Customer Reviews

Nothing Lasts Forever (Charnwood Library)

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Many critics have blasted Sidney's Sheldon's recent books as being sub-par, as we've come to expect so much from this great writer. Written in 1994, Nothing Lasts Forever takes the reader on a roller coaster ride that will leave you a little dizzy and completely fooled by the ending, which is one of the reasons most critics who have recently criticized Sheldon agree that this is one of his all-time best!

Three roommates, who just happen to be young, female doctors, are featured in Nothing Lasts Forever. The various aspects of their lives unfold before us - their hopes, dreams, fears, loves, ambitions, and their mistakes in life. We see what they endured as interns and see the daily rigors of life as a doctor in a large San Francisco hospital. The decisions made on the spur of the moment, only to be later dissected and examined by each of the doctors to verify in their own minds if they made the right decision. It's an interesting concept of young doctors not always being sure of their choices, but having to live with those conclusions. And what happens when faced with a dire situation - do you stick with your moral values and beliefs or do you euthanatize to prevent suffering? And if not you - who would?

Not only are we given glimpses at the insights of these three, but also we're allowed to feel like you're part of their lives - a friend or neighbor perhaps. Sheldon builds a relationship not only between the three main characters, but involves the reader in the formula as well. You'll become emotionally engaged while reading about the doctors' everyday lives.

The decisions and moral beliefs are all brought out in a courtroom when one of the doctors is accused of killing her patient for monetary purposes. Sounds plausible, but did she commit the crime? And every aspect of each of the three women's lives are brought out and inspected to try and solve the murder. Many surprises await!

Nothing Lasts Forever has been dubbed a "thriller of suspense" and rightly so. It will grab you from the beginning and not let go until you read the very last page. The plot is extremely well engineered and the writing is superb! Sidney Sheldon mixes humor, wit and intrigue with the perfect blend to entice even the most ardent critic.

There are so many twists and turns in this high-speed page-turner that I'd warn the reader to hold on tightly. You won't want to put it down, so it should come with a warning that you may miss sleep in order to finish Nothing Lasts Forever. I'd highly recommend it if you're ready for a wild reading journey!

Sidney Sheldon is not the same anymore. His latest books are not up to his real standard. That's not what happens with this 1994 wonderful book, though.

The plot, wonderfully conceived, is a real thriller of suspense. The characters, the very well-developed three main characters, are just as funny and smart as your best friend. And actually this is the kind of feeling you get from the three doctors you have the chance to meet on this book.

From beginning to end, Sidney Sheldon hooks you until the very end! That's the kind of book you read, read, read and want it never to end, and, when it does, you miss a lot the places and people you've met. It's the kind of story that remains on your mind for many years. The kind of book you tell everyone to read, and that everyone just can't help but read and adore. That's what you feel when you read the books by Sidney Sheldon. And that one is one of his best works!

Marco Aurelio.

If you like sex that is highly suggestive and titillating, but not really graphic, a murder mystery with a few twists, medical detective work, a neatly tied up ending, and are willing to suspend reality for a few hours you will enjoy this book. It is pure escapist fun. (If you are a doctor you likely won't like the book, as the depiction of life in a county hospital for the three female residents, while somewhat entertaining, is mostly off the wall and in the realm of a day time soap opera.)

Sidney Sheldon has no trouble hooking the reader by the first page or two. The writing is fast paced enough that it is easy --if one is willing -- to suspend reality and any disbelief long enough to enjoy the ride.

The main characters, while not exactly flat, aren't exactly multi-dimensional either, despite the author attempting (and sometimes succeeding) to make things suspenseful and interesting through the literary device of alternating depictions of the three main female characters, who have past histories, that shape their current life. (One who grew up in Africa; one who is brilliant, but with deep sexual wounds that time has not healed; and one who is an expert in the sexual arts of the Kama Sutra.) Ironically, the potentially more multi-dimensional and engaging character is killed off too soon in the story, mainly to emotionally tear at the reader, add some gratuitous violence and set up a subplot to investigate a murder. None the less, the characters and details are still interesting enough to keep the reader's attention. Most of the villains, however, come across as flat and self centered, hence they quickly become boring and are unmemorable -- fortunately they are not central to the story.

The book starts out with Dr. Paige Taylor being on trial for the murder of one of her patients, with the motive being money -- lots of it. The story then flashes back to events that lead to the murder charge as well as the tragic murder of her roommate and associate. The reader's sympathies are deftly manipulated and by the end of the book one feels complete sympathy towards the characters one started out not liking.

A part I really liked is where the murder of Dr. Taylor's associate is solved through clever medical detective work. (Not going to give many details, so as not to spoil things.) While the setup for the investigation is not real believable, the medical sleuthing is engaging and done with more care and attention to detail.

By no means a piece of literature, but totally in line with mass market pulp fiction. If you have a long evening you want to kill and you like to read, you will likely be entertained and not disappointed.

The dialogue could have been written by high school students and the characters are simple stereotypes who tend to be revealed instead of developed. Nonetheless I picked it up and couldn't stop. The reader knows exactly where the plot is going but it's figuring out how you're taken there which is so addicting. That, and since there are three seperate lives being explored, the narrative jumps back and forth, leaving you no time to get bored.

I'd recommend it if you're looking for a read, but if you die having not read this book, you won't be missing out.

I would love Sidney Sheldon's books if he would take his time in writing more in depth of the characters and stuff. However, I did enjoy this book ~~ it's not my typical read anymore ~~ as I've read his books in high school. I haven't read this one and the mystery surrounding the three doctors at a big San Francisco hospital is a gripping read.

Dr. Paige Taylor, an ambitious heart surgeon wanna-be is accused of murder when she inherited a million dollars. Dr. Kat Turner and Dr. Honey Taft are filled with secrets of their own. While Paige fights for her life in court, the story spins unraveling the secrets of events that happened the previous year ~~ and the reader gets a closer glimpse of Paige and her roommates.

Looking for an exciting read with murder, suspense and mystery and romance? This book has it all! Despite the gritty writing, it is an enthralling read. I couldn't put the book down after a few chapters ~~ I just had to know what happened!

1-17-02

Mind-boggling. That is the only way to describe the way Sidney Sheldon writes. He has a way of letting you into each characters mind, or so you think. This novel is an extraordinary novel, and just one of his many.

Sheldon has a way of portraying each character to the point of expertise. While reading, reality and fiction mesh together. Sheldon brings the doctors to life. Each doctors past and future, could relate to any human's life and struggles. This makes it easy for any reader to become comfortable with the characters.

Another part of Sheldon's writing that captivates his readers are his plot twists. Nothing Lasts Forever may seem easy to figure out, but at that moment of knowing, a new element is thrown in, changing assumptions made before. Keeping his readers on edge, is one of his writings best attributes.

Lastly, his stories are well written. This book is understandable, yet intelligent. The preface sets the tone, and as the story proceeds, questions are answered and truths are revealed. There is a specific order throughout this book, and though it may not be visible at first, in the end everything falls right into place.

Sydney Sheldon is a superb writer, who I would recommend to anyone. The lifelike characters, twists and turns, and the overall stature of the book, makes it a page-turner that cannot be put down. I enjoyed this book immensely, and am looking forward to reading more of his work.

I was looking for older releases from Mr. Sheldon and picked up this book that I had somehow missed before. There's a reason why they call him the master of this genre. A superbly entertaining story from beginning to end. The action is fast-paced and held my full attention as if this story was written yesterday instead of 13 years ago.

Great story of three women doctors in their residency at San Francisco's Embarcadero County Hospital - Paige Taylor, cardiac surgeon, Kate Hunter, African-American neurosurgeon and Honey Taft, wanna-be nurse, forced into being a doctor (internist) by her well-to-do family and not really good at it at all. Honey does find that if she uses her female charms on the elders of her profession, it becomes a sure-fire method to get through medical school and then unto residency! The story begins with Paige Taylor being tried for murder after answering a patient's request to be put out of his pain. It then flashes back five years to when the women first met and decided to become roommates. Sheldon takes us through the relationships of men vs. women doctors. One storyline involves Dr. Ken Mallory and his mucho attitude, betting thousands of dollars with his male peers that he could take on Dr. Kate Hunter. Enter Kate Hunter, brutally raped and abused at a young age and totally rejecting the opposite sex. Dr. Mallory sees Kate, a dedicated, hard-working doctor and loving sister, as the ultimate challenge. In my opinion, Sidney Sheldon has done it again. He totally captures the hard work and grueling hours residents must endure and the dedication that goes hand and hand with their profession. The book held my interest and lived up to the standards of this excellent author's reputation.

Three young women meet as internists in a large San Francisco hospital, and agree to share a flat.. Paige who is interested in cardiac surgery, Kat, a beautiful black woman who wants to specialize in neurosurgery, and Honey, a daughter of the South who really wanted to be a nurse, to fulfill her need to nurture. Honey is the youngest in a family of achievers who belittled her ambition to be a nurse, saying that members of their family always aimed for the top and that she had to be a doctor or nothing. Unequipped with the brains to really rise to the top, she learns to use sex to achieve her purposes and sleeps her way through high school, college and medical school. Kay has battled her way from the ghetto and is determined not to let the fact that she was raped as a young girl, with a resulting pregnancy and abortion, prevent her from achieving her goals. Paige had grown up in underdeveloped countries as the daughter of a World Health Organisation doctor who eventually gave his life in the cause of helping the underpriveleged. The hospital where they are all doing their residencies contains the usual quota of nerds, sleazes and go-getters and the story details lots of medical emergencies for those readers who love this sort of thing. It would probably make an admirable soapie or mini series featuring lots of beautiful people and is an ok read for when you're in the mood for an action book which is not at all brain taxing.

Sidney Sheldon is a master story teller, putting his novels in simple language. Characters are flawed and interesting in this book, and the author had to brush up on medical terminology to make this work, as the setting is a hospital in San Francisco, where the three main characters are in training. The rivalries and the sometimes dirty competition in modern-day hospitals are exposed in a way only Sheldon is capable of. As always, Sheldon is able to portray pure good and pure evil in human form. There are also love stories and tragic stories interwoven in this page-turner.

You never know where Sidney will go next. He is anything but predictable. I recommend this book for some good light reading.