DANIELLE STEEL
Name: Danielle Fernande Dominique Schuelein-Steel
Born: August 14, 1947
Danielle Fernande Dominique Schuelein-Steel (born on August 14, 1947 in New York
City, New York), is best known as Danielle Steel and is one of the best selling
authors in the United States.
Best known for her mainstream drama novels, Steel has sold more than 550 million
copies of her books (as of 2005). Her novels have been on the New York Times
bestseller list for over 390 consecutive weeks and 22 have been adapted for
television. Danielle Steel's estimated net worth as of 1997 was $600-$800
million dollars which has now doubled.
Steel's novels have been translated into 28 languages and can be found in 47
countries across the globe. The books, often described as "formulaic,"
tend to involve the characters in a crisis of some sort which threatens their
relationship. Many of her characters are considered over-the-top, making her
books seem less realistic. The novels frequently "[explore] the world of the
rich and famous."
Despite a reputation among critics for writing "fluff," Steel's novels often
delve into less savory aspects of human nature, including incest, suicide,
divorce, war, and even the Holocaust. As time has progressed, Steel's writing
has evolved. Her later heroines tend to be stronger and more authoritative, who,
if they do not receive the level of respect and attention they desire from a man,
move on to a new relationship. In recent years Steel has also been willing to
take more risks with her plots. Ransom focuses more on suspense than romance,
and follows three sets of seemingly unconnected characters as their lives begin
to intersect. Toxic Bachelors departs from her usual style by telling the
story through the eyes of the three title characters, men who discover their
true loves.
Steel has been criticized for making her books overly redundant and detailed,
explicitly telling the story to readers instead of showing it to them. This
sometimes has the effect of making the readers feel like they are on the outside
looking in rather than living the story.
To avoid comparisons to her previous novels, Steel does not write sequels.
Although many of her earliest books were released with initial print runs of 1
million copies, by 2004 her publisher had decreased the number of books
initially printed to 650,000.
Twenty-two of her books have been adapted for television, including two that
have received Golden Globe nominations. One is "Jewels", the story of the
survival of a woman and her children in World War II Europe, and the family's
eventual rebirth as one of the greatest jewelry houses in Europe. In the late
1990s, Steel refused to sell the film rights to her novels to companies that
intended to market them for television, preferring to work towards a film
contract. Columbia Pictures was the first movie studio to offer for one of her
novels, purchasing the rights to The Ghost in 1998. Steel reversed course in
2005, reaching an agreement with New Line Home Entertainment to sell the film
rights to 30 of her novels. New Line is expected to adapt the books as
television movies or for the direct-to-video market.
In 2002, Steel was decorated by the French government as a "Chevalier" of the
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, for her contributions to world culture.
Name: Danielle Fernande Dominique Schuelein-Steel
Born: August 14, 1947
Danielle Fernande Dominique Schuelein-Steel (born on August 14, 1947 in New York
City, New York), is best known as Danielle Steel and is one of the best selling
authors in the United States.
Best known for her mainstream drama novels, Steel has sold more than 550 million
copies of her books (as of 2005). Her novels have been on the New York Times
bestseller list for over 390 consecutive weeks and 22 have been adapted for
television. Danielle Steel's estimated net worth as of 1997 was $600-$800
million dollars which has now doubled.
Steel's novels have been translated into 28 languages and can be found in 47
countries across the globe. The books, often described as "formulaic,"
tend to involve the characters in a crisis of some sort which threatens their
relationship. Many of her characters are considered over-the-top, making her
books seem less realistic. The novels frequently "[explore] the world of the
rich and famous."
Despite a reputation among critics for writing "fluff," Steel's novels often
delve into less savory aspects of human nature, including incest, suicide,
divorce, war, and even the Holocaust. As time has progressed, Steel's writing
has evolved. Her later heroines tend to be stronger and more authoritative, who,
if they do not receive the level of respect and attention they desire from a man,
move on to a new relationship. In recent years Steel has also been willing to
take more risks with her plots. Ransom focuses more on suspense than romance,
and follows three sets of seemingly unconnected characters as their lives begin
to intersect. Toxic Bachelors departs from her usual style by telling the
story through the eyes of the three title characters, men who discover their
true loves.
Steel has been criticized for making her books overly redundant and detailed,
explicitly telling the story to readers instead of showing it to them. This
sometimes has the effect of making the readers feel like they are on the outside
looking in rather than living the story.
To avoid comparisons to her previous novels, Steel does not write sequels.
Although many of her earliest books were released with initial print runs of 1
million copies, by 2004 her publisher had decreased the number of books
initially printed to 650,000.
Twenty-two of her books have been adapted for television, including two that
have received Golden Globe nominations. One is "Jewels", the story of the
survival of a woman and her children in World War II Europe, and the family's
eventual rebirth as one of the greatest jewelry houses in Europe. In the late
1990s, Steel refused to sell the film rights to her novels to companies that
intended to market them for television, preferring to work towards a film
contract. Columbia Pictures was the first movie studio to offer for one of her
novels, purchasing the rights to The Ghost in 1998. Steel reversed course in
2005, reaching an agreement with New Line Home Entertainment to sell the film
rights to 30 of her novels. New Line is expected to adapt the books as
television movies or for the direct-to-video market.
In 2002, Steel was decorated by the French government as a "Chevalier" of the
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, for her contributions to world culture.