As a friend very rightly put it…’A Prisoner of Birth’ has all the makings of a Bollywood Masala Movie.Danny Cartwright, a humble East-End mechanic has just proposed to his childhood sweet heart Beth. He decides to celebrate by treating his fiancée and best-friend Bernie Wilson (who also happens to be Beth’s brother) at an upmarket bar ‘The Dunlop Arms’. Also present at the bar, are a drunken party of four men, who started passing lewd comments at Beth and raise Bernie’s ire. Despite Danny’s protests, the two parties decide to take the fight out into a back-alley..and what follows is something that changes Danny’s life forever.Danny is charged with the murder of Bernie……a crime he never committed. Despite the best efforts of his able lawyer, the young and relatively untried Alex Redmayne ……Danny is sentenced to twenty-two years at the maximum-security Belmarsh Prison. After all who would take the word of a grubby mechanic over a stalwart quartet of an upcoming barrister, a leading actor, a member of the aristocrat and the youngest partner of an established firm?Danny’s long sentence is made bearable due to his two cell mates: Sir Nicholas Moncrieff, who looks and behaves more like an officer than an inmate. And running-more-true-to-form, the rough and rugged, heavily-built Big Al. Nicholas bears a startling resemblance to Danny and herein lies the crux. When Nick is accidentally murdered, just a few weeks before his release…Danny (with careful mechanisations by Big Al) walks out a free man…as Nicholas Moncrieff. "Act like Nick.Think like Danny." Constantly keeping this in mind……Danny launches into an intricate and well-planned revenge.A page-turner with certain implausible points. Look-alike Nicholas Moncrieff seemed to be aware from the beginning that his identity was for the sole-purpose of being used to prove Danny’s innocence. He trained him in all the niceties and etiquettes which a Moncrieff should exhibit in genteel society. He educated Danny and even conveniently maintained well-transcribed diaries which proved to be valuable evidence in the later trials. A post-Belmarsh Danny appears to lead a charmed life. All the people he hopes to have on his side, unflinchingly accept that he is indeed Sir Nicholas Moncrieff, never once cross-checking the fact.While Danny Cartwright is a likeable hero, his transformation from the wronged East-Ender to a polished and articulate businessman is a little too good to be true. At the end of the day, I enjoyed the cast of supporting characters: Big Al, Alex Redmayne’s father; rt. Hon. Sir Matthew Redmayne KCMG QC, who handles Danny’s case in the end…and ofcourse, the wise Scottish solicitor Mr.Fraser Munro.I particularly liked the miniscule speech Mr.Munro gives towards the end of his testimony: “I have discovered with advancing years that few things are entirely black or white, but more often different shades of grey. I can best sum it up, My Lord, by saying that it was an honour to have served Sir Nicholas Moncrieff and it has been a privilege to work with Mr.Cartwright. They are both oaks, even if they were planted in different forests. But then, m’lord, we all suffer in our different ways from being prisoners of birth”.In all, an interesting saga with an Indian tadka...
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK: I bought this book in 2009 because I'd heard a lot of wonderful things about the author. But then I read his book "Paths of Glory" and was pretty dissapointed. So it sat on my shelves gathering dust for two years and a half. I was recently under so much stress; part of it involved the passing of my uncle, and my grandmother's sickness, my own health complications... and that's not counting my professional troubles. Usually when I'm in such a rut I'd look for an equally miserable companion to accomodate my mood. Hence the reason I sought another Archer novel.WHAT I LIKED: I loved the fact that this is a modern, and British, retelling of my favorite story of all times: The Count of Monte Cristo. I loved that it rose to the challenge and presented a gripping story filled with twists and turns and unpredictable events. I loved the pacing, the short scenes, the characterization. I loved the fact that after a couple of chapters had passed, so much took place in the narrative that I would call my best friend and giddly update her about Danny's life as if he was an old friend of ours. WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: I was expecting an excruciating tale to plough through as I nursed my wounds. I didn't like that this book was so good I consumed it all in 2 days.CONCLUSION: One of the most entertaining books I've come across this year. I say this as a fanatic of The Count of Monte Cristo.
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I enjoy Jeffrey Archer books so much, including this one. This was a modern 'Count of Monte Cristo' which I loved. Jeffrey Archer can weave a great story. I'm always pulled in to the twists and turns. He also creates rich characters that also lead me along.I liked the MC in this one. I also liked the antagonists in this one. He built them up so much. I was eager with anticipation to see how hard they would fall. The suspense was great. Some of the elements were a little far-fetched and some of them were just a little too convenient, but I didn't even care. It was well written and that did not detract from the enjoyment of reading this.
—Donna
This is the most well written book to which I've given a 1. It's also the first one star rating I've given to Jeffrey Archer. If you searched the words 'go to' in my dictionary, you'll find a picture of Archer. That's no longer true. More than the first half of the book had some merit, but it was only about build up, promise, and expectation. All three undercut, broken, and betrayed, respectively. If a restaurant makes you wait for so long that you're not faint of hunger but bored, impatient, and surly, do you feel satisfied in any way when a bunch of tripe is served to you? Of course(no pun intended) not; that is not sweetening the deal. This modern imagining of The Count Of Monte Christo is by contrast more barbaric than the original. The manner in which Beth's(the new Mercedes) and Danny's(Edmond)critical reunion is not depicted at all, is not a device or technique of the writer, but an admission that he doesn't have the talent or daring to write a true emotional scene that if pulled off, could have earned deserved plaudits for Archer. I almost forgot to mention how my ability to suspend disbelief snapped when reading this. I now know why so many book aficionados despise Archer...he has little respect for his readers. For me he's a very good storyteller, but he must have been stoned when planning for A Prisoner of Birth. How ironical it is that a story of an impostor is itself an impostor to Dumas pere's work.
—Luffy Monkey D.
Jeffrey Archer- A Prisoner of Birth (St. Martin’s Press 2008) 3.5 StarsDanny Cartwright just proposed to Beth Wilson, his pregnant girlfriend, and life seemed so perfect. Suddenly though he finds himself arrested and charged for a murder he did not commit. When four well-respected witnesses testify against him, one of whom is actually guilty, he is sentenced to twenty-two years in prison. The four think that they have gotten away with it, but they underestimated Danny and Beth’s determination and ability to get their revenge.Not an Archer fan I was happy to find one of his books that I could enjoy. A Prisoner of Birth was a fairly good book. The plot was very interesting and intriguing. I did find that a couple of parts were a little bit farfetched, but still enjoyable. Danny was a deep and complex character, but was the only character I felt was developed for the reader. Some sections were slow, but I found that if you pushed past them you found out important details. I liked the European setting that was explored as it was not the parts of London books and movies often focus on. I recommend A Prisoner of Birth to anyone looking for a good drama and any Archer fans.For more of my book reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.comTony PetersKids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnappinghttp://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/
—Tony
