Archer’s best shot. Review on As The Crow Flies - Jeffrey Archer

This is a great tale of triumph. A superb, excellently articulated story that deserves every star of the 5 stars. One of the best works in Archer’s oeuvre.

Jeffery Archer

Jeffery Archer is indubitably a master storyteller. He weaves his plot so deeply that it becomes difficult to stop reading. Although this isn’t a murder mystery or a sleuth driven plot, the urge to know what happens next haunts you. You just cannot put it down. A ‘page turner’ as it is called.

It has a delightful unification of something abstract and something concrete. Love, ambition and desire interlaced with fiscal situations, social obligations and the means of survival of we humans are explicitly portrayed.

The plot

Charlie Trumper owns a barrow selling fruits and vegetables, left to him by his grand dad in Whitechapel. He nurtures a dream of owning the biggest barrow in the world some day. A barrow that would sell just about everything from apples to automobiles. Each being in 25 different varieties.

He falls in love with his neighbour Rebecca salmon, the baker’s daughter. Before things can proceed any further Charlie leaves Whitechapel for the frontier to offer his services in the war. On returning with one toe less, he finds Rebecca pursuing an art course in college, the bakery closed down and the barrow in a sad state. He still nurses both his formative years’ dreams of making it big in business and his liking for Becky (Rebecca).

Becky on the other hand is supposedly in love with Guy Trentham. Incidentally, Guy happens to bring back some very bitter memories of the war for Charlie, as they were acquainted there.

Does guy pose a threat to Becky? To Charlie? Does Charlie’s dream come close to reality? What happens in a long story of 60-70 years?

Well these will all be answered when you get your hands on the book. I assure you, you will love the book in entirety. I suggest every one of you who come across this book, should read it. It is totally worth all the time you give it.

Some things you will come across in the book

a mention of world war 1, mention of British troops in India, mention of Gandhi- the naked man, some mind boggling business strategies, shrewd clever monetary moves, sinister thoughts for coveting wealth, a tour of New York and Australia.

overall

A lovely, exciting, thrilling, simply mind boggling tale spun over four continents and spanning over 60 years in time. amazing, great, close to real characters. The rush in anticipation of what would happen next in the last 200 pages is just awesome.

Best part of the book

There is this will that Guy Trentham’s grandfather makes. The will itself and the codicils to it are so brilliant that any lawyer would love the person for being so farsighted.

Daniel Trumper is someone to look forward to, so is Cathy.

The combination of love and luck and the ineffable way the go hand in glove.

You love something and wish to covet it, but luck has its own way. You aim for something and destiny has another tale to tell.

It is the manner in which you either succumb to circumstances or tilt them to your benefit.

This book provides a great deal of inspiration for youngsters, especially entrepreneurs.

This book is yet another trademark of Jeffery Archer. The climax is sometimes very probable, yet the manner in which he words it and draws it out in length is fabulous and you will love him for that.