Farewell, Jeffrey Archer
The article reflects on the life and career of best-selling author Jeffrey Archer following his death. It discusses his literary success alongside his controversial past, including a perjury conviction, and questions the ethics of separating an artist's work from their personal conduct.
Why it matters
It addresses the enduring cultural debate regarding 'cancel culture' and the moral evaluation of public figures in the arts.
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Jeffrey Archer, the best-selling author a generation of Indians grew up reading, and whose books line footpaths and populate bookstores across the country, died this week.
It was Archer’s writing that first introduced me to thrillers. Clifton Chronicles , a seven-book multi-generational historical fiction series that followed Harry Clifton and the Barrington family from 1920 to the end of the 20th century, marked the beginning of my journey with Archer. I also enjoyed the William Warwick series, which followed William Warwick’s five-decade career from beat officer in the 1970s to Police Commissioner. I would often anticipate a typical conclusion, but there would always be a surprising turn of events.
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