The Sins Of The Father

Name of the book-

The Jeffrey Archer book I’m reviewing today is titled The Sins Of The Father. The thought-provoking title and compelling cover illustration on the front cover serve as an important factor in adding to the mysteriousness and dark undertones in the book. The paperback version by HarperCollins costs six dollars on Amazon.com

Plot/Content-
The book is a work of fiction and the story revolves around Harry Clifton—a man who has assumed the identity of someone else in order to protect the woman he loves, and Emma Barrington—the woman whom Harry loves, who sets out to find him, refusing to believe that Harry is no longer alive. The climax arrives a few pages before the end when Harry is about to die, while Emma is a mere hair’s width away from finding out the truth about her beloved.

Characters-

Jeffrey Archer’s books are known for their characters, and in The Sins Of The Father, too, Archer does not disappoint, creating amazingly real and intensely lovable characters. The main characters in the book are Harry Clifton, Emma Barrington, Emma’s brother Giles Barrington, their father Hugo Barrington and Harry’s mother Maisie Clifton. Harry’s friend Pat Quinn and Giles’ friend Terry Bates also form an important part of the story, and many of the scenes depicting the rapport between the friends are tear-inducing.

Style-
Jeffrey Archer has a very unique writing style, which separates his books from that of most other authors. The Sins Of The Father, too, has been written by Archer in his unique, yet almost formulaic style. The use of comedy in this otherwise emotional thriller is admirable. Archer has used one of his favourite tricks of creating a best friend for the main character. Archer often does this, creating a best friend for the lead male character, showing their friendship in an utterly beautiful manner, and finally, when the reader almost loves the friend as much as he does the main character, he kills the best friend. This feat of Jeffrey Archer leaves me shaken, shocked and sobbing convulsively, because, well, Jeffrey Archer is Jeffrey Archer.

Comparison-
Jeffrey Archer is known for his dazzling twists right at the end of a book, because he usually puts a cunning twist in the very last paragraph which, figuratively speaking, makes the reader jump out of his skin. On that note, though, this book is a bit of a disappointment. The book has twists and turns throughout which more than make up for the twist-at-the-end, but the avid Archer reader craves his signature style.

Other relevant points-

This book is absolutely mind-blowing despite the nearly anti-climactic end, because there are enough twists throughout, which ensure that the reader cannot complain in this regard. In fact, an unseasoned reader might be left quite breathless after a few of the twists. The friendship between Terry and Giles, and Pat and Harry has been beautifully written and might be, I feel, the best yet by Mr. Archer, closely followed by the beautiful (and dynamic!) relationship between the lead characters of Kane And Abel, another masterpiece by Archer. Also, the trials and tribulations of Emma have been described very well indeed, and at the end, when Emma finds Harry, the reader leans back in his chair, sighing contentedly, with a smile on his lips, because her journey was so real, so personal.