It is one of
the best books I have laid my hands on, till date. Truly, Jeffrey Archer’s
masterpiece.
It’s a saga,
of two men, William Kane and Abel Rosnovski, born on the same day and how their
destinies intertwine. Kane is the blue-blooded heir to a banking fortune, whose
life is blighted by the early loss of his father on the Titanic, leaving Kane
Jr. in charge of the Kane & Cabot Bank. He proves to be good with numbers,
graduates from Harvard and is blessed with business acumen.
Abel is the
one-nippled, son of a Polish baron, who gets deported to Siberia after the
First World War, manages to escape the clutches of brutal beatings and
heart-wrenching slavery and makes his
way to America. Soon after, he starts
his life as a waiter in the Hotel Plaza. With fate by his side and grit in his
mind, he soon paves his way, rises to the top ranks and buys some stock in the
hotel chain. During the Great depression of 1930, his mentor –Davis, needs a
backer and thus approaches Kane & Cabot Bank. Kane’s bank refuses to lend him
the money and so he throws himself off the 17th floor of his hotel, not strong
enough to see his own bankruptcy. Abel blames Kane for Davis’ death. Richmond
Hotels is however bailed out, by an anonymous benefactor. But, Abel vows
vengeance from Kane.
The
beautifully descriptive yet highly intriguing mystery makes this book
un-put-down-able. World War I, World War
II and the Great Depression of 1930 hugely shape the lives of the two
protagonists, whose destinies keep crisscrossing, like when battling life and
death in the war, where Abel unknowingly saves Kane’s life.
All this
while, Abel has a daughter, Florentyna,named so in memory of his dead sister,
whereas Kane has a son, Richard. Abel vents out his anger by plotting to ruin
Kane’s bank, and thus making him bankrupt, only fit for begging on the streets.
Next thing we know, Florentyna, falls in love with Richard. Through many
crookish twists and turns, and the near-misses, this book makes for a
rollercoaster ride.
Highly unpredictable
and very engrossing, it makes every moment a page-turning mystery. The slavery,
the after-effects of war, the economic depression, all make for a very
interesting read.
Fiction
intertwined with realistic incidents, revengeful ruthlessness, the fight for
power, love, ego and so much more, makes this book no less than a classic. It
might be the classiest book you’ve ever read. Fiction, non-fiction, historical
incidents, insider trading, the never-ending lust for power and money: all
blended into one.
Think you’re
the smartest person out there? You might just find your match in Abel or Kane.
Or both.
For those
who are a sucker for love stories, the romance between Richard and Florentyna
will sweep you away.
Even when I
was half-way through the book, I just knew that this book will ricochet right
into my top 5 books. Books you can’t simply give a miss!
And if you
can’t enough of it, then go for “The Prodigal Daughter” – the sequel to Kane
and Abel. It’s one hell of a novel too. But I’ll save that review for later. :D
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