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Sons of Fortune
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING author Jeffrey Archer-returns with a powerful tale of twins separated by fate and reunited by destiny.
In Hartford, Connecticut, in the late 1940s, a set of twins is parted at birth-not by accident. Nat Cartwright goes home with his parents, a schoolteacher and an insurance salesman, while his twin brother begins his days as Fletcher Davenport, son of a millionaire and his society wife.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the two brothers grow up apart, following similar paths that take them in different directions. Nat leaves college at the University of Connecticut to serve in Vietnam, then finishes school, earns his MBA, and becomes a successful currency dealer. Fletcher, meanwhile, graduates from Yale University with a bachelor's and a law degree, going on to distinguish himself as a criminal defense lawyer.
At various times in their lives, both men are confronted with challenges and obstacles, tragedy and betrayal, loss and hardship, before they both decide to run for governor, unaware they are brothers....
In the tradition of Jeffrey Archer's most popular books, Sons of Fortune is as much a chronicle of a nation in transition as it is the story of the making of these two men -and how they eventually discover the truth-and its tragic consequences.
In Hartford, Connecticut, in the late 1940s, a set of twins is parted at birth-not by accident. Nat Cartwright goes home with his parents, a schoolteacher and an insurance salesman, while his twin brother begins his days as Fletcher Davenport, son of a millionaire and his society wife.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the two brothers grow up apart, following similar paths that take them in different directions. Nat leaves college at the University of Connecticut to serve in Vietnam, then finishes school, earns his MBA, and becomes a successful currency dealer. Fletcher, meanwhile, graduates from Yale University with a bachelor's and a law degree, going on to distinguish himself as a criminal defense lawyer.
At various times in their lives, both men are confronted with challenges and obstacles, tragedy and betrayal, loss and hardship, before they both decide to run for governor, unaware they are brothers....
In the tradition of Jeffrey Archer's most popular books, Sons of Fortune is as much a chronicle of a nation in transition as it is the story of the making of these two men -and how they eventually discover the truth-and its tragic consequences.
503 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
1653 people are currently reading
5560 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Archer
627 books12.5k followersJeffrey is published in 114 countries and more than 47 languages, with more than 750,000 5* reviews with international sales passing 275 million copies.
He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.
He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (nineteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).
Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 804 reviews
November 27, 2023
A great story from a master entertainer!
Fletcher Davenport and Nat Cartwright are two successful young men - but they also happen to be twins separated at birth as a result of the unscrupulous actions of a well-meaning nurse in the hospital nursery. Nat Cartwright, raised in a loving modest household, his mother, a school teacher and his father, a successful insurance salesman, serves with honourable distinction in Vietnam, and becomes an overwhelmingly successful currency dealer and banker. On the other hand, Fletcher begins his days as the son of a millionaire and his society wife, graduates from Yale and distinguishes himself as a defender in the field of criminal law. Popular among their friends and peers, both men become involved in politics, first in school and college, then at the municipal level and finally as opposing candidates for state governor, all the while unaware that they are twin brothers.
Is the story or plot believable? The best one could say is that it's possible but it isn't even close to being credible! Are the characters overly good, overly perfect, overly handsome, plain, nerdy or beautiful, or overly despicable and evil? No doubt about it! Is the ending too pat and too cute? Yep, no question there either! Do I care about any of that? Not even a teeny bit! If Jeffrey Archer showed up at my door and tried to explain that there was a deep, subliminal moral message and some special theme underlying the whole story, I'd cover my ears and tell him to go away. The story was simply too artificial, too contrived, too enjoyable and too well written and exciting to be accounted for as anything other than great brain candy.
Did I mention that I loved it from start to finish? Time Magazine put it best in their editorial review on the back cover of the book - "Archer is a master entertainer"!
Paul Weiss
Fletcher Davenport and Nat Cartwright are two successful young men - but they also happen to be twins separated at birth as a result of the unscrupulous actions of a well-meaning nurse in the hospital nursery. Nat Cartwright, raised in a loving modest household, his mother, a school teacher and his father, a successful insurance salesman, serves with honourable distinction in Vietnam, and becomes an overwhelmingly successful currency dealer and banker. On the other hand, Fletcher begins his days as the son of a millionaire and his society wife, graduates from Yale and distinguishes himself as a defender in the field of criminal law. Popular among their friends and peers, both men become involved in politics, first in school and college, then at the municipal level and finally as opposing candidates for state governor, all the while unaware that they are twin brothers.
Is the story or plot believable? The best one could say is that it's possible but it isn't even close to being credible! Are the characters overly good, overly perfect, overly handsome, plain, nerdy or beautiful, or overly despicable and evil? No doubt about it! Is the ending too pat and too cute? Yep, no question there either! Do I care about any of that? Not even a teeny bit! If Jeffrey Archer showed up at my door and tried to explain that there was a deep, subliminal moral message and some special theme underlying the whole story, I'd cover my ears and tell him to go away. The story was simply too artificial, too contrived, too enjoyable and too well written and exciting to be accounted for as anything other than great brain candy.
Did I mention that I loved it from start to finish? Time Magazine put it best in their editorial review on the back cover of the book - "Archer is a master entertainer"!
Paul Weiss
January 21, 2022
This could also have been titled A Separation of Powers, but you must read to find out why. 6 of 10 stars
December 4, 2021
Stand alone family saga published 2002
3.5 stars for its improbability.
A rather long winded family saga. Twin boys are separated, nefariously, at birth.
Two mothers give birth on the same day in the same hospital. One mother produces twins whilst the other mother produces a single baby. The single baby is very unwell and during his first night on this earth he dies. This is not the first time the dead child’s parents have lost a child in this manner. The nanny is heart broken and knowing this is her employers last chance to have a child decides to swap one of the twins for her dead charge.
So these two bothers grow to maturity complete strangers.
As luck would have it both boys grow up with caring, loving parents.
They are both academically brilliant and popular with their peers.
They fall in love with the most wonderful girls who go on to be the most wonderfully perfect wives.
Both have friends that will stick by them through thick and thin.
This is beginning to sound like my life. In your dreams I hear my wife say.
The one thing that separates them is their political affiliations.
So the book follows their lives, academically, professionally and personally with all lives ups and downs, mostly ups.
This wasn’t a bad read but 600 pages of sugar and spice with a little touch of acid now and again got to be pretty repetitive.
But if you are a fan of family sagas and like your fiction with very few rough edges then this is the book for you.
3.5 stars for its improbability.
A rather long winded family saga. Twin boys are separated, nefariously, at birth.
Two mothers give birth on the same day in the same hospital. One mother produces twins whilst the other mother produces a single baby. The single baby is very unwell and during his first night on this earth he dies. This is not the first time the dead child’s parents have lost a child in this manner. The nanny is heart broken and knowing this is her employers last chance to have a child decides to swap one of the twins for her dead charge.
So these two bothers grow to maturity complete strangers.
As luck would have it both boys grow up with caring, loving parents.
They are both academically brilliant and popular with their peers.
They fall in love with the most wonderful girls who go on to be the most wonderfully perfect wives.
Both have friends that will stick by them through thick and thin.
This is beginning to sound like my life. In your dreams I hear my wife say.
The one thing that separates them is their political affiliations.
So the book follows their lives, academically, professionally and personally with all lives ups and downs, mostly ups.
This wasn’t a bad read but 600 pages of sugar and spice with a little touch of acid now and again got to be pretty repetitive.
But if you are a fan of family sagas and like your fiction with very few rough edges then this is the book for you.
August 21, 2020
Jeffrey Archer wrote this when he was still serving time in prison. So if this is a disappointing effort, then at least there are extenuating circumstances.
Shades of Kane and Abel again, twins separated at birth. And as in the usual Archer formula they become competitors later on,even falling for the same girl.
One goes to Vietnam and that's a pretty lively account. Then the story drags for a good long while,until one has to defend the other for a murder he did not commit.
Later,the two men come face to face as political rivals for the post of governor.
Archer then makes liberal use of the story of the controversial US presidential election of the year 2000. Vote recounts,hanging chads,lots of controversy,the story becomes very similar to that election.
Too long and comes to life only in parts.
Shades of Kane and Abel again, twins separated at birth. And as in the usual Archer formula they become competitors later on,even falling for the same girl.
One goes to Vietnam and that's a pretty lively account. Then the story drags for a good long while,until one has to defend the other for a murder he did not commit.
Later,the two men come face to face as political rivals for the post of governor.
Archer then makes liberal use of the story of the controversial US presidential election of the year 2000. Vote recounts,hanging chads,lots of controversy,the story becomes very similar to that election.
Too long and comes to life only in parts.
November 1, 2021
Etwas beliebig, etwas langatmig, etwas enttäuschend....🙄
Eigentlich gehört Jeffrey Archer zu meinen Lieblingautoren...ich mag seine charismatischen Charaktere, die außergewöhnlichen Wendungen seiner Geschichten und seinen feinsinnigen Erzählstil....sehr wenig davon konnte ich in "Söhne des Glücks " finden...
Dabei fängt die Story vielversprechend an...Zwillinge werden geboren....doch sie werden getrennt...eine Krankenschwester tauscht einen verstorbenen Säugling mit einem Zwillingsbruder. Die Lebensgeschichten der Beiden trennen sich...beide finden ihr persönliches Glück, bis sie politische Ambitionen entwickeln und doch wieder aufeinander treffen....
Leider hat die Story mich dieses Mal nicht packen können....vielleicht das nächste Mal wieder....
Kann man lesen....muss man aber nicht...!
Eigentlich gehört Jeffrey Archer zu meinen Lieblingautoren...ich mag seine charismatischen Charaktere, die außergewöhnlichen Wendungen seiner Geschichten und seinen feinsinnigen Erzählstil....sehr wenig davon konnte ich in "Söhne des Glücks " finden...
Dabei fängt die Story vielversprechend an...Zwillinge werden geboren....doch sie werden getrennt...eine Krankenschwester tauscht einen verstorbenen Säugling mit einem Zwillingsbruder. Die Lebensgeschichten der Beiden trennen sich...beide finden ihr persönliches Glück, bis sie politische Ambitionen entwickeln und doch wieder aufeinander treffen....
Leider hat die Story mich dieses Mal nicht packen können....vielleicht das nächste Mal wieder....
Kann man lesen....muss man aber nicht...!
January 28, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed Sons of Fortune. It was gripping throughout.
(Spoiler alert!) My only two pieces of criticism are these:
1) That, when Rebecca Elliot broke down in the courtroom and admitted to killing her husband, her confession seemed too word-perfect and unrealistic. She didn't pause, stutter or rephrase anything - like I would have imagined her to do.
2) That Nat's son, Luke, committed suicide on hearing that his mother had been a prostitute once upon a time. I felt that this was totally unnecessary. If Luke had had to die, the author could have found another way for him to die. Being sensitive myself, I felt that I could relate to Luke. However, I am sure that I would not kill myself for the reason he did. I found his suicide to be a little unrealistic and bizarre.
(Spoiler alert!) My only two pieces of criticism are these:
1) That, when Rebecca Elliot broke down in the courtroom and admitted to killing her husband, her confession seemed too word-perfect and unrealistic. She didn't pause, stutter or rephrase anything - like I would have imagined her to do.
2) That Nat's son, Luke, committed suicide on hearing that his mother had been a prostitute once upon a time. I felt that this was totally unnecessary. If Luke had had to die, the author could have found another way for him to die. Being sensitive myself, I felt that I could relate to Luke. However, I am sure that I would not kill myself for the reason he did. I found his suicide to be a little unrealistic and bizarre.
August 20, 2013
Boring! Couldn't get interested in the dull characters and the obvious, plodding story where 2 parallel lives unfailingly continue down similar paths unaware of the other. Typical twin separated at birth plot. I rarely put a book down once I start, but I predicted every page before I read it and realized it just was never going to give me a reason to turn another page.
August 22, 2019
Another great read by Jeffrey Archer - it might not be top of the bill literature, but it's very entertaining and extremely dramatic. Nevertheless, I really cared about the two main characters (twin brothers, seperated at birth) and loved reading about their journeys. I only wished there'd been more interacting between them AFTER the revelation in the end.
October 24, 2013
Read on blog!!
This book like all other Jeffrey Archer books is great. The start of the book reminded me of his book The Fourth Estate (A book review that I have already done) but as you go on reading you will realise that it's nothing like that book at all.
The story is set in the time between the 1940's and the end of the twentieth century. They have a common rival Elliot, who in my opinion is a total jerk (which is obviously what the author wanted us to feel). There is intense rivalry at different parts with different people which makes the book all the more interesting.
Fletcher and Nat's devoted love towards their wife and child is adorable, which leads to the small intense action between one of the main characters and the rival (I am not telling who) which is awesome and as I was reading the action part I was rooting for the protagonist to punch the heck out of the other person.
The court proceedings for a murder (mentioned in summary) is very interesting, no doubt due to the authors history in Her Majesty's prison.
The reason why the twins were not instantly pointed out when they both stand for election is revealed just before the ending. The revealing of the birth secret of the twins is so nerve-wreckingly cool (It's a word that I just made up) that I almost peed my pants reading it.
If truth be told, I stopped reading the book from the second last chapter because I was scared that it was going to be finally over which was obviously something that I would not be able to handle. But curiosity took the better of me and I was back to reading the book after a couple of hours of grieving.
The ending is fantastic. Jeffrey Archer has a way of putting everything into place in the most awesomest ways. I am warning you though, read the ending carefully twice or thrice to get it right. At first you might think something else but if you read it again carefully you will attain the right answer.
I rate it 4.5 for its beautiful way of portraying things and also because I am a full on hater of racists and it seems like the author is too. Woohoo!
Lots of love and pasta,
Raven
This book like all other Jeffrey Archer books is great. The start of the book reminded me of his book The Fourth Estate (A book review that I have already done) but as you go on reading you will realise that it's nothing like that book at all.
The story is set in the time between the 1940's and the end of the twentieth century. They have a common rival Elliot, who in my opinion is a total jerk (which is obviously what the author wanted us to feel). There is intense rivalry at different parts with different people which makes the book all the more interesting.
Fletcher and Nat's devoted love towards their wife and child is adorable, which leads to the small intense action between one of the main characters and the rival (I am not telling who) which is awesome and as I was reading the action part I was rooting for the protagonist to punch the heck out of the other person.
The court proceedings for a murder (mentioned in summary) is very interesting, no doubt due to the authors history in Her Majesty's prison.
The reason why the twins were not instantly pointed out when they both stand for election is revealed just before the ending. The revealing of the birth secret of the twins is so nerve-wreckingly cool (It's a word that I just made up) that I almost peed my pants reading it.
If truth be told, I stopped reading the book from the second last chapter because I was scared that it was going to be finally over which was obviously something that I would not be able to handle. But curiosity took the better of me and I was back to reading the book after a couple of hours of grieving.
The ending is fantastic. Jeffrey Archer has a way of putting everything into place in the most awesomest ways. I am warning you though, read the ending carefully twice or thrice to get it right. At first you might think something else but if you read it again carefully you will attain the right answer.
I rate it 4.5 for its beautiful way of portraying things and also because I am a full on hater of racists and it seems like the author is too. Woohoo!
Lots of love and pasta,
Raven
Read
July 29, 2016Jeffrey Archer must have been off his meds, or on them beyond the recommended dose for a year.(He is usually great.) The story is packed full of English aristocratic snobbery, but transferred to America. Clumsily transferred. Standard, rich twins separated at birth. One raised poorer. They both whoop ass in slightly different ways, but of course they are both swinging for the fence. I wonder if he was on a Connecticut country club tour with elderly Yale and boarding school alumni the entire time he was "researching" and felt the need to kiss their asses in thanks. It is hard to imagine someone missing the mark on an American book more completely. Beyond that the story is ridiculous, implausible, and boring. This book is a stinker.
April 15, 2021
Okay, so maybe if this was the first Jeffrey Archer book I read I might've given it a slightly (very slightly) higher rating....but its just very much like all of the other books I've read by him and on top of that just very very predictable.
April 15, 2020
Review to follow
November 22, 2022
Fun read with twin boys separated at birth and one becomes a Republican and the other a Democrat and end up running for the Connecticut Governor's job. Throw in crisp dialogue, a dastardly villain and a Perry Mason like murder trial and you have a very enjoyable read.
September 9, 2022
Sons of Fortune
enthralled me. Totally. One of the books I will never get enough of. It was my first Archer novel, and I’m glad that I decided to read this wonderful, gripping, and remarkable story.
Nat Cartwright and Fletcher Davenport; separated at birth are dizygotic twins (twins developed from two separate oocytes fertilized at the same time. They may be of the same or opposite sex, differ both physically and genetically) they were both raised in different worlds. One goes to a wealthy family, "The Davenport's," and the other goes to a middle-class family, "The Cartwright's."
I don’t know who I like the most. They both captivated me. Nat served with honorable distinction in Vietnam. He was considered a hero, then, later on, went into banking. At the same time, Fletcher became a criminal defense lawyer. They both grew up to be well-respected men, married the women they loved, and are both lucky to have loyal best friends. It seems their lives mirror one another.
They both got involved in politics, running for governor of Connecticut—Nat a Republican, and Fletcher, a Democrat. Due to their common rival, Elliot, and his plan to destroy Nat, the brothers are brought together after 42 years. While the election is still going on, Fletcher defends Nat against a murder charge.
I loved so many things about this book. I loved the secondary characters, especially Nat’s best friend, Tom. I loved his great sense of humor. Then there’s also Annie and Su Ling. I liked how supportive they were of Fletcher and Nat.
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. I’ve read it three times already. And it still surprises me every time.
Nat Cartwright and Fletcher Davenport; separated at birth are dizygotic twins (twins developed from two separate oocytes fertilized at the same time. They may be of the same or opposite sex, differ both physically and genetically) they were both raised in different worlds. One goes to a wealthy family, "The Davenport's," and the other goes to a middle-class family, "The Cartwright's."
I don’t know who I like the most. They both captivated me. Nat served with honorable distinction in Vietnam. He was considered a hero, then, later on, went into banking. At the same time, Fletcher became a criminal defense lawyer. They both grew up to be well-respected men, married the women they loved, and are both lucky to have loyal best friends. It seems their lives mirror one another.
They both got involved in politics, running for governor of Connecticut—Nat a Republican, and Fletcher, a Democrat. Due to their common rival, Elliot, and his plan to destroy Nat, the brothers are brought together after 42 years. While the election is still going on, Fletcher defends Nat against a murder charge.
I loved so many things about this book. I loved the secondary characters, especially Nat’s best friend, Tom. I loved his great sense of humor. Then there’s also Annie and Su Ling. I liked how supportive they were of Fletcher and Nat.
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. I’ve read it three times already. And it still surprises me every time.
September 11, 2015
This book was an absolute entertainer from start to end! I may change the rating later but as of now i want to give it full stars.
Now I have changed it to 4..
I usually tend to read two books at a time especially if one of the books is more than 500 pages reason being somewhere in the mid i may get bored of the pace or the characters or may be i just need a break from that book but i was totally wrong when i started this one. From the moment i started till the end it didn’t even cross my mind to start another book until i finished the whole thing.
When i was first getting into the story of Nat and Fetcher a dizygotic twins who were separated at birth because of some unusual circumstances , mentally i had came up with my own story of how it would start and how these two would meet and end up killing each other, but i was wrong, the whole story was totally different from what i had imagined. There wasn’t any dramatic twist as i thought there would be so thats another point why i liked this book and of course the way the whole story was told by Archer without messing it up anywhere was GREAT! And now i know why he is called master story teller. Another thing which caught my attention was the ending, it was so confusing that I had to read three or four times to know what actually happened.
Having said that i had just two problems with this book firstly at some parts the story was moving so fast that it was becoming difficult to catch up with characters and their circumstances another thing which didn’t sit well was Luke’s death i didn’t know why under such weak grounds he had to kill himself, that seems a bit forced, other than that I loved this book.
Now I have changed it to 4..
I usually tend to read two books at a time especially if one of the books is more than 500 pages reason being somewhere in the mid i may get bored of the pace or the characters or may be i just need a break from that book but i was totally wrong when i started this one. From the moment i started till the end it didn’t even cross my mind to start another book until i finished the whole thing.
When i was first getting into the story of Nat and Fetcher a dizygotic twins who were separated at birth because of some unusual circumstances , mentally i had came up with my own story of how it would start and how these two would meet and end up killing each other, but i was wrong, the whole story was totally different from what i had imagined. There wasn’t any dramatic twist as i thought there would be so thats another point why i liked this book and of course the way the whole story was told by Archer without messing it up anywhere was GREAT! And now i know why he is called master story teller. Another thing which caught my attention was the ending, it was so confusing that I had to read three or four times to know what actually happened.
Having said that i had just two problems with this book firstly at some parts the story was moving so fast that it was becoming difficult to catch up with characters and their circumstances another thing which didn’t sit well was Luke’s death i didn’t know why under such weak grounds he had to kill himself, that seems a bit forced, other than that I loved this book.
May 26, 2022
This one starts out in the 1940's and progresses into the 1980's. I enjoy reading books (especially these family sagas) by this author for so many reasons. The characters just leap off the page. I love his details. He also tortures them in such a way that pulls me in. The antagonist is also perfectly evil.
This author also does relationships well...whether they are foes, friends or lovers. It always works. Now was this book perfect? No. Some of this felt a little on the fantastical side but none of that bothered me. I enjoyed this story and I mourned a little when it was over. So 5 stars.
This author also does relationships well...whether they are foes, friends or lovers. It always works. Now was this book perfect? No. Some of this felt a little on the fantastical side but none of that bothered me. I enjoyed this story and I mourned a little when it was over. So 5 stars.
January 31, 2015
What's the point? It's 500+ pages of plotless nothing. I wanted something to happen! It just kept going with more inane storylines. About halfway through, I began trying to figure why I should I care anymore. I still don't have an answer.
Not Archer's best work at all.
Not Archer's best work at all.
December 25, 2017
Boring. I didn't care much for either of the main characters, and Luke dying made NO sense. Why would a teenage boy in the 90's a) care that much that his grandma used to be a prostitute and b) not clarify what was going on with his parents first? Why would the grandmother be amused by how well her business is doing as a result of her secret getting out, when it caused the death of her grandson? Why couldn't she have died instead? Didn't make sense. The trial was very good, I did like that. But oh my gosh, what a long, arduous journey to get to almost no pay off at the end. They didn't even seem to be that surprised when they found out the truth, and it had no consequences by that point in the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2018
Read this one four times. I love the twins.
February 17, 2021
Eigentlich mag ich Biographische Romane sehr gerne. Auch die Grundidee der Geschichte fand ich super spannend: Bei der Geburt getrennte Zwillinge. Niemand weiß davon. Unterschiedliche Lebensvorraussetzungen.
Dass sich beide Männer im Laufe ihres Lebens bis an die Karrierespitze hocharbeiten und dabei selbst einige Schicksalsschläge einstecken, ist ja nachvollziehbar. Aber die Einfachheit, wie ihnen alles zufällt, hat mich immer wieder gestört. Immerzu werden die Männer an schwere Entscheidungen gedrängt und beweisen heldenhaft Mut, während sich ab und an auch die alte-weiße-Männer Arroganz meldet:
Der eine Mann, der seine Frau ermuntert doch eine Karriere anzustreben. Sie aber: Nein, Schatz. Ich wollte schon immer nur deine Ehefrau sein und deine Kinder bekommen.
Oder: Wir müssen unbedingt das und das tun, um Schwarze WählerInnen zu gewinnen.
Von Kapitel zu Kapitel war ich immer mehr gelangweilt über den Inhalt. Der Spannungsbogen war durch die Fülle der Charaktere, die zügigen Zeitsprünge und meine dauernde Verwirrung, wer denn jetzt zu wem gehört kaum vorhanden.
Insgesamt kann ich sagen, dass das Buch eine interessante Grundidee hat, die mit einer anderen Umsetzung für mich lesenswert wäre. Ich bin müde von Männern zu lesen, die zu häufig richtige und tolle Entscheidungen treffen, um im Endeffekt den Aufstieg zu schaffen und als Weltverbesserer dargestellt werden.
Dass sich beide Männer im Laufe ihres Lebens bis an die Karrierespitze hocharbeiten und dabei selbst einige Schicksalsschläge einstecken, ist ja nachvollziehbar. Aber die Einfachheit, wie ihnen alles zufällt, hat mich immer wieder gestört. Immerzu werden die Männer an schwere Entscheidungen gedrängt und beweisen heldenhaft Mut, während sich ab und an auch die alte-weiße-Männer Arroganz meldet:
Der eine Mann, der seine Frau ermuntert doch eine Karriere anzustreben. Sie aber: Nein, Schatz. Ich wollte schon immer nur deine Ehefrau sein und deine Kinder bekommen.
Oder: Wir müssen unbedingt das und das tun, um Schwarze WählerInnen zu gewinnen.
Von Kapitel zu Kapitel war ich immer mehr gelangweilt über den Inhalt. Der Spannungsbogen war durch die Fülle der Charaktere, die zügigen Zeitsprünge und meine dauernde Verwirrung, wer denn jetzt zu wem gehört kaum vorhanden.
Insgesamt kann ich sagen, dass das Buch eine interessante Grundidee hat, die mit einer anderen Umsetzung für mich lesenswert wäre. Ich bin müde von Männern zu lesen, die zu häufig richtige und tolle Entscheidungen treffen, um im Endeffekt den Aufstieg zu schaffen und als Weltverbesserer dargestellt werden.
December 8, 2014
Easy enough to turn the pages I guess, but this just felt careless in many respects ...
Spoiler alert...
I agree with Courtney ... The reaction from Nat and Fletcher when they learn that they're twins was so so so underwhelming. Ho hum. Next.
The desperate need for life saving AB neg ... hmmm.
The grief for Luke's death seemed very brief, and lacked depth. Then for Nat and Su Ling to casually laugh about her mother's:
we wash your dirty linen in public
advertising slogan for the laundry shop ... This was just pathetic and heartless in view that Luke took his own life after he found out his grandmother used to work as a prostitute. Who are these people?!
On the positive side - glad neither twin was the "bad guy." Thank you Ralph.
Not one of Archer's better novels.
It's definitely no Kane & Abel.
Spoiler alert...
I agree with Courtney ... The reaction from Nat and Fletcher when they learn that they're twins was so so so underwhelming. Ho hum. Next.
The desperate need for life saving AB neg ... hmmm.
The grief for Luke's death seemed very brief, and lacked depth. Then for Nat and Su Ling to casually laugh about her mother's:
we wash your dirty linen in public
advertising slogan for the laundry shop ... This was just pathetic and heartless in view that Luke took his own life after he found out his grandmother used to work as a prostitute. Who are these people?!
On the positive side - glad neither twin was the "bad guy." Thank you Ralph.
Not one of Archer's better novels.
It's definitely no Kane & Abel.
January 25, 2011
This was a good book. It kept me interested, it kept me waiting for the moment when they realized they were twins separated. I was really disappointed with their lack of reaction to the news. They just sorta shrug and say cool and move on. A bizarre non-reaction in my mind. Otherwise, great story - when Nat's son hangs himself I actually almost cried which is a lot for me from a book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2017
This is my first Jeffery Archer book, and it didn't live up to my expectations. The book had only a few thrilling/interesting scenes and the writing was confusing in some scenes. I had to reread the paragraphs to understand who said those dialogs.
November 24, 2019
I can't believe I finished this book. Plot contrivances galore, unrealistically written characters with robots for emotions. The equivalent of two and a half men of literature.
July 23, 2015
It was not as good as I anticipated as I feel as if the story is being prolonged. However, it does let the readers feel more connection to the character.
May 23, 2020
Una de las tramas más ingeniosas y creativas que he leído. Con personajes profundos que se ganan al lector. Resulta imposible tener a un favorito de los dos protagonistas.
Protagonistas que atraviesan un sinfín de aventuras: debates, campañas electorales, juicios penales, una guerra en Vietnam, un fraude burocrático, un asesinato, un suicidio, inculpados injustamente y un montón de hechos más, todos intensos y narrados con una genialidad que sorprende y que supera a mi aclamado John Grisham.
Además de la trama y el exquisito estilo con en que el autor escribe, están los valores, las enseñanzas y los mensajes que la obra transmite: lealtad, familia, honor, valentía, y amor. Difícil es hablar de política y transmitir estos mensajes tan bellos sin que la obra sea tachada de aburrida y encima, hacer de sus personajes personas entrañables e inspiradoras en la mente del lector. Jeffrey Archer lo consigue, ¡sublime trabajo!
Claro, que al profundizar tanto en los protagonistas y al envolverlos en política, las primeras 300 páginas de la novela pudieran sentirse sin ritmo ni acción, que sí lo tienen, solo que en dosis muy pequeñas; sin embargo, esto se compensa en las últimas 200 páginas, ¡se vuelve imposible soltarla!, de repente adquiere el ritmo vertiginoso de los thrillers memorables, llevándonos hasta un final, donde ocurre un enfrentamiento entre los dos protagonistas que tanto admiras y respetas, final que se disfruta y deja satisfecho, ¡inmejorable!
Gran novela que recomiendo muchísimo. Pero repito: dentro de las primeras 300 páginas hay partes que no enganchan, aunque vale la pena (y mucho) aguantarlas, en mi opinión eso le quita una estrella, así que solo le doy 4/5: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ pero no duden que esta, ha sido una de mis lecturas favoritas del año.
Protagonistas que atraviesan un sinfín de aventuras: debates, campañas electorales, juicios penales, una guerra en Vietnam, un fraude burocrático, un asesinato, un suicidio, inculpados injustamente y un montón de hechos más, todos intensos y narrados con una genialidad que sorprende y que supera a mi aclamado John Grisham.
Además de la trama y el exquisito estilo con en que el autor escribe, están los valores, las enseñanzas y los mensajes que la obra transmite: lealtad, familia, honor, valentía, y amor. Difícil es hablar de política y transmitir estos mensajes tan bellos sin que la obra sea tachada de aburrida y encima, hacer de sus personajes personas entrañables e inspiradoras en la mente del lector. Jeffrey Archer lo consigue, ¡sublime trabajo!
Claro, que al profundizar tanto en los protagonistas y al envolverlos en política, las primeras 300 páginas de la novela pudieran sentirse sin ritmo ni acción, que sí lo tienen, solo que en dosis muy pequeñas; sin embargo, esto se compensa en las últimas 200 páginas, ¡se vuelve imposible soltarla!, de repente adquiere el ritmo vertiginoso de los thrillers memorables, llevándonos hasta un final, donde ocurre un enfrentamiento entre los dos protagonistas que tanto admiras y respetas, final que se disfruta y deja satisfecho, ¡inmejorable!
Gran novela que recomiendo muchísimo. Pero repito: dentro de las primeras 300 páginas hay partes que no enganchan, aunque vale la pena (y mucho) aguantarlas, en mi opinión eso le quita una estrella, así que solo le doy 4/5: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ pero no duden que esta, ha sido una de mis lecturas favoritas del año.
July 8, 2019
This was my first Jeffrey Archer novel and it is easy to see why he is such a famous writer as this was a very well penned novel. I find myself wishing there was an option for 3.5 stars on Goodreads as there were many reasons to give this story 4 stars and equally as many frustrations to reduce that total to 3.
Reasons for 4 stars:
- Well penned novel that occurs over a generation of two brothers
- Set in Hartford, Connecticut in the height of the Clinton election campaign
- Illuminating and detailed explanation of the governor electoral voting process in New England (great for political buffs like me)
- Engaging and page turning
Reasons for 3 stars:
- Slightly long winded in parts
- 'Hollywood'-esque in many sections (simply too farcical to expect that some of the situations would actually happen in real life)
- Could have moved quicker in parts
- Farcical end to Nat's trial (this was like something out of legally blond)
- Frustrating ending with no clear winner in the election contest between two brothers
Overall I would be keen to read another Archer novel, but would hope that he was less Hollywood in his script.
Reasons for 4 stars:
- Well penned novel that occurs over a generation of two brothers
- Set in Hartford, Connecticut in the height of the Clinton election campaign
- Illuminating and detailed explanation of the governor electoral voting process in New England (great for political buffs like me)
- Engaging and page turning
Reasons for 3 stars:
- Slightly long winded in parts
- 'Hollywood'-esque in many sections (simply too farcical to expect that some of the situations would actually happen in real life)
- Could have moved quicker in parts
- Farcical end to Nat's trial (this was like something out of legally blond)
- Frustrating ending with no clear winner in the election contest between two brothers
Overall I would be keen to read another Archer novel, but would hope that he was less Hollywood in his script.
November 7, 2020
Νομίζω ότι όσα βιβλία του Τζέφρυ Αρτσερ και να διαβάσω πάντα θα ανακαλύπτω το κάτι διαφορετικό.
Είτε στην γραφή του, είτε στον τρόπο σκέψης του και την εξαιρετική ικανότητα του να μας τα διηγείται στο χαρτί.
Ένα βιβλίο 700 σελίδων που όμως διαβάζεται πολύ γρήγορα και ειδικά από την μέση και μετά δεν μπορείς να το αφήσεις.
Δύο αδέλφια που χωρίζονται στην γέννα και κανείς από τους δύο δεν γνωρίζει την ύπαρξη του άλλου.
Δύο άντρες που ακολουθούν διαφορετικά μονοπάτια.
Δύο άντρες με φιλοδοξίες που πετυχαίνουν πολλά στην ζωή τους.
Δύο άντρες που τους συνδέει το ίδιο μίσος ενός ανθρωπου, θα βρεθούν αντιμέτωποι και θα συναντηθούν, επειδή αυτή είναι η μοίρα τους. Το πεπρωμένο τους.
Ένα βιβλίο που μιλάει για αγάπη και για τον αδελφικό δυνατό δεσμό. Κλείνοντας το βιβλίο μου άφησε μια γλυκιά συγκίνηση αλλά και μια μελαγχολία γιατί δεν ήθελα να τελειώσει.
Είτε στην γραφή του, είτε στον τρόπο σκέψης του και την εξαιρετική ικανότητα του να μας τα διηγείται στο χαρτί.
Ένα βιβλίο 700 σελίδων που όμως διαβάζεται πολύ γρήγορα και ειδικά από την μέση και μετά δεν μπορείς να το αφήσεις.
Δύο αδέλφια που χωρίζονται στην γέννα και κανείς από τους δύο δεν γνωρίζει την ύπαρξη του άλλου.
Δύο άντρες που ακολουθούν διαφορετικά μονοπάτια.
Δύο άντρες με φιλοδοξίες που πετυχαίνουν πολλά στην ζωή τους.
Δύο άντρες που τους συνδέει το ίδιο μίσος ενός ανθρωπου, θα βρεθούν αντιμέτωποι και θα συναντηθούν, επειδή αυτή είναι η μοίρα τους. Το πεπρωμένο τους.
Ένα βιβλίο που μιλάει για αγάπη και για τον αδελφικό δυνατό δεσμό. Κλείνοντας το βιβλίο μου άφησε μια γλυκιά συγκίνηση αλλά και μια μελαγχολία γιατί δεν ήθελα να τελειώσει.
April 13, 2020
This is an entertaining popular fiction novel written in 2003 by well-known British writer Jeffrey Archer. Even though the author is British, he seems to have a very good "handle" on American politics, lawyers, and business. He presents the parallel stories of twins separated at birth, and of course, destined to encounter each other as adults. You won't know till nearly the end how and why they meet and discover the truth of their identities; meanwhile, Archer does a good job of narrating both stories. The novel is just what the title says, Sons of Fortune, so you don't care about wealthy East Coast people of privilege, making their way through prep schools, colleges and careers of business and law, don't read it. However, it's an amusing tale to occupy oneself with during our "social distancing" of the CV-19 pandemic.
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