When my read the first chapter, I even thought that this is a horror fiction. Because of the story at the start is so thriller. There is a description like this \"She only stopped screaming when she died. It was then that he started to Scream.\" This description applies nervous colors to a drawing of the environment at the started of the story and make readers want to know what would happened next.I always like reading some stories which are thriller and nervous because it can make me feel excited that I enjoy it. So I fall in love with this novel as soon as quickly.
After I read the first two chapter, I couldn't understand the whole direct of the story because there is no any relation between two chapter which make me feel puzzled, but with the deepening of the story I found that this story make progress in two ways. One is the way of Wladek and the other line of story is about Kane. The story of these two boys developed at the same time. But they have very different background, Wladek was a abandoned boy but Kane was born in a wealth family and his relatives are so cared about him. Maybe in other people's eyes, he is a lucky boy. In the first some years of Wladek's life , he and his family always worry about their next dinner and their poor life.The two boys have a common that they all love studying and they can get not bad grades in their subject. Wladek escaped from the poor cottage by the help of his good grades and his gifted ability. Kane just like his father who
died in a marine perils on the famous pulley Titanic, Kane is so good at math and financial management that when he was a small boy he could even do some simple trade with his friends and students. The behaviour of Kane in his childhood decided that he would do some thing great in the future.Kane and Abel have their different fates. Although they are both success, they also have their own sadness.
I want to write something about the writer of this novel, Jeffrey Archer. As I found some information that Jeffrey Archer graduated from Oxford. And he became the youngest member of Congress in Britain in 1969. And then, he was the vice president of The Conservatives. He is English author and former politician whose political career ended with his conviction and subsequent imprisonment for perjury and perverting the course of justice. Alongside his literary work, Archer was a Member of Parliament , and deputy chairman of the Conservative Party . He was made a life peer in 1992. Jeffrey Howard Archer was born in the City of London Maternity Hospital. He was two weeks old when his family moved to the seaside town of Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, where he spent most of his early life. He has an older brother born out of wedlock, also originally called Jeffrey, who was put up for adoption at an early age. The brother assumed the name David Brown and only discovered his relationship to Archer in 1980, even though Archer already apparently knew this, according to the journalist Michael Crick. His father, William,
was sixty-four when Archer was born. In 1951, he won a scholarship to Wellington School, in Somerset (not to be confused with the public school Wellington College, which is possible from the ambiguous biography in Archer's earlier books). At this time his mother, Lola, contributed a column \"Over the teacups\" to the local press in Weston-super-Mare and wrote about the adventures of her son 'Tuppence'; this caused Archer to be the victim of bullying while at Wellington School.
After Archer left school passing O-levels in English Literature, Art, and History, he worked in a number of jobs, including training with the army and for the police. This lasted only for a few months, but he fared better as a Physical Education teacher; first at Vicar's Hill, a Prep School in Hampshire where he taught fencing amongst other sports, later at the more prestigious independent school Dover College in Kent. As a teacher he was popular with pupils and was reported by some to have had good motivational skills, helping to instil personal confidence in the less confident. Archer studied for three years, gaining an academic qualification in teaching awarded by the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education. The course was based at Brasenose College, Oxford, although Archer was never registered as an undergraduate student of the College. There have been claims that Archer provided false evidence of his academic qualifications, for instance the apparent citing
of an American institution which was actually a bodybuilding club, in gaining admission to the course. It is also alleged that he provided false statements about three non-existent A level passes and a US degree. His website includes references to his Oxford 'Principal', yet omits that he was not a full undergraduate at Oxford.
In my opinion, Archer could write the story which is so brilliant has a close relation with his experience and his foundation of literature. His first book, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, was picked up by the literary agent Deborah Owen and published first in the US, then eventually in Britain in the Autumn of 1976. The book was an instant success and Archer avoided bankruptcy, never being legally declared bankrupt. A BBC Television adaptation of the book was broadcast in 1990, and a radio adaptation was aired on BBC Radio 4 in the early 1980s.
Kane and Abel proved to be his best-selling work, reaching number one on the New York Times bestsellers list. It was made into a television mini-series by CBS in 1985, starring Peter Strauss and Sam Neill. The following year, Granada TV screened a ten-part adaptation of another Archer bestseller, First Among Equals, which told the story of four men and their quest to become Prime Minister.
Archer states he spends considerable time writing and re-writing each book. He goes abroad to write the first draft, working in blocks of
two-hours at a time, then writes anything up to seventeen further drafts. It has been suggested that his books require extensive editing by others to make them readable.
In 2011, Archer published the first of five books in The Clifton Chronicles, which follow the life of Harry Clifton from his birth in 1920, through to the finale in 2020. Only Time Will Tell tells the story of Harry from 1920 through to 1940 and was published in the UK on 12 May 2011. In March 2011 he visited New Zealand as part of a promotional tour. His stops included an interview on Radio Live with hosts Willie Jackson and former-disgraced-MP John Tamihere.
Then , I want to say something about some major characters. First, Abel, is Wladek, he is a boy with tough personality. He would like to fighting against fate, he didn't give in to his poor experience. He struggled for living and he always thought about escape from the control of Germany soldiers. Abel was clever when he was young. Although still the youngest, as at home, it was not long before he rose above all his classmates in everything expect height. His tiny stature misled them into continual underestimation of his real abilities: children always imagine biggest is best. By the age of five, Wladek was first in every subject taken by his class except ironwork. At night, back at the little wooden cottage, while the other children would tend the violets and poplars that bloomed so fragrantly in their spring-time garden, pick berries, chop wood, catch
rabbits or make dresses, Wladek read and read, until he was reading the unopened books of his eldest brother and then those of his elder sister. It began to dawn slowly on Helena Koskiewicz that she had taken on more than she had bargained for when the young hunter had brought home the little animal in place of three rabbits; already Wladek was asking questions she could not answer. Then, he knew Leon, a best friend of him. what’s a pity, Leon was dead and his dad the Baron had such a big hit. The Baron slowly raised his right arm, removed from his wrist the silver band and held it forward to a speechless Wladek, whom he clasped on to firmly, running his fingers over the boy’s chest as if to be sure that it was he. “My son,” he said, as he placed the silver band on the boy’s wrist. Then he was brought to the camp 201. On the road to there, his leg was broken. When he arrived here, a doctor helped him about his leg and made a plan for him to do away from here. The doctor gave all his things and money to him such as two hundred rubles, a suit and a shirt, which was helpful for him. Wladek never again in his life experienced such an act of selflessness. Then he was successful to go away and on the train, a woman wanted to adopt him but her husband refused her to do thing in that way. He knew a friend named Jerzy and his girlfriend named Zaphia. He was married with Zaphia although they divorced after having a baby called Florentyna. He went to a new place and two English brought him to America, also he changed his name and called himself Abel Rosnovski.
He worked in Plaza Hotel and knew Davis Leroy and his daughter Melanie. Davis was dead because of Kane. So Abel wanted to revenge. Also, he went to become soilder and was framed by Kane. Abel did his best to make Kane go away this bank. Before he passed away, he also gave up the enmity between.
Let's turn to the next main character, Kane. He was also a clever boy in his childhood, and he has a wealth family support him to do everything that he would like to do. So he can develop his ability in financial management.William quickly learned to read and write with facility but saved his real enthusiasm for figures. His only complaint was that, of the eight lessons taught every weekday, only one was arithmetic. William was quick to point out to his father that one-eighth of the working day was a small investment of time for someone who would one day be the president of a bank. We can know he had the gift to be a bank president. And after that, the grandmothers decided on William’s seventh birthday that the time had come to instruct the boy in the value of money. And the ledger was a source of great satisfaction to the grandmothers: there was no doubt William was the son of Richard Kane. When he grew up, he knew his best friend Matthew. They had a debating contest together. Although they lost this debate, they never lost heart and even made a new friend named Thaddens Cohen. After that, William started work as a junior director of Kane and Cabot in September 1928. He felt for the first
time in his life that he was doing something really worthwhile. What’s more, he knew Kate and helped her and finally married with her. He chose to campaign the president of the bank with a man named Simmons. All of them must elect their successor. The board is presented with two outstanding candidates, the director of their overseas division, Mr. Anthony Simmons, and the director of the American investment department, Mr. William Kane. With a difficult election, the voting has twice resulted in a dead heat and Alan must cast his vote for the candidate whom he felt should succeed him as chairman and that man is Tony Simmons. Matthew got a terrible ill and dead soon. His father, Charles Lester was dead after that big shock. To William’s surprise, Charles Lester wanted him to be the president of his bank. With the first time failure of election, William won the second one in a difficult way. Leach supported him but Peter didn’t. And then, Kate gave birth to three children of them. They were Richard, Virginaia and Lucy. Then he did soldiers for a long time and nearly dead. After that he framed Abel and he was under pressure to resign to do. Before he passed away, he gave up the enmity between Abel and him.
This two characters impress me a lot, both of them are so brilliant but they have different personality. Although in their whole life, they are enemies, but in my mind they are all heroes. Because of these two characters I fall in love with this story. Then I would like to say
something about this story, plots. The novel is interesting for us to read, some plots of the book make us feel nervous, sometimes make us excited, which lead us deep into the story. Kane and Abel, the name of the
novel, are also the two leading actors of this novel. And the story is about the two guys and all things happened on and around their life from the cradle to the grave. The two guys were born in the same day, April 18th, 1906, but in different places, one in Slonim, Poland, and the other in Boston, Massachusetts. In addition, the status of the two guys was totally different. William Lowell Kane was born in a rich family, also a famous bank family. He was the only child in the family so that each family member treated him very well. He may be the best God-given gifts for them, including his father, Richard, his mother, Anne, even his grandmothers, Mrs. Edward Cabot and Mrs. Thomas Lowell Kane. All in all, William Lowell Kane was such a lucky and favored boy when he was born. Moreover, his father and grandfather both were the presidents of Kane and Cabot’s bank. So, perhaps he was the worthy successors of their family bank. And we can say that he had a life without worrying about food and clothing and he could do everything he liked in his lifetime.
However, compared with William· Lowell· Kane, Wladek Koskiewicz was out of luck. He was an orphan. His mom passed away after giving birth to him. Fortunately, the little Wladek
Koskiewicz was found and adopted by another poor family. But the family had to lead a difficult and rough life for their nine children. Because of their down and out, they had nothing to do but hurting animals for earning their life. The master of this family, Jasio Koskiewicz, didn’t care for this picked-up kid and even didn’t like him at all. But, Jasio’s wife, Helena· Koskiewicz, loved this kid very much in spite of his inborn disability. Also, the love of the great mother gave the little boy support to live on. He also had an elder sister named Florentyna who loved him. Wladek Koskiewicz grew up in unthinkable hardship. He was in the time of many wars from many different countries. He was carried to other places such as labor camp which was far from his birth place. He did all he could to escape such a strange and dangerous place. And then, he struggled to afford the necessities of life by any means. He had been many countries just for better life. And he was a hardworking people and he had a hardworking life in his life time.
Something is predestined and fateful, we have to believe that. Fate arranged the two totally different people to have a meet. However, a strange combination of circumstances made the two guys become sworn enemies. From then on, a lifelong fight and struggle between them started.
Long time later, both of them had children even had
grandchildren and they became elder and elder. They still didn’t give up the enmity. When the kids of both Kane and Abel fell in love with each other and got married to each other and had their own kid, the grandchildren of Kane and Abel, both of them gave up the enmity between the two families in the end.
Kane agreed to have a met with his son’s family. And he must get home, thought William, before they do. The joy of seeing Richard and his two grandchildren would make everything worthwhile again. He must come to know Florentyna, ask for her forgiveness, and trust that she would understand what he could scarcely understand himself now. Such a fine girl, they all told him. When they came, Kane would have turned to greet them but he could not. He was dead. Although it was an unfortunate end of Kane, we can know that there was a happy ending of this novel indirectly and clearly, also just from the aspect of Kane.
What’s more, Abel also chose to meet his daughter’s family, Richard and Florentyna. He said to Richard that he must forgive him and Richard agreed with him. And during the following mouths the Kanes visited Abel regularly and Florentyna grew very close to her father again. Abel came to admire Richard and the common sense that tempered all his daughter’s ambitions. He adored his grandson. Abel had rarely been happier in his life. What is a pity, when
Florentyna became the president of Baron Group, Abel was passed away. But to us surprise, in Abel’s will, he left everything to Florentyna, with the single exception of a small bequest. The testament described the gift as a heavy engraved silver bracelet, rare, but of unknown value, and bearing the legend Baron Abel Rosnovski. The beneficiary was his grandson, William Abel Kane. All these also tald us that Abel gave up the enmity. I think the grandson of Kane and Abel named William Abel Kane is the best ending for this novel.
All above is the main idea about this novel, I emphasized the beginning and the end of the two main actors. I know that the development of plots of this story is the most important thing. I will involve some excellent plots later. But I think that a good beginning and a happy ending is also important for us reader to read.
Maybe there are still some sentences that I can't understand, but I have some deeply feelings and harvest about working and life. First of all, I know that knowledge can change the fate. Secondly, if we meet difficulties in our life, struggling and fighting is the only way, never think about give up. Finally, the background of our birth can not decide anything, our strive is the main element which direct our future.
11151115 赵德伦
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