"Cain and Abel" is a suspense novel without a sense of suspense

Author: Jeffrey. Jeffrey Archer
Translator: Song Yingtang Publishing House: Spring Publishing House

I have always been interested in the novel " Cain and Abel ", but its size (a brick book) has always been prohibitive. The bookcase space is limited, so I have to use it sparingly. Last year, I finally looked forward to the e-book version of it, and it was worth it. Long-cherished wish.

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"I can't remember clearly whether Abel killed Cain or Cain killed Abel."

It was only about a third of the way through that I realized the origin of the title. After reading the book, I looked up the allusion to the title... I was a bit embarrassed (I was ignorant), but it turned out that it came from a myth in the Bible . I suggest that you don’t get too particular about it first, so as not to form some kind of prior expectations (expectations), if you are like me and have a blank sheet of paper.

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The two protagonists, who are incompatible with each other, originally had in common that they were born on the same day in the same year (April 18, 1906). What tied their fate together was the pull of a silver bracelet . Strictly speaking, they had met four times, including their fleeting glances.

In an instant, scenes from the past came back to mind, and related scenes came together for the first time. The same silver ring had appeared at a tea party at the Plaza Hotel, then in a bank office in Boston, then on the battlefield in Germany, and now on Fifth Avenue.

Under the title of the pinnacle of family struggle novels , will the grievances and resentments of the previous generation continue to the next generation? The story spans a long time (and brings in many historical events, such as the sinking of the Titanic, the Great Depression, and the two world wars...). It ends in 1967. It is written from a young boy to an old man. After all, is there no communication between old age and death? , or just smile and let go of grudges when we meet?

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The writing in the first half is strictly disciplined, and the two narrative lines proceed alternately without overstepping each other's boundaries. My lack of interest in the big business of the banking family that is the proud son of God, "Cain Line", may be related to my long-term exposure to the financial industry and my lack of flexibility? What keeps me chasing is that I really want to know what kind of surprises the turbulent life of the "Abel Line" will bring to us.

Since the two lines came into contact, the plot tension doubled . Entering the second third, it was completed in one breath without any interruption.

I originally thought that " Cain and Abel " would not be suspenseful, but I didn't expect that there would be a twist at the end. This foreshadowing was buried so logically that you could hardly feel its existence. A suspense novel with no sense of suspense , a private note (laughs).

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