58 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
By far Archer's most superb book!, October 26, 1999
By A Customer
Ever since I read my first Jeffrey Archer novel a year ago, I have never failed to be impressed by the fluid and seemingly uncanny flair for writing he appears to posess. I managed to cover every book of his, from Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less to The Eleventh Commandment within a space of six months, apart from As the Crow Flies as I felt that it would be quite a chore to plough through 738 pages (UK paperback edition). How wrong I turned out to be. Right from the very moment I completed the first chapter of ATCF to the very last page, I simply could not get the incredible story out of my head- the enterprising and brilliant Charlie, the scheming Mrs. Trentham, the practical, intelligent Daphne- just kept flooding my thoughts. I finished the book within three days, which was a rather short period of time by my standards. This is one book which is equal to, if not better than, Archer's classic novel, Kane and Abel, especially in terms of plot twists. Jeffrey Archer tells the story from a multitude of viewpoints, making the book all the more interesting, given the fact that we, the readers, actually get to sample the feelings of the many characters. Archer's strength lies in his ability to tell the story of a person right from his or her birth (take K&A or The Fourth Estate for example), which is also evident in ATCF. Without the slightest doubt, As the Crow Flies justifies the fact that, to quote the Mail on Sunday, Jeffrey Archer is 'probably the greatest storyteller of our age'!
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jeffrey Archer Is Undisputed Master of Storytelling, May 10, 2004
This is the third novel by Jeffrey Archer that I have read and I can't wait to read more. His amazing storytelling ability, completely enchanting characters, and surprising twists all combine to make a totally enjoyable novel.
Archer uses his rags-to-riches theme with Charlie Trumper, young barrow boy from the Whitechapel area of London's East End. Charlie masters the fine craft of becoming the best fruit and vegetable man in all of the East End, a talent he hones at his grandfather's side and one that stays with him for life and gives him his greatest thrill.
The reader watches Charlie grow from eight-year-old urchin to World War I soldier and chairman of his own London department store. Along the way both triumph and tragedy are his companions, but it is his bitter and hate-filled feud with the Trentham family that will leave you aghast and shocked, but always mesmerized and turning the pages.
For Jeffrey Archer has written here the ultimate page-turner, one you will be loathe to put down for such mundane tasks as going to work or sleeping. And as always with Jeffrey Archer, you will never guess the ending. He will surprise you and make this reading experience one you'll long savor.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent introduction to Archer, December 20, 2006
Somewhere in my past, I had heard Jeffrey Archer criticized as writing "kitsch for the masses" and had avoided his books based on little more than a one liner from someone. Meanwhile, Archer's personal life has been the source of scandals that rival those of the characters in his novels.
So, it was with some trepidation that I picked up this novel in a used bookstore and decided I'd see what the fuss over this author was all about.
I have to honestly say that I enjoyed this book as much as any I've ever read. He's been called one of the top 10 storytellers in the world, and I'd have to agree with that assessment.
This book chronicles the life and times of Charlie Trumper, a fictional character who goes from destitute street vendor to department store magnate over the course of his lifetime. When we first meet Trumper in the early 1900s, he is living hand-to-mouth with his two sisters, fed only by the meager income of his grandfather who sells produce from a tiny wheelbarrow-like cart (or 'barrow as the British like to call it) in one of London's poorer districts. Trumper's father is a ne'er-do-well who drinks away his paycheck, does nothing to support the family, and hasn't been seen in years. Charlie's mother is not in the picture either.
When not in school, Charlie tags along with his grandfather each day, enchanted by the old man's remarkable salesmanship, and the boy dreams of nothing more than someday having his own 'barrow - his single passion in life. When the grandfather dies and leaves his 'barrow to Charlie, the boy is suddenly thrust into the role of chief breadwinner, a role that thrills him rather than overwhelms him. He drops out of school before he's barely hit his teens and quickly shows a brilliant ability to sell that surpasses even that of his grandfather.
The saga takes us through Charlie's life as his dream grows from a single 'barrow, to a storefront, to a series of storefronts, to the idea of building the world's largest department store - and the ups and downs along the journey. When Trumper's patriotism compels him to join the army in WWI, he meets up with several individuals who will prove to play central roles in his personal and business life for years to come, and the story's main antagonist arises from a most unlikely place.
This is the type of book that could easily be made into a mini-series because it covers 60+ years of the characters' lives, and Archer does an outstanding job developing those characters quite fully. I found myself getting quite attached to the characters and when the book came to a close, there was a sense of sorrow at having to say goodbye to these people with whom you had shared so many of life's triumphs and disappointments.
Archer chooses to write this book from the alternating viewpoints of various characters in the story, ranging from Trumper to Trumper's wife to the story's main antagonist, to various others. He does so quite masterfully, and it is interesting to view the same events in the story through the eyes of different characters.
In all, the story itself and the way it was told were both top-notch. I have read several of Archer's books as a result of reading this one, and have found all to be highly plausible storylines that never come across as contrived, impossibly complicated, or boring. The dialog is authentic, and Archer's formidable intelligence is evident with an outstanding command of history, politics, commerce, and human nature. His books span the gamut from espionage thrillers to political sagas to business sagas, and although Archer is a Brit, I have found his command of American politics to be just as fluent as his command of British politics. Although the details of his personal life are somewhat bizarre, no one can fault his intelligence or storytelling ability.
If you have not read Jeffrey Archer, I heartily recommend this as an excellent starting place. If you are already a Jeffrey Archer fan, you will need little coaxing and I consider this one of his very best efforts.
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