Customer Reviews

The Fourth Estate

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

To those who have read Kane & Abel, The Fourth Estate is a bit of deja vu. The plot is essentially the same. Two men - one a refugee from a war, the other an Ivy League-educated millionaire get pitted against each other and will not cease until the other man is driven out of business. The action is rivetting and makes the book a compelling page-turner.

The book is actually based on real-life characters, and a few real incidents too. Readers will find it tough not to see the similarity between Keith Townsend and Rupert Murdoch.

The way the story is woven is also reminiscent of Kane & Abel, however the book does not sag one wee bit in action. I assign five stars to this book because that's the maximum!

Jeffrey Archer is one of those authors - the kind that people love to hate. He writes fiction that requires no real thinking to get through, just a great sense of wanting to be entertained.

In the Fourth Estate, Archer describes the lives of two ficticious (although clearly based on some well-known real life moguls) newspaper barons. He explains their differing beginnings (one humble, one rich) and intersperses this with the story of a battle to win a business empire.

The story is every part the cliche "page turner", especially towards the end, when the climactic chapters and the way they build up a great sense of suspense is testament to the enjoyable experience you have reading this book.

This was my first Jeffrey Archer novel that I'd read - if you're in the same position it's a great place to start.

At last, Archer brings us back to the classic man-against-man novel, as in his successful "Kane and Abel". This is a must-read novel, full of wonderful character development, clever, yet manipulative story lines and riveting endings at each chapter.

From the opening chapter the reader is totally immersed in the two main characters -- Armstrong and Townsend, from two completely different backgrounds. Their lives seem lifelike, and not plastic and phony, like many authors characters. The reader becomes emotionally attached to one of the charcters, and cheers for their favorite one, right until the bitter end. The plot twists are so remarkable, and riveting, it is easy to read 200+ pages in one sitting!

One wonders how Archer continually comes up with such brilliant ideas. The only bad thing about this 750 page novel was reading the last chapter. If only all novels were this excellent

This is my first Jeffery Archer novel, and it accumulated 2 strikes against it after the first two chapters. Why would an author chose to write the final two chapters and place them in front of the book? I felt like I knew the ending before I had been reading 30 minutes. When I read a novel, I need a "good guy", a hero, or an underdog - simply someone to root for. There is very little of this in The Fourth Estate, because the main characters are despicable scoundrels. Read the book to learn how to bargain in open markets. Read the book to learn how a book gets on the "bestseller" list. Read the book to learn how penniless young hustlers survive with a combination of luck, opportunity, and talent. But to read this book for any other legitimate reason, you are likely to be a little disappointed. To be fair, I have to admit that this is a fast-paced read and has enough exciting moments to keep any casual reader entertained through a long, rainy weekend.

We hear much of how the media of the world is controlled by the hands of a few men. THis fictionalized account of Rupert Murdoch and Robert Maxwells fight over the worlds media empires will help all those interested in how the media operates in the world today(or more precisely in the 1990s). This book is also a superb read, it combines the flair of real life with the fictionlized account of the private affairs of two great men, both of whom a flawed. A great character study. By far it is Archers best work.

The best part of the novel is the early life of Lubji and Keith. They are really charming characters as young boys, but then they turn into disgusting adults.

What I like most about Archer's books is the richness in cultural content. I can say that I learned more details about British culture from these novels than I could have done from any other source. I also learned to read and write English through Archer's books. Whenever I write a piece of text or speak in English I can't help making use of phrases and ideas I read in the Fourth Estate, As the Crow Flies, the Prodigal Daughter and all these books. I've even started to write my own stories following his style which I hope to publish someday.

I think Archer should write the biography of a real-world leader like Helmut Kohl (rise and fall), Pope John Paul II or tycoon Bill Gates.

Not recommended. The story could have been told in far less than 742 pages. The first part was intriguing, as we were introduced to the two main characters -- two children in different parts of the world with vastly different lifestyles, both clever and entrepreneurial. Their devious ways were entertaining. When they became mega-business competitors as adults, it was mildly interesting. But by the time I was half-way through the book, I realized that I didn't care about either of them. There was a great lack of character development. As businessmen, they were ruthless and amoral; as people, they were uncaring and self-centered. There was nothing likeable about either of them. The last 300 pages were nothing but repeated plotting and scheming against each other, ad nauseum. But because I had read other books by this author that were exceptionally good, I plodded on, hoping for an exciting conclusion. Disappointingly, the ending was extremely ho-hum. The only bit of satisfaction for me was tossing this book into my trash can.

Jeffrey Archer is a master of the short story with a twist. This novel seems to be a number of short stories connected together in the guise of a full-length novel. And thus it loses the elements that could have made it a classic. In addition, it seems that most people who have negative comments on this book, are comparing it to "Kane and Able." I confess to not having read that book (although I plan to soon) but have read many other Archer stories/novels. This entry is a good read but Mr. Archer misses the mark when he fails to keep the reader rooting for the main characters. As the novel begins, we are introduced to the two main characters and come to understand that they each have fatal flaws. We know from the beginning that they won't grow up to be likable characters and yet we hope to understand their view points. Instead I ended up hoping they would both drop off the end of the earth. I would refer uninitiated readers to Archer's, "As the Crow Flies," for the ultimate "good read."

The format was vintage Archer--two "heroes" from completely different backgrounds climb to the top of their field and become archrivals. Sound familiar? While the alternating storyline style is entertaining, perhaps it is becoming a little stale.

As usual, Archer develops the main characters exceptionally well and introduces a number of stunning women (how is it that his characters always find these women?). But the myriad of minor characters could have gone farther.

Archer continues to make the occasional mistake of having an American use phrases that only a British person would use, but generally he gets it right.

I was disappointed to find a couple of spelling mistakes (not the British vs American spelling variety, but genuine mistakes) in a bestselling book.

There were also a few underdeveloped storylines (such as the KGB's role in Armstrong's life) or hurried and confusing lines (such as Armstrong's dealings in Berlin that began his rise to power).

But the one thing that bothered me to the end was that the Armstrong character, who had been so attached to his mother as a boy, never once even THOUGHT of his family much less tried to find them after he was forced to flee from the Nazis. How could he spend his entire life without knowing what happened to them (or providing a better life for them)?

In the end, it was a good story, but shallow in many ways. I have read all of Jeffrey Archer's novels since I was first captivated by "Shall We Tell the President" but either I'm getting older and more critical or he's failing to live up to his past successes.

Seldom have enjoyed a book as much in which the main character was not female!!!! The major players in this story are at once, charming, repulsive, admirable and dispicable. Always kept me guessing. The plot exceedingly well laid as it plays across world history. My first Archer novel, definitely not my last.