shro56 reviewed Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Riveting
4 stars
This book really explored ambition, pride, and privilege. One of the most interesting things is seeing who readers would side with between William Kane and Abel. I personally would side with William Kane, since the rivalry was initiated by Abel. However, it was interesting to see how severely clingy both men were to their positions and their "reputation." Kane fought fiercely to protect his legacy, while Abel had something to prove. Both were driven by different types of ambition, but it ultimately centered around their image, influence, and power in society. A large part of why Abel wanted to take Kane down was to prove that he had made something of himself, and "show" the upper-class like William. How much of Abel's actions were actually driven by Davis Leroy, and how much of it was about himself? Another very interesting thing was how good both characters were at subtle, backhanded …
This book really explored ambition, pride, and privilege. One of the most interesting things is seeing who readers would side with between William Kane and Abel. I personally would side with William Kane, since the rivalry was initiated by Abel. However, it was interesting to see how severely clingy both men were to their positions and their "reputation." Kane fought fiercely to protect his legacy, while Abel had something to prove. Both were driven by different types of ambition, but it ultimately centered around their image, influence, and power in society. A large part of why Abel wanted to take Kane down was to prove that he had made something of himself, and "show" the upper-class like William. How much of Abel's actions were actually driven by Davis Leroy, and how much of it was about himself? Another very interesting thing was how good both characters were at subtle, backhanded insults. One of my favorite exchanges between Kane and Abel was when Kane called to set up a meeting with Abel, and Kane suggested to meet at a neutral location where no one would recognize him. Abel snaps back, saying the only place no one would recognize Kane is in heaven. Similarly, even when Kane was a boy, his remark to one of his trustees was that he would call her if he needed to lose half a million overnight. While banter is shown and normal, both Kane and Abel have the ability to say genuinely hurtful things, especially when someone wrongs them. This is further seen by both of them quickly firing people they do not trust: they do what needs to be done. Overall, this was a great read that highlighted the impact of ambition, and referenced several historical events and people of note (I thought it was quite interesting to hear mentions of Henry Ford, the Titanic, and both world wars, although I'm not 100% sure about its accuracy)
