A prisoner of birth

I really enjoyed this book, a little slow to begin but I was soon caught up in the characters and the plot. very clever a lot of suspense and Jeffrey Archers Style of writing made it a very good read. Would recommend.

Sentenced for a crime he did not commit, a young London mechanic befriends his cellmates and they in turn help him seek justice during the many plot twists and turns of this latest Archer novel. Throw in lying barristers, sleazy actors, a priceless stamp collection, two young lovers, a passionate

Show More

defense attorney and you have a book that will keep you reading past bedtime. You’ll find it hard to put down because the characters are both real and entertaining and the plot is very imaginative.

Show Less

Incredibly brilliant! Archer certainly does not disappoint - plot twists abound, but with a purpose. Keeps you on the edge of your seat while reading, and provokes thought when you aren't. I highly recommend it!

Jeffrey Archer back to his best writing.

A master story teller, he does have trouble setting the stage for this yarn, but once he has his main character safely locked up in gaol the story really gets underway.

I notice that Archer's descriptions of in-gaol life are very detailed and personal!

Great

Show More

read.

Show Less

Slow-starting jailbreak novel that turns on an absurd premise. Reworking the plot of a classic novel diminishes the surprise that is the key element of a thriller and Archer's prose technique is not strong enough for tha to be the work's main merit. Superficial characters exchange flat dialogue in

Show More

what feels like the inept novelisation of an unmade movie. I have enjoyed some Archer novels for the energy of his plots; this lacked that.

Show Less

A predictable and pacy holiday read. I read it in two days. I won't give a synopsis of the story as many others have already done so.

It was entertaining, but not thought provoking. Throughout my rather fast reading of this book, I had an image of Archer plotting out all the inter-connections and

Show More

the twists and turns on a single sheet of paper. A times it felt a little clunky, as though he thought to himself, "I must just add this bit here, so book 4 or book 5 later on makes sense". It also felt as though it had been writen with the idea that it might be made into a film at a later date.

This is not a book I'd recommend to someone who is an avid reader; rather I'd recommend it to someone who only reads whilst on holiday and is looking for summer escapism. Not my favourite book by a long stretch.

Show Less

An unbelievable premise - as if people wouldn't recognise him! But if you accepted that initial premise, it was a great page turner and enjoyable.

The audio book was extremely well read by Roger Allam who did all the accents very well. I thought this was as good as the best of Grisham and in a legal mode similar to his, but with English courts and barristers. Not totally plausible, but great to see how Archer kept me entwined with many

Show More

interesting twist and turns.

Show Less

It was a good read - fast and not complicated in its plotting. However, it's quite a ways into the world of the far-fetched and requires that there be a corrupt cop, corrupt lawyers, corrupt prison guards, and a bond between 3 men that would have 2 of them risking prison to protect their murdering

Show More

friend in a drunken fight. Also it plays on the stereotypes of rich men disinheriting their rebellious offspring, greedy relatives, Swiss bankers being underhanded and etc.

Oh, and for some reason, lawyers in this book also make great detectives and spies and candid photographers.

Sigh... there's not a lot of effort put into creating original or necessarily believable characters or situations, but it's well enough written that it makes for an interesting read.

Show Less

Prisoner Of Birth by Jeffrey Archer
Sally Apollon
Overall score: 5.5 out of 10

Archer’s most successful accomplishment with this book is the movement of plot. I became more and more involved in what was going to happen to Danny Cartwright, to Beth, to Lawrence Davenport and the rest of his cronies.

Show More

I did not think that the character development was very thorough, but there were a lot of people to keep track of, so I’m sure it’s harder to develop more characters. I was especially disappointed by Beth’s character, she was overly bright and seemed to suffer no weak moments. She seemed the most two-dimensional; sad really, because I thought she would have had a lot of potential for frailty (brother dead, fiancé in prison, raising a daughter alone, unsupportive father etc.). One thing I found mystifying was that I couldn’t really tell what distinguished Danny to her, at the beginning he seemed singularly unremarkable.

I actually really did like the character sketches of The Scottish cellmate—who became flatmate and complicit to his identity fraud. I also loved the character of the Scottish lawyer, he was fab.

I do also have to say a word about Lawrence Davenport, like most twists in the plot, I did see the end coming. I think Archer tried to portray him as seedy, but didn’t go nearly far enough as far as I’m concerned, I think he stopped short of getting gritty—and realistic.

It was, however, most intriguing to see how the identity-switch happened and to go through the anxiety with Danny of whether he would get away with it. The trips to Scotland were highlights for me and the release day from prison. I was naturally sympathetic and rooting for Danny because he’s wrongfully imprisoned and seems deserving of his new role in life, because he’s smart and initially has integrity. Which brings me to my next point. How unlifelike the whole book was. The scale of the fiction was so inflated that I felt like I was reading it with a sense of suspended reality. This is fine when you’re reading Harry Potter, which is NOT grounded in reality, but P of B was supposedly grounded as a lifelike tale, so I did have to keep pushing away the niggling “How absurd” “How unlikely!” thoughts. I was left with this sense about the whole book, which had all the loose ends too neatly tied up. Revenge also leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

Did I like it? Not a question I care to answer, but if I were to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being “abysmal” 5 being “average” and 10 being “outstanding”, I think I’d have to give it a solid 5.5.

Show Less

Quite enjoyable. A fun way to spend time. Enjoyed it very much. Andrew Webber should write an opera about this book!

A remake of Count of Monte Cristo set in reasonably modern times. Again predictable but must admit that it one of the better written Archer works.

“Revenge is a dish best served cold.” Dumas’ Dantes did; and Archer’s Danny does.

We've seen this one before from Mr. Archer. It's entertaining but it's his regular formula.

Great story telling. I listened to this and was captivated from the beginning. Archer makes great use of foreshadowing and although you may get a glimmer of how it will end, the ride is fun and diverting. Top notch audio entertainment.

I loved the audio version of this book---wonderful character voices and the interview with Archer at the end made me look up more up about him as an author. A fast moving book, a "track" race to get to the next CD! I have read other Archer books but this new one is right at the top of the list.

This is better than most of his more recent books and nearly as good as Kane and Abel and Prodical Daughter. Danny Cartwright is arrested and convicted of the murder of his best friend and fiancee's brother, based primarily upon the testimony of the real murderer and his friends. While in prison,

Show More

his cellmate is killed about 6 weeks before he is due to be paroled. The prison authorities think that Danny has been killed, and release Danny in place of his cellmate. Danny amasses a small fortune while he is free by taking revenge on the real "bad guys" but must be constantly aware that he might be caught. He also can't contact his fiancee or their daughter. Is there anyway that this miscarriage of justice can be righted after he has woven such a tangled web of deception?

Show Less

Renenge is a dish, best served cold. A great…well thought out story. 8/24/09
Listened on Audio Roger Allam - Good

This book is by a British author, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. The reader did a good job and the story kept my interest such that I'll seek out other books by the author. I can't quite give it a 5 but it's close. There's something to be said for a book that sends a reader seeking more

Show More

writings by the same author.

Briefly, the story is about a man falsely imprisoned, the relationships he has in and out of prison, and how justice is eventually served, with plenty of twists and surprises. Many of the details seem authentic and quite interesting. Well worth the read.

Show Less

First time I have ever read a book by this author and from the beginning I knew I would be tracking down more. I loved the writing style and the presentation of the story as it unfolded. You already know who did it, the question quickly becomes how is the man convicted of the crime going to prove

Show More

his innocence? Typically I pick up all of the subtle hints and plot devices used to set up a mystery, but this was a genuinely enjoyable read for me. Some things I figured out well in advance, some I worked out gradually and the court scenes simply became a joy to experience.

It's a big book and there is a lot of story to be told, but you never feel overwhelmed by the size and scope of what is put before you. In fact, I often picked up the book and read for hours without feeling those hours pass by. If you plan to read this book on your lunch break, remember to set an alarm because you will most likely forget to check the time while you're turning the pages.

Show Less

This is the first Archer book I have read and it won't be the last! I was hooked on the character of Danny Cartwright as soon as he was willing to go down on one knee in a posh restaurant to ask his sweetheart Beth to marry him. Clearly he has wonderful taste from the beginning to ask someone named

Show More

"Beth" to be his wife!! :)

But soon after this exciting moment both of their lives begin to unravel - as Danny is accused and charged with murdering Beth's brother during a bar fight -her brother who was Danny's best friend.

There are four witnesses to this infamous fight - a lawyer, a real estate tycoon, a famous TV actor and a drug addict. And the story they tell in court doesn't match Danny or Beth's. But, they are from the upperclass side of London and Beth and Danny aren't. The court won't believe their side of events. And Danny ends up in prison.

At the moment that his life belongs to the prison - it also takes a drastic turn that is the first step in owning his life for good. Danny is put into a cell shared by 2 other men - Nick Moncrieff and Big Al. Nick takes Danny under his wing and begins to teach him how to leave the East End of London and speak and act as a person with more potential.

The book is about the opportunity to change, about the potential you are born with and about prison your birth can create.

It was a great and quick read - a 2:00 in the morning finish!!

Show Less

Furst tunem I have read a Jeffrey Archer novel, and it was a good one.
I loved the court scenes, but the mistaken identity didn't ring true to me at all. But it didn't spoil the story.
I shall be reading more from him. in future.

Absolutely superb. Archer writes with so many twists you can never predict the outcome. He is becoming one of my favourite novelists

This is the most well written book to which I've given a 1. It's also the first one star rating I've given to Jeffrey Archer. If you searched the words 'go to' in my dictionary, you'll find a picture of Archer. That's no longer true. More than the first half of the book had some merit, but it was

Show More

only about build up, promise, and expectation. All three undercut, broken, and betrayed, respectively. If a restaurant makes you wait for so long that you're not faint of hunger but bored, impatient, and surly, do you feel satisfied in any way when a bunch of tripe is served to you? Of course(no pun intended) not; that is not sweetening the deal.

This modern imagining of The Count Of Monte Christo is by contrast more barbaric than the original. The manner in which Beth's(the new Mercedes) and Danny's(Edmond)critical reunion is not depicted at all, is not a device or technique of the writer, but an admission that he doesn't have the talent or daring to write a true emotional scene that if pulled off, could have earned deserved plaudits for Archer. How ironical it is that a story of an impostor is itself an impostor to Dumas pere's work.

Show Less