Book Review- Kane and Abel- Jeffrey Archer

So, I finally finished this Bollywood movie of a book which talks about family feuds, dramatic deaths and stories that span generations. It was my first Jeffrey Archer and now I do understand why he is the most loved author in the world. He doesn't claim to be a literary writer and he does justice to what he does. There are thrills, dramatic moments, royal blood and theatrical instances.

The novel is about Kane and Abel- two men born on different sides of the globe and no, they're not brothers like their biblical counterparts- Cain and Abel. I found the comment by Dan Brown on the cover calling it 'the ultimate novel of sibling rivalry' a little misleading. They're not siblings at all. They're two different people who happen to influence each others' lives.

The storyline aside from a few instances is fairly predictable and you can sometimes even imagine the purpose of bringing in a certain character. The characters play true to themselves and their are layered, grey characters. The character of Henry Osborne is cut out to play a certain shade and he keeps to his predictable self. (I am trying hard not to give any spoilers).

Although such novels are supposed to be light reads but I would just like to briefly mentioned that it glorifies the notion of 'blood'. Everyone who is successful in the novel comes from a royal lineage. Marx would totally condemn such a book!

But then, one cannot deny that the novel is fast paced and entertaining. It is a one-time read and I am glad that I read it. The way Archer has intertwined historical events with the story is also really amazing. In that sense, you can consider it to be an epic.

Read it to find out whether you should believe blindly in the story bible tells you.