Kane and Abel - Book Review

Kane and Abel was written by Jeffery Archer and is considered to be one of his finest works. Here is a brief synopsis of this classic work of literature/fiction.Wladek Abel Rosnovski and William Kane were both born on the same day in 1906, but on completely different ends of the earth and side of the tracks. While William was born to a wealthy Boston family, Wladek was found in the woods near a castle in Poland, where he was raised by a poor family already saddled with nine mouths to feed. The story chronicles their lives growing up in an era of war, where William deals with the loss of his father in the Titanic and Wladek losses the only family he knows in World War 1. He becomes a prisoner of the Russians, but eventually escapes to Turkey where he is rescued and soon sent to America to start a new life. While William continues to grow in wealth, Abel works his way up from being a simple waiter at the Plaza in New York city, to eventually being in charge of a hotel chain. The two men will eventually meet when Abel needs backing for his failing business and needs the help of William's bank. Unfortunately, things do not go as planned and Abel soon blames William for the loss of his mentor and friend, Leroy. This personal vendetta will go on for years between the two men, who do all they can to bring each other down financially. But fate can play a cruel hand, as it leads these enemies to do good things for each other without ever knowing it.This type of book is good for mature readers, readers who are into suspense, drama, intrigue and romance. I especially liked the attention and detail paid to each character as we are taken into their lives. By the end of this story, you feel drawn to Abel or Kane, wanting each man to snap out of their stubbornness to see what is so obvious. Their lives are enriching and heartbreaking.This book actually got me teary-eyed at the end. What a way to finish. I felt like I had been wrung dry with my emotions and I wanted to story to go on long after the main characters' stories were told.I recommend this book because you will be unable to put it down. If you are looking for a book that talks about life in the early 1900s, to see how ruthless and cutthroat the business world is, and especially to see the impact of friendship and family, then this is the story for you. dr seuss cat in hat history