Review: Only Time Will Tell

Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I think this will be one of those books that I might like better once I've read the entire series. The story of Harry Clifton is told from several different points of view, and because of this, I found a lot of it too repetitious. The groundwork for the saga is being laid, but I think it was overkill. Harry is the son of Maisie Clifton, a widow of a WW1 soldier and dockworker. But is he her husband's son or is he the son of a wealthy shipping magnate? Harry earns a scholarship to a prestigious school where he becomes the best friend of his possible half-brother, and as their lives intertwine complications arise. Obviously the family saga will play out over Harry's life; this novel covered Harry's first 20 years. I did not get sufficiently attached to the story to be waiting anxiously for the next volume to be published. I will probably read it if I run across it in the library, but I probably won't remember to look for it.

Update: I read this book the first time in December 2011. My original review still stands, although I changed my rating from 2 stars to 3 this time around. I liked it better the second time around. I don't think I ever read the books that came after it. Apparently the latest volume in the saga has been published since it was on the new books display at my library. I decided to start at the beginning.

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