Iconographic DS: 2-48

 (Gianna)

Gianna-as-Danielle

Continuing on with my pledge to read Danielle Steel’s entire works has really exhausted me! Plus, I realized that I didn’t give myself a deadline. I have given it much thought and since Danny doesn’t do signings like Chuck P [Chuck Palahniuk, from my legitimately undertaken reading challenge],  I thought a good deadline would be, say…by the time her next book is published. That should give me about three days.

Not to worry, in the past 48 hours I have finished Going Home, Passion's Promise, Now and forever, The Promise, Golden Moments, Season of Passion, Summer's End, The Ring, Palomino, To Love Again, Remembrance, Loving, Once in a Lifetime, Crossings, A Perfect Stranger, Thurston House, Changes, Full Circle, Family Album, Secrets, Wanderlust, Fine Things, Kaleidoscope, Zoya, Star, heartbeat, No Greater Love, Jewels, Mixed Blessings, Vanished, Accident, The Gift, Wings, Lightning, Five Days in Paris, Malice, Silent Honor, The Ranch, Special Delivery, The Ghost, The Long Road Home, The House, Honor Thyself, Southern Lights, Coming Out (less exciting than it sounds), Legacy, Miracle  and as promised from my previous Steel post, Message from Nam.

Damn paparazzi!

In these novels the main character’s life is shaken to the core, the character must choose between love past, or stay true to her husband of 87 years, and must overcome the desire to travel to Europe during WWII, even though her husband is cheating on her; he a Jewish writer and she a German socialite, and even though this young couple’s disapproving parents are against their marriage, these two are determined to get married in 1994 when cruel twist of fate threatens to separate them forever, when they board the Titanic.  Oh, and sometimes these end happy…other’s bittersweet.

So that’s it, I’ve read forty-eight Danielle Steel books in forty-eight hours. I’ve met so many amazing people. I’ve met several architects, a socialite, social worker, lots of movie stars, teachers, many artists, a daughter of privilege (possibly different than a socialite), photographer, lots of doctors (even one at Ellis Island!), a debutante (possibly different than a socialite and a daughter of privilege), a handful of lawyers, a New York City ADA, an accountant or three, a Nazi cook, a TV producer, a serial killer (different than a socialite, debutante and daughter of privilege), a personal trainer and a hotelier. I wouldn’t trade my time with these amazing people for the world. 

[While we poke fun at Danielle Steel, Gianna and I would like to make a point of stating that we support reading of all kinds, be it romance novel of the week or Jonathan Franzen novel of the decade.  We deliberately try to make this blog fun and, as one colleague told me, sassy, but we never lose sight of the fact that people like Danielle Steel entertain millions of readers, provide a sense of escape, and contribute to the culture of books around the world.  Danielle Steel has sold millions of books over the course of her career, and those are publishing and bookselling jobs saved.  In this age of publishing industry turbulence, that is no insignificant issue.]  

If we shadows have offended,

Don't hate us!

Think but this, and all is mended,

That you have but slumber'd here

While these visions did appear.

And this weak and idle theme,

No more yielding but a dream,

Gentles, do not reprehend;

if you pardon, we will mend:

And, as I am an honest Puck, 

If we have unearned luck

Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,

We will make amends ere long;

Else the Puck a liar call;

So, good night unto you all.

Give me your hands, if we be friends,

And Robin shall restore amends.

--William Shakespeare