Thinly disguised autobiography?
David Blackburn 5:00pm
He’s back. Jeffrey Archer, the Galsworthy of our times, has attracted an advance worth £18million to write a 20th Century version of the Forsyte Saga – the Clifton Chronicles. Comprising 5 volumes, the Soames Forsyte character is a ruthless man on the make, Harry Clifton, who becomes involved with the socially prominent Davenport family. The brazen, rakish Clifton triumphs, despite manifold ill-fortune and the odd brush with the law.
Doesn’t Clifton’s story sound familiar? Might a judge refer to one of the Davenport women as ‘fragrant’?
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Jeremy
December 7th, 2009 6:27pm Report this comment"...the Clifton Chronicles."
Is that really the title? I mean, you couldn't show that to your mum without blushing, could you?
"...a ruthless man on the make, Harry Clifton...becomes involved with the socially prominent Davenport family. The brazen, rakish Clifton triumphs, despite manifold ill-fortune and the odd brush with the law."
If you can pad that out to three hundred pages I reckon we could sell millions at airports the world over...
Oh well...it's back to my copy of Emmanuelle, I suppose. I'm on page 75 at the moment, and a very long moment it has been, too. It is - as they say - like wading through mud in a pair of concrete boots. On the western front. In the rain. I may never get to The End. But think only this of me...
Sir Graphus
December 7th, 2009 7:18pm Report this commentIf you ask me the Forsyte Saga was bloody tedious (I waded through 3 of the 9 volumes back when I had a little more spare time and a little too much respect for literary reputation). Given that I regard Archer as a toe-rag of the highest order and his writing imbecilic in the extreme, I think I might give this a miss.
John David Barnett
December 7th, 2009 7:27pm Report this commentHe's a great survivor.
Grant Philpott
December 7th, 2009 11:55pm Report this commentThe first three volumes of the Forsyte Saga are absolutely classic and a fantastic commentary on the change in society in Britain from the Victorian to post WWI. It will be interesting to see if Archer can do the same. If he is half as successful it might be worth a look.
John David Barnett
December 8th, 2009 11:04am Report this commentSir Graphus
So you don't recommend him, then?
Sir Graphus
December 8th, 2009 2:45pm Report this commentWell, John D-B, I am something of a book worm, but if I were stranded on a desert island, and hadnâ™t read a word for 5 years, and this washed up on the beach, Iâ™d probably dry it out and divide it between fire starting and bottom wiping duties.
But Grant Pâ™s view has equal merit, at least. You might have to make up your own mind.
Beer Moth
December 8th, 2009 9:57pm Report this comment'He's a great survivor'
So is tuberculosis.
Simon Brock
December 17th, 2009 9:11am Report this commentSounds like Archer has been asked to write a version of Dallas. Better not say that too loud or he will steal the plots.
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