Author: Jeffrey Archer
Place of publication and publisher: United Kingdom- Hodder and Stoughton
Original publication date: 1979 -1st edition
Revised publication date: 2009- 83rd edition
Kane and Abel is a 1979 novel by British author Jeffrey Archer. The title and story is a play on the Biblical brothers, Cain and Abel. Kane and Abel follows a similar premise as the Biblical tale from the book of Genesis. Cain, a farmer and Abel, a shepherd, make offerings to the Lord. When Abel’s offering is received with better grace, Cain in a fit of jealousy, kills Abel. The book, in a way is a modern adaptation of this episode.
Born on the same day at the turn of the century, on opposite sides of the world, both men are brought together by fate and…show more content… Their paths cross when, through sheer hard work and some luck, Abel acquires part of the shares of a hotel group. The other stakeholder, a friend goes bankrupts during the Wall Street Crash. Kane’s bank refuses to lend the other shareholder the money to put him on his feet, and so he throws himself from the 17th floor of his hotel. Abel blames Kane for the death and then begins the story of vengeance.
While every now and then, you may feel drawn towards a certain character, the undeniable beauty and depth of each personality cannot be overlooked. Archer has crafted the characters with utmost care and deliberation, with each act being justified amazingly.
At no point does the storyline let up, it never drags or loses the pace for a moment. In the new edition the plot is driven along faster. I would say a lot of the story is descriptive rather than dialogue, but this suits the style of the book as you are taken through various decades and different parts of the…show more content… There are times when Kane and Abel each act in an underhand or despicable way, but they also redeem themselves continuously so that you never feel that either one is to blame for the feud between them, more that it was all just a matter of circumstance.
Abel’s daughter (The prodigal daughter- sequel to Kane and Abel) Florentyna Rosnovski and William’s son Richard Kane happen to meet and fall in love without knowing about the rivalry between their fathers. They get married amid vehement protests from their fathers and start a chain of boutique stores named