KristiAhlers 04/19/2009
I'm not going to go into the synopsis of this book as doing so will only prolong the agony of having to deal with this title. Ms. Steel's writing is not what it used to be. Perhaps if she turned out fewer books a year, she could concentrate on quality of her writing. The plot is loose and didn't hold my interest as I had hoped it would. Character growth is short and frankly unsatisfying. Again I can't help but suggest you read her earlier works as those were rich with characters, plot and writing.
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DonnaReynolds 04/12/2009
In a moment of supreme weakness, I checked this book out of the library. The jacket synopsis sounded somewhat interesting and I had a few days off from work. Here's my advice. Reading the synopsis gives you the entire gist of the novel without having to read another page. I agree with those who mentioned the insane use of commas! What's amusing is that in another Steel book I reviewed, I noted the total lack of commas. Rather than have an educated editor put them in the correct places, someone just threw in commas so they'd be there. Great job. I also found some glaring errors in the text. In one hospital scene, Steel meant to write that Stevie was sitting by the bed, but wrote Carole instead. Carole was sitting beside her comatose self in the hospital? Was she suddenly ghosting herself? I couldn't quite get past that visual. I actually finished the book and I'll tell you how I did it. From about page 150, all I read was the dialogue, skipping all the repetitive descriptive passages! I just wanted to see if the lovely, serene, and wonderful Carole would regain her memory and find the love that she so richly deserved! At one point, I vowed never to read another DS book, but now I read them because it's so much fun to write these reviews! Sheesh... do I need a life or what?
MartiHitchings 03/26/2009
This was one of the worst stories I've ever endured. The characters were too superficial, the author repeated the same things many times over, as if the audience can't recall key points made just a page or two earlier. I listened to the audio book and found it very frustrating.
Sam36053 02/18/2009
Wow! How does she keep selling books? I had limited options at airport while waiting for long flight. Once again, very disappointed. Plot did not hold my attention. I found, as with most of her books, I could skip paragraphs and not miss much as she continues to repeat the same thing over and over.
M.Young45644 02/01/2009
I read this book, but it didn't engage me. The main character, Carole, didn't resonate with me at all. She was practically perfect in every way. Gracious, humble, Oscar winning actress with a wonderful friend/assistant, loving adult children and friendly ex-husband. Even her obstacles in the book didn't cause her any problem. She was a perfect, gracious patient--you couldn't see her scar when she wore make-up--it takes a few weeks to get over most of her amnesia, but in the meantime everyone will tell her how great she's always been--the paparazzi are no big deal, just smile at them. Maybe if Ms Steel had set the story 15 years earlier in the characters timeline, it would have been more compelling. Hearing about heartache- secondhand- after 15 years- just lacked... something. It wasn't an awful book, but it wasn't entertaining, profound, or even touching. Wouldn't recommend it. Sorry.
Kim12340 12/30/2008
This is my first Danielle Steel novel and I felt as if I could write a better novel just by pulling out all the tired cliches and throwing them into a book. It seems that Steel is into recycling and that's okay. It's just a shame she makes the reader pay for it. Most of us like our literary plots to be new. The Tired Tricks Used in this Novel: Number one: Perfect woman/movie star - not a wart or hair out of place, Oscar winnner, looks ten years younger than fifty and, if that's not enough, she's nice and loving as well as interested in causes that protect the weak and innocent. This woman is boring. Number two: Has to rekindle her interest in life by retracing her steps in Paris (ho, hum, Paris? ) so that we can be spoon fed the descriptions of the Ritz, numerous Parisian landmarks and various designer lines and shops. Hopefully, the French names will blind the reader from the lack of original plot. Number three: Even her ex-husband loves her still. She's so perfect, he's loved her forever and always will. Poor guy rushes to her side, takes care of her and she runs off with the Parisian 'too perfect' old lover. Number four: Throw in an ex-French lover who's also too perfect-rich, famous, sophisticated-to be the 'real' love of her life. (Didn't someone tell her that French lovers are so sixties.) Number five: Give the perfect movie star/angel amnesia so that she has to relive and relearn her life(dragging us yawning and drifting all the way through it. The suffering isn't hers, it's ours.) Combine them and you have 'Honor Thyself.' If this is all Daniel Steel can give us, I'm glad someone gave me the book. I'd have been really upset if I had bought it. Save your money, more importantly, save your time, buy a new author and give them a start. Daniel's made her fortune. This book has the distinct feeling of a writer trying to meet her publisher's deadline.
Christa2392 09/06/2008
It saddens me to say, but the phenomenal author formerly known as Danielle Steel no longer exists. She has hit rock bottom, although imo it would take just ONE quality, impressive novel to restore her former glory, with the condition that she CONTINUE to put out quality over quantity. The plot was interesting enough, but I must agree with other reviews in the fact that her writing has become atrociously elementary, repetitive and laughably unresearched. It shocks me that reputable publishing companies will put material like this out based on a "brand name", while truly magnificent material from thousands of would be/should be authors gets tossed to the trash heap before they even get a fair review. Before reading this book I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it couldn't be any worse than 'Bungalow 2'. I was right in that assumption, but not by much. My advice to DS fans is check your local library before parting sight unseen with your hard earned dollars. My advice to Steel is fire your editor and take a refresher course in writing 101. What do you expect when you churn out novels at an assembly line pace? Read your reviews and it will become crystal clear that the majority of your fans DON'T appreciate quantity over quality and are liable to desert you in droves if it continues. It appears as if you're sacrificing your God given talent as a writer for the almighty buck, and I, for one, don't appreciate being ripped off.
Tsinclair 07/31/2008
I really enjoyed this book, it started good from the start . It continued on at a slower pace but you have to acquire a taste for the character and all involved . People who suffer from amnesia has to go through this process to try and remember stuff from their life , so i dont think it was repetive that she loved her ex husband like a brother , she just did not remember much details about her previous life with him . Overall it was a good summer read , and i enjoyed it during my vacation . I would still recommend Danielle Steele's novels . I am an avis fan of hers for over twenty years . Keep up the good work , and dont mind these negative reviewers they have personal issues .
K.J.Morgan 07/27/2008
Honor Thyself is the story of Carole (already forgotten her last name!), a Hollywood actress who is taking time off from the big screen to write a novel. She has a case of writers block and decides to take a trip to Paris to "find herself" so she can complete her book and go back to acting. On her first day in Paris she is in a victim of a terrorist attack that leaves her unconscious and unclaimed in the hospital. Once her ex-husband finds her, he, their two children and her assistant rush to her bedside. Carole comes out of her coma only to have amnesia. The rest of the story details her recovery. Honor Thyself is a poorly written book. Commas are everywhere and I would guess the majority of sentences are seven words or less. Some of the storyline left me shaking my head. Guards with machine guns in hand walking beside the wheelchair when Carole's dismissed from the hospital and then she's traisping all over Paris with her old boyfriend while the same machine gun-toting guards are in the car behind them or walking at a distance to afford them privacy??? Come on Ms.Steel, write something the reader can believe. I know it's fiction but this was quite a stretch. I kind of like my fiction to be believable. And how many times do we read that Carole loves her ex-husband as a brother. What??? Does one really love someone they were married to and had two children with as a brother? Honor Thyself is just more of the same from Danielle Steel. I honestly don't know why I keep reading her books. Thank goodness I get them from the library now and don't waste my hard-earned money on them. I guess I'm hoping that the newest DS novel will be like the great can't-put-them-down books she used to write. How disappointed I am each time! I have wondered why her books have been so bad lately and I happened to see the same interview as mentioned earlier. My advice to Ms. Steel is to quit writing five books at one time and just concentrate on one. Honor Thyself Ms. Steel and maybe then your readers won't be so disappointed.
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