I have just completed reading this awesome Novel ’Kane And Abel’ by ’Jeffrey Archer’ and it just spells out the Fruitlessness of Rivalry. I just want to share the story with some of you who may not have the good fortune to actually read this novel.
Its about two men who have nothing in common except the same date of birth (April 18, 1906) and a strong zeal to compete and succeed in life. Kane is powerful and wealthy. While, Abel is born poor and an emigrant to U.S.
Kane, is a successful banker, following the footsteps of his father who died in the Titnic disaster. His mother re-marries a guy Henry who is only interested in gambling and other women. Kane hates him. So after his mother dies due to miscarriage. Kane throws Henry out of his home.
Abel is raised by a trapper family who found him in a forest. He has exceptional intelligence, Baron Rosnovski asks him to become a companion and competitor to his son. Wladek (Abel) agrees to go to the Baron’s castle but puts a condition to bring his elder sister Florentyna along.
World War I breaks out. The Baron and his son Leon are killed by a soldier when the Germans attack Poland. Before dying, the Baron hands Abel his silver band of authority. It so happens that the Baron was his father, he migrates to America and assumes the name Abel Rosnovski. He starts his life as a waiter in the Hotel Plaza, Davis Leroy, owner of the Richmond group of hotels, is impressed by his work and appoints him manager of his flagship hotel. Abel converts the ill-managed hotel to a profit-making one and buys stock in the chain. During the Great depression Davis needed a backer he approached Kane & Cabot but did not get their support. He mentions this to Abel before he commited suicide leaving the remaining shares in the Richmond Group to Abel. Thus the rivalry begins. Abel plans his revenge and considers Kane his rival. However, Kane gets him an anonymous backer. Abel assumes it to be David Maxton, owner of Stevens’ hotel.
Abel join hands with Henry (Kane’s step Father) who had by now entered politics and he builds up a successful hotel chain and changes the name of the hotel ‘Baron’ . Abel plans to ruin Kane and his bank.
Abel marries and has a daughter, named Florentyna in memory of his dead sister while Kane has a son, Richard.
Meanwhile Kane’s bank and Lester’s bank merge and a provision is made that anyone who has a share of 8% can summon board meetings. Abel tries desperately to obtain 8% of the bank’s stock but Kane manages to thwart his attempts. They unknowingly meet each other many times throughout the novel. On one instance, whilst Kane and Abel are fighting in World War II, Abel saves Kane’s life in France.
Florentyna Rosnovski and Richard Kane happen to meet and fall in love without knowing about the rivalry between their fathers. They get married amid vehement protests from their fathers and start a chain of boutique stores named Florentyna’s.
Finally, Abel manages to obtain enough shares of the bank and drops Kane from power. Kane decides to forgive his son and daughter-in-law and expresses his wish to meet them. He dies before he is able to see them and his grandson William. Abel then comes to know that his backer was not David Maxton, but William Kane. Filled with remorse, he reconciles with his daughter and son-in-law. Abel died soon after, and bequeathed everything to his daughter Florentyna, except his silver band of authority, which he leaves to his grandson. It is only in the last sentence of the book that we learn that Florentyna and Richard gave their son the middle name ’Abel’, making his full name William Abel Kane.