Customer Reviews

A Good Woman

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I have never read a Danielle Steel book before, but if this is any indication of her writing, I will never read another as long as I live. My husband bought this book for me at Costco and was very excited to give it to me, as he thought it sounded interesting. According to the jacket write-up, it should have been interesting. What starts out as a great premise for a book turns out to be boring, trite, lacking in descriptive detail, and repetitive. It was as if we had to keep being reminded, chapter after chapter, about the same information from earlier in the book; as if we forgot what had previously happened in the story. I see Ms. Steel has written a slew of previous novels, many of which were apparently very popular. Maybe she's getting tired, or maybe she's getting paid by the word or something. The only reason I finished this book was, well I'm not sure. Maybe hope that at any moment it would get good. Well, it didn't.

Steel once again writes a story of a character who loses loved ones on the Titantic. Been there done that.

The book is mediocre, at best. The main character, in typical Steel style faces lots of tragedies, but the way the story is written, it just doesn't draw the reader in. She could have made it more interesting as this female character becomes a physician. But...it isn't interesting.

As in the Steel's books over the last 5-7 years, since she pumps them out in record time, this one is filled with repetition. Over and over the same words saying the same thing. I read this book in a day and a half. It seems most of her books could qualify for novellas. I wonder if she gets paid by the word??

Get this from the library, save your money.

When I first started to read this book, I said to my self, "this is just like another one of her books." I kept reading and the more I read the more I enjoyed it. This is one of her better books, she hit just about every subject imaginable, from death, to marrying a gay man to working in a war zone, to going to med school, being raped and coming around full circle to love again. I would recommend this book

I have been reading Danielle Steel for many years. I LOVED this novel. It reminded me of some of her other epics like "Rememberance" and "Echos." Annabelle Worthington was an incredibly captivating character. This book is not at all the typical romance that DS does. In fact, the main character does not even have a functional love interest for the whole novel! Annabelle was a strong and independent woman that did what few women could at the time. Become a doctor. When I returned this book to the library today, I actually had to say good-bye to Annabelle in my head. Yes, some of the language is repetative, oh well. Ms. Steel created an amazing character. This was a very special book.

This is the worst Steel book I think I've ever read. It was slow moving, redundant, poor use of verb tense in many parts, jumped from one topic to another without any detail to keep reading more. I finally had to put the book down after reading 2/3 of it. This book is as if Ms. Steel is trying to crank out too many novels without any more thought to plot, detail, depth of characters, etc. The first couple chapters were ok, but quickly goes downhill after that as far as keeping your attention.

Visiting my parents, I stayed up late and wanted to read. Mom had a collection of Danielle Steel books and this one sounded the most interesting. Of course I like books with strong women as the main character and sure, I like some romance novels occasionally too. However, after reading half of this book, there is not a single fact or anything interesting to note that I learned from reading this drivel. That strongly signals the quality of the story and writing. Not only was it all fluff with no substance, the writing is very one dimensional--the characters COULD have been very interesting--it's a great idea for a story, but all of the characters are flat and boring and I didn't feel a connection with any of the characters. There are so few facts added into the writing, that it felt like someone wikipedia-ed the year that the novel takes place and chose 5 facts to base a book on. The setting is in NYC and around beautiful mansions and fine art and antiques, how about some details about these things? There is none of that. An advantage of reading over seeing a movie, is reading the details of what people are thinking, feeling and where they are--enough written details that you start to imagine yourself as one of them, you start to feel for them and feel as though you could be there. There aren't enough details in this for me to imagine myself in the mind of any of these characters or in the setting. This felt like i was reading a very simple story written by one of my middle schools students. As others have said, there was also a TON of repetition. How many times to I need to be reminded of why the daughter and mother were sad and in grieving? And if you're going to repeat so often, give these thoughts more depth! The idea that women in 1913 were unable to discuss the difficulties of childbearing to their husbands, talk about sex, choose to go to medical school, but were able to volunteer, couldn't attend best friend weddings 9 months pregnant without social consequences etc. is all very interesting! But NOT when told by Danielle Steel.

This is my first time reading a Danielle Steel novel (or.. half of one) but I will not be reading another. If this is what so many consider quality and worthwhile reading, I should start pumping out books! I don't understand why this book is rated so highly.

This book started out pretty good, and even in the middle of it was a good story, but the end, I feel that Danielle Steel didn't know how to end it. So she just eneded it. Not great, but I finished it anyways.

Nineteen year old Annabelle Worthington seems to have it all - rich parents, a warm and loving family, a member of New York's society. But that changes in an instant when the Titanic sinks, killing her father and brother and Annabelle's life is forever changed. A disastrous marriage further changes her life and she embarks upon a life she never dreamed could be possible. She begins life anew in Paris and studies to become a doctor, something she thought would never become possible. But while she is building a new life, Annabelle is haunted not only by the past but the violence of World War One and a personal trauma that yet again changes the direction of her life. Through it all Annabelle keeps reminding herself that no matter what, she is indeed A Good Woman.

I found "A Good Woman" by Danielle Steele to be very disappointing. It has the basic outline for being a good book but it felt like I was reading the first draft of a novel rather than the final print. Annabelle should have been a character that readers care about, but she left me cold. Her marriage to Josiah Millbank is a perfect example of the flaws in this book - there was no foreshadowing at all of his big revelation to Annabelle and it ends up feeling like a cheat. The same with a violent attack on Annabelle that changes her life forever - the writing was so bland it's hard to feel emotionally involved in the brutal event. Steele constantly repeats herself (how many times do we need to be told that Annabelle is rich?) and at other times contradicts herself (at one point Steele says Annabelle decides on her own to use her maiden name after the divorce, at another point Annabelle and Josiah decide together she should use it). An encounter with someone from her past that was a traumatic meeting for Annabelle didn't move me at all because the person was not in the book until that moment. Ultimately, Steele writes Annabelle as a one dimensional character who has been wronged by many but has no flaws of her own.

"A Good Woman" could have been a good book but was disappointing.

i think this is one of her better efforts in the past couple of years. I love all her books but this one will stand out in my mind....

This book is an excellent book, an easy read, not trashy and in excellent condition.