Vivid imaginations and tedious research is oftentimes responsible for the authentic characteristics of fiction novels. In fact, many authors of fiction novels live very ordinary lives and have little in common with the characters in their work. In several cases, fiction allows the writers themselves to live just as vicariously as reader. This is not the case, however, with the best-selling literary phenomenon, Danielle Steel. .
Steel's life and her work are very similar. The characters in her novels are very prominent and powerful, and often quite glamorous. These characters are at the top of their chosen profession and come from very wealthy families, just like Steel. The female heroines found in her novels always struggle with their desires to have successful careers and their desires to be good mothers, just like Steel. The male-female relationships found in a Steel novel are very tumultuous and they often fail in some way, just like the relationships that Steel has experienced. Also, many of Steel's characters have to endure and overcome tragedy, just like Steel. This paper will explore the startling similarities between Steel's life and three of her novels: Season of Passion, Lightning, and The Ranch. Readers respond to Steel's novels because they can relate to them. Danielle Steel fans find her novels relevant and real. After comparing Steel's novels to her life, it is clear that Steel's novels are realistic, because she bases them on her real life. .
The characters in Steel's novels have very glamorous, prominent lifestyles. The protagonist in Season of Passion is Kate Harper. When Kate's future husband first sees her, the first thing he notices is the upper-class world she lives in. Steel writes:.
He grinned to himself thinking of the slightly rowdy crowd of rich kids he had watched her arrive with at the party. They all went to Stanford. They all had money and fancy clothes and there had been a Morgan and a brand new Corvette parked at the curb.
