Rating: 
Summary: Archer Plays a Strange Type of God
Review: Twins are seperated at birth. One ends up in a family of wealth and priviledge - the other to a middle class family. However, both are twins in many ways - they are both smart, like the same kind of girl, and are adept at their chosen paths of finance and criminal law. Each also faces a common enemy - a character of low worth who is only out for himself.
Both sons of fortune find themselves married to a woman who loves them back - one an immigrant who had a secret; the other a scion of history. Though they run against each other in a governor race, each respects each other enough to put politics aside in the favor of what is right.
Archer makes major mistakes in this well intended novel - one man would not defend his enemy in court in a heated political campaign. Another is that marriage to a foreign born translates into citizenship is another - one man loves his Korean born wife to death. Plus AB blood type means somebody can take blood from anybody. The sons find out their common blood via this, but it is a medical mistake.
However, I do agree with Archer's main point - that blood doens't matter much. Both twins agree to keep their heritage secret. Adopted or by blood, they had parents who loved them and cared for them - and raised them with all their love. The only effect of their revealing the secret would be to destroy their families and loved ones. Both are honorable men who put ambition apart from family in the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Bizarre distortion of American politics
Review: I'll skip over the wooden (or should I say leaden?) characters and the improbably swap at birth. I can ignore the anachronisms (Yale coed in the 1960s). I can even overlook minor errors (Officer Cadet School, instead of Officer Candidate School).
This monstrous political novel bizarrely distorts American politics. There apparently was no fact-checking done regarding American politics in this novel of American politics written by an English lord. The competing candidates for the Republican nomination for Connecticut governor endure separate primaries or caucuses in every town in the state, on different dates? Their chances of winning the Republican nomination depend on the Electoral College? Beyond bizarre. Apparently Lord Archer didn't have access to researchers while he wrote this in prison.
Rating: 
Summary: Sons of Fortune
Review: First, did it ever occur to Mr. Archer of his editor that this book should have been edited for American reading?
The story takes place primarily in Connecticut yet Mr. Archer would have you believe these two fine American young men have never set foot outside of England! How many times did I want to throw this book against the wall when reading phrases like "sacked" or "straight away" or "keen to see"? The overusage of British phrases in a decidedly American backdrop ruined the book for me. Notable case in point: Ralph Eliott issues an insidious brochure on Nat Cartwright and Cartwright (Medal of Honor winner)counters with a description of himself as "Americian Marine" instead of "United States Marine."
I am otherwise an avid Archer fan, having read "Honor "Among Thieves" (excellent) and recently, "The Eleventh Commandment", a real page turner.
I shall not, er..excuse me.., will not give up on Archer but if this sort of thing gives you the "fingernail on the blackboard effect" as it does me, avoid this one and move on.
Barring this blatant flaw, the story was suspect at best and the end laughable.
Rating:
Summary: Sons of Fortune
Review: Jeffrey Archer remains one of the most riveting story-tellers in contemporary fiction. Although SONS OF FORTUNE may not be another KANE AND ABEL, I was thoroughly enchanted and caught up in this story of Nat Cartwright and Fletcher Davenport.A meddling nurse decides to play God and let one woman who gives birth to twins think one of them has died. She gives the other twin to her employer who has difficulty carrying a baby to full-term. So begins the story of two young boys whose lives parallel each other in remarkable ways through triumphs and tragedies. Nat grows up in his natural parents middle-class lifestyle while Fletcher becomes the heir to a wealthy family's largesse. Their days at boarding school and college are told in such a way that only enhances Archer's reputation as a master storyteller, albeit not so perfect on all factual information. Nat becomes a VietNam hero, Fletcher becomes a community savior. Both have lucrative careers in New York, but are brought back to their hometown in Connecticut. They are propelled into political careers that have them both running for Governor of the state. Meanwhile, an old nemesis of both is murdered and one stands trial while the other defends him. All the while, the reader is breathlessly waiting for the BIG NEWS to be revealed. Will anyone notice the similarities as they stand side by side? Will their innate connection tip anyone off to the true story? Will their lives change dramatically if the truth is ever revealed? Unfortunately, an otherwise great book falters terribly in the final section. Senseless tragedy in each man's family only compounded this reader's frustration. After being dumbstruck at the ending, I can only offer this to those of you who share my feelings at the ending: go back and read the beginning of Chapter 31 and then reread the last paragraph when the mayor TURNS AROUND to face the two candidates. Not perfect, but I still found it well worth reading and totally enjoyable if not a bit let-down by what could have been the most tear-jerking reunion ever, but wasn't.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Acher's best effort
Review: With Sons of Fortune, Archer spins an intriguing tale of two twin brothers who, through a well-intentioned yet criminal act that remained secret for decades, were separated at birth. Each grows up in worlds that are parallel but different. As the decades pass, Archer takes the brothers through a variety of life experiences that were relevant and important in their day. At the same time, the lives of the brothers inevitably become more and more entwined. Although character development is solid, the story itself gets bogged down in places and leaves huge gaps in time in others. That said, Archer kept me turning the pages. Although this is not among Archer's best, his fans may want to at least give this a chance.
Rating: 
Summary: Repeating, repeating and repeating.
Review: The story of the book is about two twins that were separated in the hospital, why or how it doesn't really matters, it also doesn't really matters if they were twins, cousins or friends, when they find out that they were brothers you will be so bore that you will don't care.
The two biographies are the same but in different schools, how many campaigns could anyone write in a book? three, four, five? What happened with JA? How many girls will be pregnant in the last year of college? All of them? They go to college just to have sex? Come on Mr. Archer, this is your first book?
I will not say anything about the end because I don't have enough words to say it.
If you want to read a book of twins read The Hancock Boys by Thomas William Simpson
|
