Kane and Abel: 30th Anniversary by Jeffrey Archer Pan, HK$114
How many books would be vastly improved if their authors gave them a second crack when they were older and wiser? Of course, one might reasonably ask, how many would be considerably worse? Jeffrey Archer is not the sort to let such a negative thought enter his head. With the 30th anniversary of Kane and Abel looming, he decided to take the original text - one, the publishers claim, that has been read by 100 million readers - and make it even better. Many would argue the only way to make Kane and Abel better is to hold it over a naked flame and let the laws of thermodynamics take their course. When I read erotic prose like this, I consider striking the match myself: 'His hands wandered onto those legs and then to her breasts and this time she seemed to respond willingly.' This snootiness does injustice to a story that grips from the start. Paced with great precision, the reader tick-tocks between stories of two business rivals: William Kane and Abel Rosnovski. The pair hardly meet, but devote 60 years to nibbling each other to distraction. This new edition is 7,000 words lighter than the old, but has lost none of its silliness and none of its fun.
