The House

By: Danielle Steel

Narrated by: Erik Singer

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

Perched on a hill overlooking San Francisco, the house was magnificent, built in 1923 by a wealthy man for the woman he adored. For her and for this house, he would spare no expense and overlook no detail, from the endless marble floors to the glittering chandeliers. Almost a century later, with the once-grand house now in disrepair, a young woman walks through its empty rooms. Sarah Anderson, a perfectly sensible estate lawyer, is about to do something utterly out of character. An elderly client has died and left her two gifts. One is a generous inheritance. The other, a priceless message: to use his money for something wonderful, something daring. And in this old house, surrounded by crumbling grandeur, Sarah knows just what it is.

A respected attorney and self-described workaholic, Sarah had always lived life by the book. With a steady, if sputtering, relationship and a tiny apartment that has suited her just fine, Sarah cannot explain the force that draws her to the mansion and its history, to the story of a woman who once lived in the house, then mysteriously left it, to a child who grew up there, and a drama that unfolded in war-torn France, and to a history she never knew she had.

Taking the biggest risk of her life, Sarah enlists the help of architect Jeff Parker, who shares Sarah's passion for bringing the exquisite old house back to life. As she and Jeff work to restore the home's every detail, as one relationship shatters and another begins, Sarah makes a series of powerful discoveries: about the true meaning of a dying man's last gift, about the extraordinary legacies that are passed from generation to generation, and about a future she's only just beginning to imagine.

In a novel of daring and hope, of embracing life and taking chances, Danielle Steel brilliantly captures one woman's courageous choice to pour herself into a dream, and receive its gifts in return.

©2006 Danielle Steel (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

so slow

I found this book to be very slow. I was able to listen to 7 hours but that's enough. The plot never progresses. Girl is being mentally abused and she knows it. Boyfriend is a jerk. Wants to end relationship but doesn't want to. Now, after 7 hours something should happen but it's still the same old abuse, anger, back to square one. I found myself thinking "oh please get past the weekend and on with the story". The subplot, being the house, is pretty cool, but too little of that, too much angst, no solutions or progress.

If all of her books are like this I'm not buying any more.

The House

very refreshing loved the story line

Thank you Amazon.

Very enjoyable. Narration was excellent. My imagination was running wild and I didn't want it end.

Good story

Good story line. I even went back and listened to it a 2nd time a few months later.

Enjoyable

There were quite a few repetitive statements in this book. Predictable but a good storyline.

Trivial Plot - Trite Characters - Don't Bother

This is my first and last Danielle Steel book. Curious about the enthusiasm for this author, I decided to give this book a chance. What I found was a repetitious barrage of being told what characters were thinking and feeling, with no attempt to make them come alive through their actions and words. Her attempts at character development were transparent, and the story line was trite and highly predictable; the story could have been told in a quarter of the time. There were many missed opportunities to enrich the story with details that would have made the House a more meaningful character. Steel's attempts to apply psychology to the main character's motivations towards the end of the book were naive and failed to add anything to the story. Overall it reads like an outline still waiting to be fleshed out into a story. A waste of time and money -- don't bother.

Oh, I love that!

The storyline is a magical. Amazing twist from history to present day. Well done! Thank you very much for another very entertaining and enlightening story!

The House

This was a very enjoyable book, for me. It was not boring and loved the thoughts of this very old man and how he had lived his life there, in this house while amassing his wealth. Reading the Publisher's Summary and listening to the Sample will give you a good part of the story and listening to this Narrator, There is much more to fill in about the characters that holds ones interest.

I recommend this one and the Narrator was right on.
Marilyn

Home n Love

Home was such a beautiful book of life and love. It was such a real life story it was hard to put it down even to eat or sleep. I finished it in 2 days and left me happy n loved myself. Thank you.

Boring

Oh G-d, it was so boring. Some jerk told me this was a haunted house story. Utter crxp

Danielle Steel at her best.

Yes. I've listened to them all, and this one is in my top five favourites. Erik Singer truly is the master narrator and he makes the book even better with his excellent, seemingly effortless performance.
This was written dare I say when Danielle took more time over her plots. It's beautifully paced and so well thought out. Many of her later books ramble a bit and aren't as absorbing and emotionally satisfying as this one. Highly recommended.

Lovely story

Narration was excellent. Lovely story, nice, easy listening & lots of happy endings. I would have preferred it to be abridged (it went on a bit at times) but overall really enjoyed it. Nice to have a good upbeat story.

Feel Good Holiday Romance

Following the life of a bright 38 year old lawyer who’s life is changed by a generous gift and sound advice, this feel-good story connects generations of three women in wonderful yet relatable glamour and romance.

Wonderful story

I’ve listened to so many of Danielle Steel’s books. This one has to be my very favourite. The story is so gripping and loving everything about it is just wonderful.

Delightful

Grabbed my attention immediately and continued to the end. 10 out of 10 on all points,

Fab story

Bringing together two people and three g we generations of women in a house which is home.