Archer
has some tried and true plot development lines, and this one uses the line of
two very similar and yet different rivals rising to the top of their shared
professions and diverse lives. This time there is the added spice of thrills
about persecution of Jews and occupied lands in Europe during WWII years, but
only as a background for one of the protagonists. Having begun thus for him
though, later one is made to question if the deliberately more ludicrous and
repugnant persona of this one should be ascribed to some vestige or more of
antisemitism on part of Archer. After all the other man is not better morally
or ethically, in spite of his far more secure and princely upper class status
prior to his father's death. The last line might make him cute in that he
repeats his boyhood defense, but he is not above stealing from the pension fund
of his employees, merely late in realising it can be done to his own interests.
So
the saving of one man while the other drowns might too be ascribed to the
antisemitism of the author and the world he has observed rather than a greater
guilt of the one that does not survive so well. One might question his life,
especially in that he never seems to have found time to inquire if his family
survived, in spite of being in a position of power during his Berlin years. But
again, one is not quite sure after finishing it that this is not merely the
bias of the author and not necessarily a true portrayal of anyone, much less
someone typical.
Enjoyable
in the general re media barons and their lives, their rise and travails, it
does leave some questions and loose ends. Perhaps a sequel is thought of for
some point of time in future.
