enjoy it. What are you going to do about it?

But I have to tell you, I seem to be alone in my assessment of this book from what I can tell. There are tons of 5 star reviews on Amazon, and the book jacket itself is just loaded with glowing praise. So, even though it wasn't my type of book, it might still have merit for you. show less

Looking at an old book with modern lenses isn't easy. I have read this classic at least 4-5 times but more than fifteen years ago. This reread (which will probably be a final reread) took me down nostalgia lane.

In many ways, I have grown as a reader so I could see all the flaws of the book standing out glaringly - the umpteen coincidences, the "Bollywood potboiler" kind of drama, the lack of attention to the daughters,... These elements haven't stood the test of time. At the same time, show more nothing can deny the magnitude of the historical, social and political coverage of the book. Nor can one ignore how wonderfully the story is built up in parallel between the two main characters, each of them getting the spotlight for an almost equal time. That ending is also perfect. I would have been disappointed if it had gone the more clichéd way.

Kane and Abel are both grey characters in many ways. Regardless of their disparate start in life, they have so much in common, especially in their determination, drive and demands. I don't love the characters but I love their intricate character sketching. Only Jeffrey Archer can make you root for such complicated characters.

If I view this book through my 2022 perspective, I might rate it a 4. But considering the era it was written in, and keeping in mind the almost perfect blend of fact and fiction, I will go with 4.5. The fact that I could complete this 550 pager within two days shows how much I have loved this classic. It's still going to be one of my favourite Archer works, despite the myriad flaws. show less