Sons of Fortune
by Jeffrey Archer
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jeffrey ArcherEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-11
ISBN: 0312993536
Number of pages: 544
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Book Reviews of Sons of Fortune
Book Review: Good story setup, but poor work on the details
Summary: 3 Stars
I have to agree with many of the most common criticisms expressed in other reviews: there are many improbable plot twists; many errors regarding American history, politics, and phrasing; and many seemingly motiveless actions performed by the various characters.
It's a shame, because Archer does have the storytelling skills to keep his readers' interest up. What he needs is someone to follow behind him and tie up all the loose ends: in other words, an editor or an assistant. And I know from reading his prison diaries that he has one or more of each. In my opinion, these are the people who really dropped the ball here - particularly the American editor. Many (though not all) of the errors would probably pass right by many British readers, but for the American edition, it wouldn't have killed the publishers to spend a couple of hours cleaning up the more glaring errors.
Other reviewers have enumerated many of the flaws I am referring to. One character commits suicide merely because it was revealed that his grandmother was a prostitute and his mother is illegitimate?
There are many other things like this, actions that can not be called 100% impossible but that are nevertheless far too unlikely to be believable. A supposedly politically savvy adult knows absolutely nothing about presidential candidate Jimmy Carter except that he's a peanut farmer, yet makes a mental note that he has to put in some volunteer hours for him. Why? A pro-self-defense candidate answers a question on gun control by saying, "I support the gun lobby..." Well, a candidate might well support an issue because of the actions of a powerful lobby, but only the most naïve one would publicly phrase his support in such a self-defeating way. He would say, "I support Second Amendment Rights..." The other way would be the kiss of death, even as a Republican, in Connecticut (or for that matter in any state).
Then there are some just plain historical errors. It is stated that Ronald Reagan was able to move into the White House after defeating Walter Mondale (actually Reagan had already been in the White House for almost four years before defeating Mondale in 1984 and earning a second term). A relatively new (1980s and since) canard regarding the race breakdown of American soldiers in Vietnam is put in the mouth of one of the characters during the Vietnam War.
And there are too many Briticisms in the mouths of American characters: calling competing American football teams "sides," for instance.
I know a lot of this may sound to English readers like petty quibbling that many may think shouldn't cut into the reader's enjoyment of the overall story, so let me use something as an example. One of the other American readers here innocently referred to Lord Archer (formerly Sir Jeffrey Archer) as "Sir Archer." I'm not criticizing that reviewer, just proposing a scenario. Let's say that I, an American, wrote a novel set entirely in England with English characters, and had my English characters go around calling each other "Sir Archer" and "Sir Livingston" and using "Lord," "Sir," "The Honourable," and plain "Mr" interchangeably at random, as so many Americans do. Let's also suppose that I continually confused local elections with national ones. It would be the rare English reader who would agree to just overlook the (to them, major), inconsistencies and enjoy the story as a whole. After a certain point, you just shake your head and say, "This guy has absolutely no idea what he's talking about."
But even with that, he got me to turn the pages. It was a trite and well-worn setup (twins separated at birth), but he kept it interesting through most of the book. However, he (and his publishers) have to try to do better next time - if he's going to insist on using American settings. How hard is it to just hire some bright visiting American college student to read the manuscript and correct the biggest of the whoppers? In his prison diary, the real-life Archer was constantly trying to make $10,000 emerald deals and buy Boteros for hundreds of thousands. Just let go of about $300 and you can get 15 or 20 hours of "Americana proofreading."
Summary of Sons of Fortune
#1 New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Archer has mesmerized thousands of readers over the years with his riveting novels and unforgettable characters. Now he returns with another remarkable novel that proves he is still one of the most gifted writers of all time...
In hushed maternity ward, an infant dies, while twin brothers thrive. By morning, one mother is told that her only child is doing fine. Another is told that she has tragically lost one of her sons...
Twins seperated at birth, Nathaniel Cartwright and Fletcher Davenport have been raised in different worlds, and have both thrived among the best and brightest of their generation. In an era of violent change, freee love, and blind ambition, Nat goes off to war, while Fletcher enters political combat. With each choice they make--in love and career, through tragedy and triumph--their lives mirror one another...until a high-profile murder case brings them together. Until a high-stakes political battle turns them into rivals. Until a decades-old secret is exposed...and two powerful men must confront their bonds of fate and fortune.
In hushed maternity ward, an infant dies, while twin brothers thrive. By morning, one mother is told that her only child is doing fine. Another is told that she has tragically lost one of her sons...
Twins seperated at birth, Nathaniel Cartwright and Fletcher Davenport have been raised in different worlds, and have both thrived among the best and brightest of their generation. In an era of violent change, freee love, and blind ambition, Nat goes off to war, while Fletcher enters political combat. With each choice they make--in love and career, through tragedy and triumph--their lives mirror one another...until a high-profile murder case brings them together. Until a high-stakes political battle turns them into rivals. Until a decades-old secret is exposed...and two powerful men must confront their bonds of fate and fortune.
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