Customer Reviews

As the Crow Flies

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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'!

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.

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.

What a superb story teller. My first book by Jeffrey Archer was picked up from a fancy little book display devoted to Mr Archer that caught my eye, I'm embarrassed to admit. I've never been sorry I succumbed to that marketing ploy. What a talented author with a wonderful gift. "As the Crow Flies" kept me reading every night until I was done. An eight hundred page book that felt like half of that, I was sorry when it ended. I hate to retell the story in my reviews since the summary is available so I'll just say that I loved Charlie and Becky, the main characters, and enjoyed their life experiences with them. I felt the happiness, sadness, anger and frustration right along with them...Oh, that Mrs. Trentham! This book definitely lives up to the five stars I rated, what a good read. If you like this one be sure to read Kane and Abel, the Prodigal Daughter, The Eleventh Commandment, and Honor Among Thieves. I've already ordered my next JA book, I hope you do the same.

As the Crow Flies is undoubtedly the best Archer book I've ever read. In fact, it's the BEST BOOK EVER! ATCF is another one of Archer's novels about ordinary people pursuing great ambitions. Although Kane and Abel is the clear favourite among Archer fans, I have to say that the conflict in ATCF is much clearer and stronger. Also, the way Archer makes the characters' paths cross in such unexpected ways is absolutely superb. It's so unbelievable that you have to believe it. The writing style is distinctly different from most books, because each chapter beginning is told from the first person POV, so you get to see the story told from different angles.

One more thing I really liked about this book is the way Archer uses the past to build upon the present. The reader sees how the characters in the story have to face events of the past, and the way their present is affected by it. Life turns a full circle. A touch of humour is added when the characters reminisce about their past, repeat old habits, do things they have always done. Irony is present throughout the story and everything seems to be linked together in a woven web of intricacy. To me, the characters seem much more alive.

In all, a seemingly simple story of a man with one great ambition but with many twists and turns and wonderful subplots. Absolutely the best!

This book is so incredible. I started it less then 24 hours ago and I'm at chapter 8. I can't put it down. If you like historical fiction this one is perfect! I can't wait to read more by Mr. Archer!

Starting at the beginning of the 20 the century and across two world war's the book portrays the tragedy courage and triumph of a simple but honorable man called Charlie Trumper who starts out life as a vegetable seller in the east end of London and ends up as one of the most prominent people in the Churchill era .His quest to become a successful businessman is aided by Becky and Daphne. But unknown to Charlie someone is plotting revenge agents him.

For young Charlie Trumper the most important thing is to get his hands on the biggest burrow in the world. After the war when he returns he has to start over again on the quest to become a successful businessmen. Able to win the hearts of customers, he rapidly expands his business through the help of Becky and Daphne. But the past seems to follow him, when Charlie's only true love Becky falls in love with Guy Trentham a handsome war hero. As he continues on his mission he encounters another enemy Mrs. Trentham who is the Mother of Guy Trentham and will stop at nothing to take over the Trumper Empire.

In his own unique style Jeffrey Archer captures the details of each character in an immaculate detail. His attempt to inspire the reader through the characters that he portrays is successful. Even evil characters like Mrs. Trentham have been given the chance to explain the reasoning behind their actions. Like a converging spiral his storyline converges on the plot waiting for the last possible minute until revealing it. The appearance of new characters suddenly is perhaps the only negative factor towards the book.

This epic novel was charming, compelling and rich with emotion. It is the closest thing to modern day Dickenson that I have ever read, and yet I daresay- possibly even a step above old Charles. The novel is fast moving, heart warming and spirit inspiring. It was the first work of Mr. Archer's that I had encountered,and I can assure you that after this little prize - I will be enthusiatically delving in to other novels to see what other literary jewels this man has produced.

The story itself was unique and powerful. It told the tale of a generation of honesty. love and hard work. These values eminated throughout the novel and it's characters. I really enjoyed every page of this tale and only wish I could find out waht is happening next in the lives of the whole Trumper clan. The book gave me hope and honor for all the human race. I knew there were still moral, good and decent people left in this world!!

When I'm asked who is my favorite male writer of popular fiction drama, it would be a toss up between Sidney Sheldon and Jeffrey Archer. However, I would give Archer a slight edge because his spy, espionage, and murder dramas are a tad more intriguing and intellectually engaging.

The first novel I read by Jeffrey Archer was A MATTER OF HONOR. Wow! I was instantly hooked by Archer's international cat and mouse chases, and the incredible suspense he whipped up as I anxiously wondered what was going to happen to the cast of characters in the coming chapters. I was captivated by Archer's cleverness, and his ability to keep me guessing trying to figure out how his characters would escape dangerous villains, and unforeseen dilemmas that kept them on the run, or attempting to out-think and out-maneuver formative adversaries.
A MATTER OF HONOR was simply superb. Afterward, I read Archer's PRISONER OF BIRTH, followed by the outstanding bestseller, KANE AND ABEL. And, 'for sheer fun', I chose, NOT A PENNY MORE, NOT A PENNY LESS for my next Jeffrey Archer novel.


Among these and other titles including, SONS OF FORTUNE, Archer proves to be a master storyteller; able to whip intrigue and suspense into enjoyable and riveting plots. All of his novels are great. One caveat. While I don't usually recommend 'sequels', Archer's, PRODIGAL DAUGHTER did not disappoint if you are interested in a quick read ... even though Archer 'cheated' by devoting too much time recapping the plot of KANE AND ABEL. Next I read, AS THE CROW FLIES.

I'm not sure why AS THE CROW FLIES became my second favorite among Jeffrey Archer's exciting novels. Perhaps it was the craftiness and ingenuity of the affable main character, Charlie Trumpet growing up poor in the Lower East End of London. And, I probably liked the fact that in this rags to riches story, Archer allowed the character to maintain a sense of humility, that is to say that Charlie Trumpet never became over pretentious in his difficult climb to success. Also, I liked that despite Charlie's lowly background, he had the assertiveness to take on challenges that seemed improbable to achieve. Most of all, no matter the difficulties or barriers, the achievements and success, Charlie Trumpet always remembered his roots. Also, I'd be amiss to not admit that I simply enjoy reading Jeffrey Archer. And, although AS THE CROW FLIES was fairly easy reading, it was lengthy; 700+ pages ... which meant that I had enough time to savor the sheer enjoyment and pleasure of reading every word in this fun and exciting story.




Maizie Lucille James
July 12, 2010

At the beginning of the 20th century, an East End barrow boy, Charlie Trumper, learned to become a successful salesman by accompanying his grandfather while he purchased fruit and vegetables from the ealy morning markets to sell from his wooden barrow on the streets of London. Copying his grandfather's spiel, Charlie soon learned the trade of fruit and veg. mongering and developed a good rapport with his customers. He married the daughter of a local baker and together they worked the business until they had acquired enough capital to purchase their first shop. By working incredibly long hours and by knowing what their customers wanted, they built up their business, increasing the number of shops until they had bought all of them on one huge block of ground in London. The story covers the period between 1900 and 1970, with two world wars, love stories, friendships, heartaches and the evil doings of a vengeful old woman which dramatically altered their lives. It's a long and terrific read which I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who loves these family sagas.