Jeffrey Archers novel "Kane and Abel" is a work of sheer genius. It is set in the early 1900's and tells the story of two remarkable men trapped by their hatred for each other despite the fact that they have never even met before. An aspect of the book interestingly focuses on the stock market crash of 1929 while not deviating from the main storyline. As we read this remarkable story, we are taken on a journey - a journey through the lifes of two very different individuals, Polish Hotel giant Abel Rosnovski and affluent Boston banker American William Kane. Kane has a privledged upbringing, whereas Abel has quite the opposite. He spends his youth imprisoned in a castle as a Russian prisoner of war. After a long agonizing struggle, Abel gains wealth and power whereas Kane already has it. We view both mens lives, their journey from boy to man to death. Although both men are very different they both share a similar motivation, ambition and the other's financial destruction. It is amazing that this has been achieved in one book and has been done so successfully. After the success of this book, Jeffrey Archer wrote another novel that continues to tell the story of "Kane and Abel's"children and their individual triumphs and failures and how they finally overcome their fathers' hatred and loathing. Any lesser author would have failed. But politician and author Jeffrey Archer is, in my opinion, currently the best British novelist around. Don't deprive yourself of something truely wonderful, get a copy of "Kane and Abel" and enjoy your journey.
Title: Kane and Abel |
1/27/05
