Many years ago I read a few books by Barbara Taylor Bradford, and quite enjoyed them. They mostly involve high-powered businesswomen, which isn’t a topic that interests me much, but some of the stories were well thought-out, and the endings mostly encouraging. However I then read a couple that I found rather tedious and over-detailed, and had not read any of her books for over ten years.
Recently a friend read ‘Being Elizabeth’, and suggested I might borrow it. She told me that the idea behind the book was a modern equivalent of the first Queen Elizabeth, and the idea intrigued me. I picked it up to read this week, and quickly discovered that this was not merely loosely based on the former monarch, but mimicked her life in many ways. The novel opens with news of her older sister Mary’s passing on, so that Elizabeth, aged 25, is now head of the family company, Deravenels.
We learn that Mary was not a good boss, and that their father Harry had six wives and treated his daughters abysmally when they were young. Elizabeth’s advisors have the same or similar names to the historical advisers of Queen Elizabeth I, and much of the plot mirrors her life, albeit set in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
I like the idea very much. In the hands of a writer such as Susan Howatch, books of this kind can be very powerful, with characters inspired by historic figures. Unfortunately, Taylor Bradford chose to stick much too closely to the original storyline, and as such this book is a series of events in someone’s life rather than having any plot as such. There are minor stresses here and there - plots to take over the company, or disagreements between Elizabeth and her lover Robert - but all are resolved quickly and easily.
There’s an ongoing subplot involving her cousin Marie - evidently the modern equivalent of Mary Queen of Scots, again with similar storyline to the original - but nothing much comes of it. And since I know the history, at least roughly, there were no surprises. I was, however, mystified that Elizabeth and several of the other characters refer to Marie as ‘the kilt’; it’s not an expression I’ve heard before, referring to a person, and while I can imagine it might be used in a derogatory way of a Scotsman (though it’s not standard slang, as far as I know) it seemed a very bizarre word to use of a Scotswoman.
My biggest gripe with this novel was the overall writing style which, for such a prolific and best-selling novelist, is a poor imitation of what might be expected. Indeed, it reads like a first draft rather than a published novel. While I didn’t notice spelling or grammar errors, there are so many writing mistakes that I’m shocked that the editor didn’t spot them. Clichés abound, dialogue is stilted, thoughts and discussions are repeated, and far too many adverbs are used. We’re told what people look like or how they are feeling - skipping around viewpoints within the same page - but rarely shown anything.
There is a huge cast of characters, none of them particularly well-drawn, and it didn’t seem to matter if I forgot who was whom. Elizabeth is the main character, and there are some diary-style thoughts of hers given now and again, in italics, although they don’t add much to the plot, merely repeating much of what comes before, in most cases. She has several advisors whom she trusts, who all seem remarkably similar and two-dimensional.
Apparently this book is the third of a trilogy, but I didn’t feel as if I were missing out on anything, nor do I have even the slightest inclination to get hold of either of them.
Really not recommended - however my friend evidently liked it, and some of the reviews online are good, so if you like this style of writing, you might enjoy the novel more than I did.
Review copyright 2016 Sue's Book Reviews
I'm having rather mixed feelings about Barbara Taylor Bradford's novels. I quite enjoyed the first two I read, but was much less impressed by the next ones. I thought I'd try one more.
'Angel' is the story of four high-powered friends. It's an exciting book, which has some surprises and a shocking climax, before a tidy, and happy ending. I like happy endings, so it's just as well that it did end that way.
Unfortunately there is rather a lot of padding in this book, with (in my view) far too much detail about the past lives of all the characters. I found this very boring and almost entirely unnecessary. I don't know if this was the sequel to another book or if it's supposed to stand alone. Either way, the flashbacks and lengthy detail didn't work.
On the other hand, I thought the characters were fairly well drawn and sympathetic. That's despite their being rich and famous, which would normally make them hard for me to relate to.
I don't know that I'd read this again, but I quite enjoyed it on the whole. I am still not sure whether or not I'll read any more by this author!
Not regularly in print, other than for the Kindle. But 'Angel' seems to be widely available second-hand, usually inexpensively.
I very much liked the first couple of books I read by Barbara Taylor Bradford. I mostly enjoyed 'A Woman of Substance', which I read recently. I was less impressed by its sequel, 'Hold the Dream'. But I had bought them, and the third in the series, second-hand. So I thought I might as well read the third and hope it was better than the second.
Alas, I was disappointed.
'To be the best' has little to say. Paula, Emma Harte's favourite grandchild, is threatened with treachery in the businesses. She must fight to hold onto her inheritance as well as deal with her increasingly difficult family life.
Unfortunately, as with 'Hold the Dream', there are far too many tedious flashbacks. This is irritating for someone like me who has read the previous novels in the past couple of weeks. But they would be pointless for someone who had not read them. Most of them merely give extraneous details that are not really relevant to this novel at all.
If one ignores the flashbacks, the story - what's left of it - is fast-paced and quite exciting. But unfortunately the characters are very flat and emotionless. They all appear to be highly ambitious and hard-hearted.
Moreover, the book is filled with an unlikely number of disasters and tragedies, worthy of a television soap. Still, its one redeeming feature is that the ending is gentle, reassuring, and hopeful.
I would not recommend this, and very much doubt if I'll read it again.
Having just finished 'A Woman of Substance' by Barbara Taylor Bradford, and mostly enjoyed it, I thought it would be a good idea to read the sequel.
In 'Hold the Dream', Emma Harte, the wealthy businesswoman who started life as a servant girl, is 80 years old. She has been training her grandchildren to continue her vast empire of businesses. She is particularly keen to train Paula, the grandchild most like her in character.
As she decides to take a break from her work, Paula must make some very difficult decisions, while also struggling with some personal problems.
I thought this was another readable book, on the whole, although there was rather too much 'flashback' to the previous book, pulling in many unnecessary details. They didn't add to the plot at all, and would probably totally confuse anyone who had not already read 'A Woman of Substance'. It felt as if the flashbacks were merely there to pad out the pages, and I found myself doing a lot of skimming.
I bought all three books in this series second-hand, so will continue and read 'To be the best', and hope that it's more interesting than this one.
I've only recently discovered Barbara Taylor Bradford, on the recommendation of a relative. I enjoyed the first two books I read by her, on the whole, so thought I would try what is probably her most famous book...
'Woman of Substance' is about Emma Harte. When the main part of the story starts, she is a penniless servant girl, who is full of ambition. She befriends Blackie, a travelling odd-job man, and is captivated by his talk of the city.
Nonetheless, she would not have run away from her job, had she not found herself unexpectedly pregnant at the age of sixteen.
Her rapid rise to riches and status, which takes up most of the book, seems a little far-fetched at times, but makes for a readable book, on the whole.
There is a prologue, and also an epilogue, where we see Emma in her seventies, evidently very wealthy and feeling betrayed by two of her sons.
I don't know why this book has been so very popular, although I suppose it's the classic rags-to-riches tale that inspires many dreams. I doubt if I will want to read it again, but I will certainly now read the sequel, 'Hold the Dream'.
I only recently started reading books by Barbara Taylor Bradford - mainly because a relative of mine recommended them. I enjoyed the first one I read - Everything to Gain - so decided to try another, which I found second-hand.
'Act of Will' opens with a scene of crisis. Christine and her daughter Kyle are at loggerheads over Kyle's future. After some argument, Christine's mother Audra is called in to attempt to mediate between the two of them.
Then there's a lengthy flashback, which takes us to Audra's unhappy childhood, followed, as she grows up, by the struggles she goes through to give her daughter a future.
Then there's an account of Christine's decision to be a fashion designer and to make a lot of money, fighting against the poverty of her childhood.
In the conclusion of the book, all is resolved amicably, and we see that life has come full circle: Kyle fulfills what Audra had wanted of Christine.
The novel was fast-paced and very readable, although I felt that difficult situations got resolved rather too quickly. By the time I got to the end, it was obvious what was going to happen - but still, a good light read.
Recommended.
Although Barbara Taylor Bradford is a prolific author, whose novels I have often noticed both in new and second-hand bookshops, I had not - until recently - ever read any of her work. However, one of my relatives enjoys these books, so when I saw one on special offer, with interesting blurb on the back, I thought I would try it.
When 'Everything to Gain' begins, we meet Mallory, a young woman who is very uncertain what to do about a marriage proposal. She has obviously been deeply scarred by the death of her husband some years previously.
As she considers, the story takes us back to the last year of Mallory's marriage, when she is contented and fulfilled. She has a loving husband, delightful twins, good friends, pleasant relatives, and a charming house. We follow her life during the time.
Even with the warning in the first chapter, the tragedy is shocking when it finally happens. I found myself feeling deeply with Mallory as she falls first into almost suicidal despair, and then - gradually - begins to build a new life out of the ruins.
In the last chapters, the novel arrives back at the place where the story began in the prologue, but this time we as readers know what's in her mind, and root for her as she makes her decision.
I thought this novel was very well-written, with well-drawn characters and a deeply moving plot. Gripping and realistic.
Definitely recommended.
