Jeffrey Archer: Complete Bibliography and book reviews.
June 24th, 2004 | by Digvijay Lamba |I have been an ardent Archer fan and have read all his books.
Here I present brief reviews of all his novels, and rate them.
My Rankings:
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The best:
1. Kane and Abel.
2. As the crow flies.
3. Not a penny more, Not a penny less.
4. A prison diary – I and II.
5. First among equals.
6. Shall we tell the president.
Good reads:
1. Honor among thieves.
2. Fourth estate.
3. The prodigal daughter.
All others are reviewed in detail below.
The Kane and Abel Trilogy.
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1. Kane and Abel (5/5)
This is easily the best book of all that this man has every written. It is a combination of drama, thrill, fast paced story telling, romance and lots of plot twists.
The story begins in 1906 when William Kane and Abel Rosnovoski are born, one in a prominent rich family in Boston, the other in a Polish village to an unwed mother who dies in child birth. Archer describes the growing up of the two protagonists in a fascinating tale that leaves an impression. The story eventually leads to the two men’s lives intertwining in a tail of competition, hatred, values and commitment. It leaves you spellbound till a finale in 1969, when the first book of the trilogy ends in the most
interesting manner.
2. The prodigal daughter. (3/5)
The saga of the two families continues to the childhoods and lives of the daughter of Abel Rosnovski, Florentyna, and the son of William Kane, Richard. The first 200 pages or so are devoted to a recap of the first book, but this time from the eyes of the two kids. The story continues with Florentina becoming a headstrong and successful women. It stretches a bit as she gets everything too easily and her portrayal becomes a bit dull in my opinion. But the book eventually picks up, and in an interesting twist, delivers its final blow. A worthy sequel for any Kane and Abel fan.
3. Shall we tell the president. (5/5)
This is strictly speaking not a sequel. As a matter of fact the story was written with Kennedy as the president but in a subsequent revision Archer reworked it to fit his Kane and Abel saga. But its a totally different story. Its a spy thriller with a bunch of people planning to murder Florentina Kane, now the President of the United States. Its the first among several spy novels Jeffery later wrote and the best. Its written in a fast paced, always on the edge style and mixes politics and law enforcement in just the right amounts. A must read.
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Archers stay in prison:
1. A prison diary. (5/5)
2. Purgatory: A prison diary. (5/5)
These are non fiction books that are day to day logs of Archers stay in two British prisons. There will be a third installment that I am yet to read.
The one and only thing for which you MUST read these is a realistic look into prison life in British prisons. It turns several stereotypes about prison life on their head and tells you more about these real people. He offers insights into the lives and pasts of several real prisoners. I found the books very interesting. Read them if you like non-fiction books that offer you a view into another kind of life. In this case what you see is real.
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4. Matter of Honor (3/5)
Its a Big Russia takes on Big US and the result depends on the little guy story. A much repeated tale, Archer makes it refreshingly full of suspense and pace. Adam, the protagonist has the key to a treaty, which will allow Russia to take over Alaska. A tale is woven around full of spies, treachery, honesty and above all thrill. But it remains one of the many novels written with the Russia takes on US theme. Thus a three.
5. First Among Equals (5/5)
OK, so a 5 may be a surprise to most. But to an Indian, or anyone outside the UK, this book is an amazing insight into British politics. It runs like a soap opera, telling the tale of four politicians, each of who could tomorrow be the resident of 10 downing street. With Archers personal insights into the British parliament, the tale offers a look into the motivations of the politicians and the reasons behind decisions being taken.
Frankly, it left me surprised with the amount of honesty and nationalism it portrays politics as having. I put this as a must read.
6. Not a penny more, Not a penny less. (5/5)
This was Archer’s first published novel. It thus suffers from some inexperience. The story is stretched at parts and the ending is quite ordinary. That said, it is still a memorable book. It is a tale of 4 people from different backgrounds who have been swindled by a known con-artist, Harvey Metcalfe, and team up to retrieve the exact amount for him. I loved the way the story is told. It keeps you on the toe with a frequent “wow” or an “aha” to keep things alive. Recommended for being an entertainer.
7. Honor among thieves. (4/5)
Here archer does a Tom Clancy without the gadgets. The story revolves around Saddam Hussein trying to steal the American Declaration of Independence by using a President look alike. The story is intriguing, the ending totally unsuspected and the suspense good. However, for most parts its another spy story. To its credit, the plot of the book is hugely entertaining and you don’t see most of it coming. Its a “good but not great” kind of book. A fan should read it.
8. As the crow flies. (5/5)
This is the ultimate page turner that ranks next only to Kane and Abel on my list of Archer books. This book takes you through the life of a Barrow boy called Charlie Trumper from when he was 8 years old till he becomes old. He wants to become the owner of the biggest burrow and strives for success in business. Intertwined are love, betrayal and hatred. The narrative is like that of Kane and Abel, and the life of the protagonist is described in what I would call the “Archer style”. Every character is covered in immaculate detail. This is a MUST read and highly addictive.
9. The Eleventh Commandment. (3/5)
This is another Archer does a Tom Clancy. While the story is good and the book addictive, there is nothing different or special here. Its a pure entertainer recommended for its simple don’t give it a thought kind of story. The tale is about a CIA assassin, our protagonist, who is caught between the scheming rivalry of the President and the CIA directory. The plot takes you to a Russian election, American politics and is generally a good read.
10. The Fourth Estate (4/5)
This is a classic archer man against. Lubji and Keith are two people from different cultures who go on to become media barons and collide in a clash of ambitions and egos. The story is extremely interesting and the characters are developed well. The best thing is the insight into the world of media and news. Its also a crash course on cultures of various countries in the world. I loved the book. I suggest you read it too.
Not so good and so avoid:
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Sons of Fortune: (1/5): Why did he write this?
A Twist in the tail: (2/5): Some of the short stories are good. Others are crap.
Not read:
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A quiver full of arrows.
Twelve Red Herrings.
To Cut a long story short.
Collected Short Stories.
Tags: Author, Books, Jeffrey Archer, Reading, Reviews
