Review: Kane and Able

Warning : May contain a few spoilers

It is one of the best books I have laid my hands on, till date. Truly, Jeffrey Archer’s masterpiece.
It’s a saga, of two men, William Kane and Abel Rosnovski, born on the same day and how their destinies intertwine.

Kane is the blue-blooded heir to a banking fortune, whose life is blighted by the early loss of his father on the Titanic, leaving Kane Jr. in charge of the Kane & Cabot Bank. He proves to be good with numbers, graduates from Harvard and is blessed with business acumen.  Abel is the one-nippled, son of a Polish baron, who gets deported to Siberia after the First World War, manages to escape the clutches of brutal beatings and heart-wrenching slavery  and makes his way to America.  Soon after, he starts his life as a waiter in the Hotel Plaza. With fate by his side and grit in his mind, he soon paves his way, rises to the top ranks and buys some stock in the hotel chain. During the Great depression of 1930, his mentor –Davis, needs a backer and thus approaches Kane & Cabot Bank. Kane’s bank refuses to lend him the money and so he throws himself off the 17th floor of his hotel, not strong enough to see his own bankruptcy. Abel blames Kane for Davis’ death. Richmond Hotels is however bailed out, by an anonymous benefactor. But, Abel vows vengeance from Kane.

The beautifully descriptive yet highly intriguing mystery makes this book un-put-down-able.  World War I, World War II and the Great Depression of 1930 hugely shape the lives of the two protagonists, whose destinies keep crisscrossing, like when battling life and death in the war, where Abel unknowingly saves Kane’s life.

All this while, Abel has a daughter, Florentyna,named so in memory of his dead sister, whereas Kane has a son, Richard. Abel vents out his anger by plotting to ruin Kane’s bank, and thus making him bankrupt, only fit for begging on the streets. Next thing we know, Florentyna, falls in love with Richard. Through many crookish twists and turns, and the near-misses, this book makes for a rollercoaster ride.

Highly unpredictable and very engrossing, it makes every moment a page-turning mystery. The slavery, the after-effects of war, the economic depression, all make for a very interesting read.

Fiction intertwined with realistic incidents, revengeful ruthlessness, the fight for power, love, ego and so much more, makes this book no less than a classic. It might be the classiest book you’ve ever read. Fiction, non-fiction, historical incidents, insider trading, the never-ending lust for power and money: all blended into one.
Think you’re the smartest person out there? You might just find your match in Abel or Kane. Or both.
For those who are a sucker for love stories, the romance between Richard and Florentyna will sweep you away.

Even when I was half-way through the book, I just knew that this book will ricochet right into my top 5 books. Books you can’t simply give a miss!

And if you can’t enough of it, then go for “The Prodigal Daughter” – the sequel to Kane and Abel. It’s one hell of a novel too. But I’ll save that review for later. :D

Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, what should I say about this book? Well I guess first of all I should admit why I actually starting reading it in the first place. Emma Watson <3 is in the movie so I just had to watch it but like any film adaptation with a good enough story line I also wanted to read the book first. For me, both were a revelation!

If I were to review this book objectively, I'd say that it's not for everyone. If you're like Charlie the main protagonist of the book, you'd probably be able to relate to his view on things and his wanderlust mind. He's a wallflower, to put it simply. He 'sees things, understands and keeps quiet about them'. The many other characters in the book are also pretty relate-able and likeable. I especially loved Patrick with his epic antics and erratic tendencies, though I wasn't a huge fan of Sam's character, the role played by Emma in the movie. Mary Elizabeth's character was also wonderfully developed. I'm sure we've all encountered one of her type sometime in our life. I'm not really sure how I feel about the ending but I must say I didn't see that one coming. 

I loved how the writer touched on so many serious subjects, like suicide, insecurity, drugs, alcohol,  sex and even sexual abuse in a very realistic and approachable manner. The book also explores the transition from being a school senior to being a freshman in college.

The influence of good music and books on charlie's life and personality is something that i personally relate to and have actually experienced. The author has picked a wonderful soundtrack to Charlie's life which makes you feel as 'infinite' as it does them.

Overall I think even though its from the 'coming of age' genre, it has some deeper impressions to leave on you if you let it. For those of you though, who don't read between the lines and like simple and easy characters, this book might seem a little pointless and really that's not necessarily a bad thing. If you do fall in this category though I'd say you should definitely try watching the movie, it's a good pick for a rainy day, perfect with a steaming cup of coffee.

“I can see it. This one moment when you know you’re not a sad story. You are alive. And you stand up and see the lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And you’re listening to that song on that drive with the people you love most in this world. And in this moment, I swear…We are infinite.”

 —  Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower