A Prisoner of Birth By Jeffery Archer

I was hugely disappointed by the status of my book-reading goal this year. I hadn’t finished any book since Anna Karenina in January 2025. I needed a fast-paced book, something that doesn’t ask big questions, and something I can finish just for the satisfaction of finishing a book.

I picked up this book from a store in my office building and started reading it as soon as I got my hands on it. It hooked me up. The book lived up to my expectations from the author.

The cloudy weather yesterday made it perfect to sit with a book, and I cashed in on the opportunity. I sat with the book with about 200 pages to go; when I finished the book and looked up, it was too dark to read.

‘A Prisoner of Birth’ is said to be a modern retelling of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ (which I haven’t read, and judging by the sheer thickness of the book, I will probably not read it in the future). It follows Danny Cartwright, a falsely convicted of the murder of his best friend, going through his prison life. It features his life in prison, his fortunate escape, the revenge, and finally, redemption. It also features quotes and references from Dumas’ masterpiece.

The author told a story of patience, transformation, revenge, and redemption. It has all the elements of a typical Jeffrey Archer story: courtroom drama, political-economic genius, prison stories, and plot twists.

The character development of Danny Cartwright is excellent. The book gives me a moral that if you are patient and consistent, any transformation within yourself is possible at any age. I learned from the book that anything you read and study can be applied to get what you desire. The other lesson from the story is that it’s important not to lose patience and keep believing in yourself when going through the ups and downs of life.

I loved reading the book. I never wanted to put it down. I particularly enjoyed the last few pages where the courtroom drama unfolds. The lawyers produced exceptional arguments, sharp enough to make me scream out of joy and leap out of my chair. (But I can hold myself together.)

There were moments in the story when I felt it was too fictional. There is one scene where Danny Cartwright takes the identity of one of his cellmates, and everyone gets along with it. I know two people might book alive, but not to the level of switching places. People who saw them regularly in prison also seemed to be deceived. He uses the other person’s identity card and passports, and no one finds any difference between the photos. That was clearly too much for me.

The story seemed to be going too smoothly for Danny. He gets all the property of his cellmate, whom he is impersonating. Even after he gets caught, they somehow drop the charges of identity theft when he is found innocent of murder. I didn’t understand any of it.

It is a fun, entertaining, and one-time read. I don’t have any quotes to highlight and put as stories. It doesn’t have exceptionally moving monologues or dialogues. It is like a crime thriller movie. You will read and feel good. I will give this book a solid three stars out of five.