Despite the distracting editing (and I'm not just referring to the British--I'm assuming--style) that desperately needs another once-over, I liked this book enough to read it all the way through. Even to look forward to coming back to it when I had to put it down, and sometimes even found myself thinking about it throughout my day. Those are good signs, and I hoped it meant the story held some significant promise.In the end, I was considerably disappointed. The plot was anemic and so were the characters. If it's not going to be a character-driven book, it must have a glorious plot, and The American Heiress most certainly did not. The ending was a rapid paced tidal wave of all mysteries revealed, happily ended with a neatly tied bow, but not in the satisfying way. More like in the way that leaves the reader feeling cheated. The story had so much potential and for it to be squandered like that was, as I said, disappointing. I presume it was meant to be a character-driven book, but they were so one-dimensional that I could not bring myself to care about any single one of them. I so WANTED to, but simply couldn't.What I liked enough to give it 2 stars was the potential that I saw in it. I kept thinking, "This could be so exceptional. I really hope it turns out to be." But since it wasn't, I would not recommend this one, unfortunately. As a huge "Downton Abbey" fan, this book is pure reading pleasure. Daisy Goodwin's absorbing fictional tale ushers readers into an era when American wealth was so vast, all that was left was for the self-made scions of America society to "buy" aristocratic titles for their privileged daughters, who already had every luxury imaginable. Readers learn about this life from the perspective of the privileged few who live upstairs and the abundance servants who work and live downstairs. This book is a rare glimpse into the gilded age, which is now a relic of time gone by. Goodwin's characters are complex and detailed. Through her prose, I felt like I was Countess Cora (albeit, without the inheritance), navigating the complex of the world of British royalty where nuanced actions are measured and protocol, not money, is the utmost value.
What do You think about My Last Duchess (2010)?
This was fun. Not great literature but a nice distraction.
—Limey
Not such a good read. There is better out there!
—Chelly
I wanted this to be do much more than it was...
—Dillon
