Only Time Will Tell

I begin with sayin, i was/am/and ever will be an ardent archer fan. For those who have read kane and abel and sons of fortune, will find this book have a similar storyline in the beginning. But what makes this novel stand apart from them is the way archer said story, how ppl who lead different lives sees the things happening around them. To add to this, a typical archer's book with a half a dozen twists, which adds its part to keep the page turning. For ppl who havnt read any of archer's till now, this turns out to be a MUST READ. But for the ARCHER FANS, they wont find this mindblowing like KANE AND ABEL, THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT etc. To summarize, this book, as all of the archer's, is an excellent page turner with a superb end which makes us long for whats gonna happen in the next part. THE GREAT ARCHER DOES IT AGAIN:) :)

Two things are actually quite clear from this novel -

1. Jeffrey Archer is undoubtedly the master of impersonation!! Half his novels – including Sons of Fortune, A Prisoner of Birth and this one – are based on the same Impersonation formula which has ruled Bollywood for decades!

2. This book is obviously an outcome of the immense success J K Rowling has had with Harry Potter. The idea of making a series instead of a standalone novel, the break-up of the book into different part’s of the protagonist’s life, and even the name of the hero – Harry Clifton – are an indirect ode to the fabulous Potter series.

But that does not mean Only Time Will Tell is not brilliant!

It is great to see Archer at the top of his form once again – after the forgettable Prisoner of Birth and False Impression. Only Time Will Tell has been announced as a five-part compilation, and i’m already waiting for the next instalment of Harry Clifton’s life.

In choosing the location for the story, Archer picked his own hometown – of Weston-Super-Mare, and he has absolute grasp over the region, its culture, its history and all the quirks that are so peculiar to British Life. Since the book begins at in the 1920s, there are even more of them! Archer is masterful in guiding us through the life of Harry – from when he is five years old to when he turns 20 and the book ends.

Only Time will Tell is bound to be a masterpiece – and not just in scope. The story and its characters are brilliantly sculpted – like in all of Archer’s books, but the real mastery here is the multiple narrative that the author chooses over a linear variant like he normally prefers. Each part of the book is told through a different character, and they all weave in beautifully. It is immensely satisfying to step alternately into the shoes of Harry, Old Jack Tarrant, Hugo Barrington, Emma, and Mrs. Clifton in turn, and to the author’s credit, the story never slackens – even when the narrator changes.

There is something magical about all novels written around the sea and ships, and this one is no different. Life near the docks has its own romance, and every page in the novel bears testimony to that. There are a few twists and turns that are predictable – especially to Archer fans who’ve gobbled up everything written by the master. But still the book doesn’t bore us and makes us read through at a go.

The story of the first part begins at the end of the first world war and at the start of the second. That gives the second book a completely different premise and in Archer’s hands, it is bound to shine – as did all his earlier novels of the period. I’m already looking forward to the second one, and hope it comes out soon – and not like Harry Potter which came out once a year!

Welcome back, Mr.Archer!!

I ordered the book on friday morning and got it delivered by flipkart the very evening. Talk about quick service.
Once I started reading it I simply couldnt put the book down. Jeffrey Archer keeps the reader in suspence throughout the entire book. He takes the minutest details and turns it into interesting series of events. This book is typical Jeffrey Archer and catches him at his finest.

Just believe in what you do, time leads you through... It made me believe in fate, start searching for childhood friends and all those people whom I believed not working up to their ability in life, hence end up taking worthless job. I realized its not their mistake. A mother ready to do anything in life to see his son reach a status in society, a son adoring his mother and ready to fulfill his mother's dream at any cost, friends not just staying by the side in the days of turmoil but walk towards you to defend from any kind or level of catastrophe, and finally life partner, you simply have to read it to know. I mourned the fate of Clifton's adviser Jack, really it was unexpected. There are many questions lingering as what happened to Hugo Barrent, how's Clifton's mother feeling now, what else fate has in stock for Harry in NY??? cant wait for sequel any longer, Please hurry up.

I have to say that this is my first Jeffery Archer book and I am feeling sad that i never listened to my bro when he told me about his other works ... Its during a minor surgery break that I got a chance to read this one. And what a read !!!

This is excellent work of fiction and very much of a page turner. I have to say that I kind of expected the book's general plot to take the direction that it took. Since, the work was similar to another book that I read called "The Shadow Of The Wind- By Carloz Ruiz Zafron" (another excellent work if you havent already read it!!!). But still there were so many twists that I couldnt wait to finish reading the book and order the Volume 2 (Sins of the Father).

The characters are excellent my favorites in this order - Harry, Old Jack, Emma, Masie, Giles.

Don't miss ... A good to have book for the fiction lovers.