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will's Reviews > Kane and Abel
Kane and Abel
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I read this book because my book club had picked it. Can that sound any more insulting? I think I'd read it before, when I was a lot younger. I know that it is on my mother's bookshelf, she was very excited when she heard that the book club had chosen it. Anyhoo, it is bad. And not in a way that "it is so bad it is good", it is just bad in a way that "pulling nostril hairs with a pair of pliers" is no fun at all.
You get the feeling that Mr. Archer came up with the title during an evening's drinking, came up with the plot after a couple more drinks, dictated the story when the bottle was finished. What makes it worse is that you get the feeling that his editor was there at the same drinking session, thus failing to correct the countless mistakes.
Forget the childish writing that an editor should pick up (really, soldiers take their clothes off and fold them neatly before raping women?), nor the arrival of deus ex machina characters who have no life outside moving the story on (can anyone really explain what that woman was doing on the train outside a gulag?). No, it is the basic errors in the plot that tend to make you think the editor didn't really bother to read the thing.
Actually, this book annoyed me so much that I am typing this and getting angrier and angrier, remembering how bad it was. So I'll stop.
You get the feeling that Mr. Archer came up with the title during an evening's drinking, came up with the plot after a couple more drinks, dictated the story when the bottle was finished. What makes it worse is that you get the feeling that his editor was there at the same drinking session, thus failing to correct the countless mistakes.
Forget the childish writing that an editor should pick up (really, soldiers take their clothes off and fold them neatly before raping women?), nor the arrival of deus ex machina characters who have no life outside moving the story on (can anyone really explain what that woman was doing on the train outside a gulag?). No, it is the basic errors in the plot that tend to make you think the editor didn't really bother to read the thing.
Actually, this book annoyed me so much that I am typing this and getting angrier and angrier, remembering how bad it was. So I'll stop.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
November 6, 2009
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Finished Reading
December 6, 2009
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by
Donna
(last edited Jan 06, 2011 06:42PM)
(new)
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rated it 4 stars
Jan 04, 2011 12:36PM
I got this from a charity shop in my teens and must have read it about ten times. Have you read the sequel, "The Prodigal Daughter"? It's okay, but not quite so good I thought. Shame Jeffers is such a dick though.
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It's okay, but not quite so goodHahahahahahahaha. Damned with (very) faint praise. Nope, I haven't read it.
Well, I can't bear the guy which is why I made sure charity shops benefited from my purchase of those two books, not that @r$e**** ;-)
How is it possible for one, you, to give a critique on a master word smith when it is obvious that you struggle putting even two sentences together?
Tag wrote: "How is it possible for one, you, to give a critique on a master word smith when it is obvious that you struggle putting even two sentences together?"Well, it's obviously "possible" because I managed to put two sentences together. Which, I might struggle to add, is more than you did. However, thank you for your input and your defense* of the "master word smith [sic]".
*please complain about the spelling, it makes this such fun.
I'm sure I had the spell-check on. I will confess to having constructed a sentence. Let me assure you that it is within my ability to put two, even three sentences together. However, I cannot promise much beyond that.
I couldn't agrre with you more. I aa amazed by all of the glowing reviews. As a writer, they tell you to show, not tell. Archer pretty much tells all of the time. Never really feel like you get to know any of the characters and the dialogue is unrealistic.
Ok, the story line is perhaps a little implausible yet Archer was able to masterfully juxtaposed the biblical insinuations threaded throughout literature in the basest of instincts between brothers and the same continuity in a more modern setting. The character development of each man is genius in their environment and the sense of 'aloofness' they portray in order to maintain the present mores of their day is quite believable. The story itself is quite entertaining if you have a understanding of the banking industry and wall street.
I agree with you will. This story is so predictable, and rife with cliché. Tag the "word smith," is it possible gor you to express an opinion without being rude and launching person attacks? Very few people will give credence to the utterances of a rude person.
All the people with bad grammatical skills hate it. End of story
Thank you; thank you and thank you!! Agree with you absolutely regarding the immature plot. thought I was the only one who did not like this book, since everyone I know absolutely loved it and gave it to me as an absolutely must read.
I loved this book so much that it hurts reading these comments. with some I do agree a bit, but most disagreements have no grounds.
Damn it, bro.. Although I don't share the extreme detestation you have against the book/author, I completely agree with your review... I picked up this book once again after leaving it incomplete once, before. And now I almost struck to a point (the valiance of Mr. Abel to join WWII) which makes me think of leaving it again... I have always wondered why this book is so highly rated. I can understand the bestselling status but simply not the raving reviews part. I was scrolling through reviews to find a like mind and came across this gem review of yours. Kudos to you� :)
I beg to differ. Instead I rate it one of the best novel I have ever read. Your one sided trashing seems to be inspired by the prejudices against the writer and certainly not on the merit of the book.
hahhaaahahah this is so funny. Completely agree with you on the editor thing.
When you are reading "fiction" - you should read it like "FICTION" - If you want perfect logic with precise details please read "NON-FICTION" Read Resnick and Halliday - for Physics or Irodov's books; Read Head First Compilers, if you want to be precise about Computer Science. If you want to know about sociology read Malcolm Gladwell or Taleb. If you want real details you can also read auto-biographies! My advice for you is to "STOP READING FICTION". FICTION = MYTH; something created out of nothing by sheer imagination only for the purpose of keeping others entertained for a while i.e. kill time with suspense and interesting details. How could a Polish orphan bastard child survive - Germans, then survive Russian Gulags and then survive the Turks and then land in America and become a millionaire? That sounds so stupid! On the other hand Kane's story is straight out of a finance prodigy - This seems more reasonable though. But, please understand that when you are reading fiction "THROW LOGIC IN THE DUSTBIN" and then read and if can't do it "THROW FICTION IN THE DUSTBIN INSTEAD"!
You didn't even read the book. You can't say that of this book if you actually read it.
ahem, Sentences should not start with however.
How did the guy hang himself when he had two broken legs?
It had errors, yes, but interesting read. For me the error that stood out was the Nigerian coup in the 1950s. Nigeria was still a British colony
REALLY????? What do you enjoy reading? (Suspect it is nothing most educated readers would want to read.)
How does this compare to The Plague or War and Peace? Those are two of my favorite books. Do you think I would enjoy this book? I'm not sure reading about two brothers "hating" each other would be enjoyable to me. I'm curious about why people gave this 5 stars. Would this book be considered a thriller?
Your review was pretty comical, actually.
Will- - Your review is hilarious :) but also quite sad :( How can you ever enjoy Any book at all if you’re constantly looking for mistakes 🙃
It’s fiction mate! Pure fiction.
By reading this trash, I recognized that I had a lot of progress in improving taste.
