Jeffrey Archer, the renowned bestselling author and former politician, has made a significant announcement regarding his literary career. The 85-year-old writer has declared that his forthcoming novel, titled Adam and Eve, will mark his final work of fiction, bringing to a close a remarkable five-decade journey in publishing.
A Literary Legacy Spanning Half a Century
Archer's decision comes exactly fifty years after the publication of his debut novel, Not a Penny More Not a Penny Less, in 1976. Since that initial release, his publishers report that he has sold an astonishing over 300 million books across the globe, establishing him as one of the world's most commercially successful authors.
His breakthrough came with the 1979 publication of Kane and Abel, which became his most popular work. This novel achieved phenomenal success, selling more than 34 million copies across 119 different countries and translated into 47 languages. The book's enduring popularity is further evidenced by it being reprinted more than 130 times since its original release.
The Final Chapter: Adam and Eve
Adam and Eve will serve as Archer's 31st and concluding novel, scheduled for publication in English this October. HarperCollins, his publisher, describes the work as "a powerful story which weaves together love, betrayal and the stark realities of a world at war."
In a personal statement, Archer explained his reasoning behind this momentous decision. "When I came across the idea for this novel a few years ago, I knew it was bigger in scope than anything I'd done before and I accepted that the research alone would be more demanding than anything I'd tackled in the past," he revealed. "When I finally sat down to write Adam and Eve I also realised, by the end of the first draft, that this was going to be my final novel, as at the age of 85 I could never hope to equal it again."
While acknowledging this conclusion to his novel-writing career, Archer hinted he might not completely abandon writing altogether. "I can't quite imagine putting my pen down for good," he admitted, suggesting he may continue crafting short stories. "But I can think of no more fitting way to bring my novel-writing career to a close."
Critical Reception and Controversial Public Life
Despite achieving extraordinary commercial success and being praised for creating compellingly readable narratives, Archer's literary work has often divided critical opinion over the decades. In 2009, critic Robert McCrum offered a particularly scathing assessment, writing that Archer's prose risked assaulting readers with "a hectic claque of cliche, mixed metaphor, implausibility, solecism and sheer, unadulterated stodginess."
Archer's writing career has frequently been overshadowed by his colourful and controversial public life. His political journey began when he was elected as a Conservative MP in 1969 at just 29 years old, though he resigned from parliament in 1974 after losing his life savings in a fraudulent investment scheme.
Further controversies followed, including his 1986 resignation as deputy chair of the Conservative party following allegations about payments to a sex worker. The subsequent libel trial against the Daily Star newspaper resulted in Archer winning £500,000 in damages, though the case would later return to haunt him.
Legal Troubles and Later Career
In 1999, Archer won the Tory candidacy for London mayor but was forced to withdraw after revelations emerged that he had persuaded a friend to provide false testimony during the 1987 libel trial. This led to a five-year suspension from the Conservative party and the beginning of a perjury investigation.
The legal proceedings culminated in 2001 when Archer was found guilty of two counts of perjury and two counts of perverting the course of justice. He received a four-year prison sentence and was ordered to repay the damages and costs from his earlier libel victory.
Remarkably, even incarceration couldn't halt his literary output. While serving his sentence, Archer wrote a three-volume set of prison memoirs that all became bestsellers. Following his release after two years, he dedicated subsequent decades primarily to his writing career, which encompasses approximately fifty works, alongside extensive charity work.
Archer remained a member of the House of Lords until his retirement from the position in 2024, maintaining his connection to political life even as he focused increasingly on literary pursuits. His announcement about Adam and Eve represents the closing chapter of an extraordinary and often turbulent career that has spanned both the literary and political worlds for over half a century.
