Kane & Abel - The Tale of Two Men
Written: Oct 30 '01 (Updated Oct 30 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Character development, environment descriptions, love and hardship.
Cons: Sometimes a little difficult to read and very long.
The Bottom Line: Jeffrey Archer created a world that revolved around two men. It was absolutely wonderful.
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| KCFemme's Full Review: Jeffrey Archer - Kane & Abel |
Kane & Abel is definitely NOT one of the books that I would personally choose off the shelves of the library or even take a second glance at in the stores. Instead I tend to head for the mysteries, thrillers, and historical romance novels (Preferably with strong women as the main characters). However, my husband came home one day and said he had a surprise. It was this book. I looked at it, raised my eyebrows, and gave him a questioning look. "Give it a chance ... I know you'll love it!" he said.
So I did. I was reading into the middle of the night. I had it in my purse when we went out. And I ended up reading it while our regular tv shows were on. I was hooked.
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Kane & Abel - The Story
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The story is about two men, both born on the same day, but in totally different parts of the world and definitely in different socio-economical environments.
One was found by a poor hunter boy by the river, still attached by an umbilical cord to his mother who died giving birth. He was raised by a very poor family in Poland. When he was old enough to go to school he found himself questioning everything. He wanted so much to learn more. When the Baron heard of him, he sent for him to come live at the castle with him and his son. The Baron wanted someone to challenge his son, learn with him, and become his friend.
When Germany invaded Poland, the inhabitants of the castle were rounded up and placed in the dungeon. Some were killed when the castle took over. Over years of living in the dungeon, the boy learns to take charge, organizing the living areas, exercise areas, and food distribution to those that remained within the walls of the dungeon.
When an incident happened that caught the Baron by surprise, he began teaching the boy again on the importance of his family, and then with witnesses, bequeathed his wealth, lands, and the title to this boy.
After much hardship in the dungeons, he was taken out by the Russians and sent to a labor camp hundreds of miles within the Russian territory. Finally able to escape, he makes his way through Russia, Turkey, and other lands, until he finally ends up in America. When they ask his name, he doesn't say, but the man takes his wrist, looks at the silver band on his arm, and signs him into the United States as Baron Abel Rosnovski.
On the same day that the small boy found the dead woman with her son, another son was being born. This time in Boston, Massachusetts. William Lowell Kane was born with the perverbial silver spoon his mouth. His family was wealthy and respected in the community, his grandmothers were always looked to for firsts, after all no-one would buy a car until they knew the grandmothers approved of such a type of transportation.
William Kane was smart. His father, the Chairman of a bank, expected him to grow up to be the chairman himself one day. He kept a ledge of his allowance that his grandmothers gave him, saving some, giving some to charity, investing some, and spending some. It may seem like he had a lot but, managing to track your $1 allowance in such a way, investing it, and learning finances at such a young age, well it was a lot, but he took the task to hand and set a goal to have over $1 million by his 21st birthday.
However, his life wasn't all roses. His father was lost at sea, he was constantly striving to be first in class in school, and his mother ended up remarrying to a man that was greedy and horrible.
One day, in their young adult lives, they meet ... Able serving dinner at a fine restaurant to the Kane family. William Kane took notice of the silver band that Able wore and found it odd.
The rest of the story is about a young man working in the banking field, doing everything he can to get the experience to become Chairman of his fathers bank. It's also about a determined imigrant that is bound for success in the Hotel industry.
After an unfortunate incident that brought these two together there would be a feud between that would not rest. They would learn to thrive on the hatred of each other do what ever it took to try and destroy the others success.
But strangely enough, other forces are working against them, their own children. In the end, both of these strong, willful, successful men will learn from their own children what hard headed, stubborn, men they became.
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Kane & Abel - The Characters
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William Lowell Kane - Definitely the harder of the two. Always logical, wants to prove himself successful without the image of his father hovering over him. And even though he does have a charitable heart, he is bound by rules to never allow another to know how kind he has been. Had he actually broken this rule just once, he would have lived a happier life and truly had everything he wanted.
Baron Abel Rosnovski - After growing up with little to eat, little room to move, tortured, and hated by those that held him prisoner, he was bound and determined to become successful and return to his homeland to see it restored to the way it was before Germany destroyed it. He was a more sensitive soul, but always making decisions on how he would be able to use it in the future. He saved his money for an education, he saved his money for investments, he earned, he learned, and he turned his whole life around. However, he too allowed his own hatred to rule his heart and hand one too many times.
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Kane & Abel - The Moral
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First of all, hatred can kill. It can kill the spirit you once so proudly had. It can kill the love you had for others. It can kill the love that others had for you. And it can kill and logical instinct you have.
Feuding for a lifetime can leave some bitter memories and even some regrets.
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Kane & Abel - My Recommendation
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Even though this is an extremely long book, it was also very much worth the time it took to read it. My husband is still going around with his "I told you so" smirks going on. Even though I usually don't read pieces from the early 1900's, I don't usually read things with men as the main characters, and I honestly don't read things that are political in nature, I found this book to be so much more than what I gathered from the cover.
This book was wonderful. It had everything. It truly was one of the best books I've ever read. It's hard to get that compliment out of me when it comes to books.
I enjoy reading Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Jude Devereaux, JD Robb, JK Rowling, and Amanda Quick. I have just added Jeffrey Archer to that list as well. He is an incredible writer with a wonderful sense of imagination as well as honor.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sitting down and reading a truly good book.
Recommended:
Yes
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KCFemme
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Location: Olathe, Kansas
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