( 10 reviews )
-
Posted: Jul 14 2009
Ok.. I can't really argue with what a lot of the reviewers here have written. The plots are totally overboard to the point of ridiculous a lot of the time, the characters are thin, the relationships are contrived, even the villain is weak. And yet, I still enjoyed this book. In some ways it is the soap opera-like ridiculousness of the plot that makes it a fun read. You think "Oh, come on..." (even up until the last page), but then smile slightly and keep on reading. For a great Jeffrey Archer novel, I'd recommend As the Crow Flies, which is one of my absolute favorites, or A Prisoner of Birth, which is sometimes silly, but more a literary work. But this is still fun, if you can just relax and get absorbed.
-
Posted: Apr 28 2009
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.
-
Posted: Jan 2 2008
It's interesting reading the other reviews of this book. For most of Archer's books, readers are in general agreement in their reviews. Not this one! I for one, liked it very much. I agree that the whole premise that the story is based on, the way the twins are separated at birth, is a little far-fetched, but Archer built a great story on that!
