3.5 stars

Loved Charlie Trumper ( )

No le fue fácil a Charlie alcanzar el objetivo de amasar una fortuna; sin embargo algo había en él que le hacía un predestinado al triunfo y, como apreciará el lector, este algo tiene mucho que ver con su capacidad de trabajo, astucia, coraje, ganas de aprender y un maravilloso abuelo —el de más fino olfato para la venta— que le guió con su ejemplo en sus primeros tiempos.

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Charlie Trumper's earliest memory is of hearing his grandfather's sales patter from behind his fruit and veg barrow. When his grandfather dies suddenly Charlie wants nothing more than to follow in his footsteps; his burning ambition is to own 'The Biggest Barrow in the World', a shop that will sell everything.

This book is a rags to riches tale taking us from the teeming streets of Whitechapel to the elegance of Chelsea Terrace spanning some 70 years (from 1900 to 1971) through the triumphs and disasters of 20th century Britain. My copy was in excess of 700 pages long yet it didn't really feel like it, its a relatively quick read if not a particularly fulfilling one.

I did like the way that the story switched perspective from one character to another, filling in the blanks as it did so. That made for some interesting transitions, but also meant a certain amount of repetition.

I found that this rather fat novel thin on substance. Too much of the book seemed to centre around just how Charlie managed to buy each shop, how much he paid for them and how quickly he was able to make them profitable again that it left little room for character development. They all seemed paper-thin and one dimensional. As always I found Archer's writing enjoyable but ultimately I simply couldn't shake off the feeling that I'd read it all before in 'Kane and Abel'. ( )

I have never before finished reading a novel that is 800 pages long within such a short time - two working days and a Sunday! This in itself is a testimony to Archer's storytelling prowess. The saga of Charlie and Becky Trumper is highly entertaining, with interesting characters and a flowing narrative that, through changing perspectives, takes the reader along on a fun ride, while providing a commentary on the history of twentieth-century England, and that of the world. Though the characters are in black and white, without any shade of grey, and some plot turns are a bit too convenient, Archer does not let the reader dwell on these shortcomings. Instead, he has concentrated on giving the reader a good time, and has succeeded well enough. ( )