Author: Jeffrey Archer
Date of Publication: 8 May, 2012
Legacy: Second book of the Clifton Chronicles series
Let me begin by saying that I am a huge fan of Jeffrey Archer. I almost swear by Kane and Abel. I love his short stories. I really loved the first book of the Clifton Chronicles - Only Time Will Tell.
Which is why, I was so excited to read The Sins of the Father. Placed a hold at the local library, for a large-print copy, mind you, as there was a shorter waiting list there. :P Got the book, read it in a single night - 6 hours flat! So yes, the book is quite fast-paced and well-narrated, and has a very interesting plot.
Does that mean I liked the book though? Well, sadly, the answer is no. There are too many twists and turns in the book, too much information, and yet, the book hardly tells us anything that we did not know from the first book.
The book begins from where Only Time Will Tell left off - Harry being taken to jail because he chose the wrong name to impersonate. It then follows Harry's journey of fortunes and misfortunes: his courtroom woes, his life in prison (the description of which, by the way, is strikingly similar to Archer's own account of prison, in the book Prison Diary), his alleged father's wickedness, his mother's suitors, his girlfriend's determination to find him and her 'almost' success, his friend's fall and subsequent rise in respect and luck, his stint with the army against Hitler, and so on. After long, interesting, yet somehow contrived accounts of all these, the book comes close to its ending. So far, so good. But the last few pages of the book try to solve an issue in Harry's life that is so dull and unimportant compared to his rather eventful life, that I almost felt like closing the book right then. And of course, the book ended in a cliff-hanger, just like the previous one. Unfortunately, this time, the cliff was just a small heap, and whether Harry fell off or hung on - I was simply not interested to know!
Positives: A very gripping style of narration, interesting plot
Negatives: Weak development of plot, too many twists and turns, uninteresting end
Read it with huge anticipation after "Only time will tell" and must say...wasn't disappointing one bit..The clifton chronicles continues at good pace in the unmistakable Archer style & keeps you intrigued till the very end..great characters..built brilliantly & every character's story blends so easily in completing the big picture. Can't wait to get my hands on the final installment..Go ahead..Read it without a second thought..
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