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The Avid Reader
, October 09, 2021
(view all comments by The Avid Reader)
The Butler by Danielle Steel takes us from Argentina to Paris and New York. This is a unique story for this author with a male protagonist as the main character. Joachim von Hartmann is a modern-day butler in a world where butlers are no longer needed. Olivia White is a woman at a crossroads. She is not sure what she wants to do or where she wants to it. The characters are developed & interesting. I particularly liked Joachim’s mother, Liese. She has a rich, diverse history. I especially enjoyed the work Liese was doing helping to return stolen art from World War II to its rightful owners. I felt that Liese’s story would have made a more compelling story. Joachim’s life is complicated by his identical twin brother, Javier who joined a drug cartel in Columbia. This provides complications for Joachim. Olivia & Joachim end up working together. They have a companionable relationship. They each get a chance to find their path. While some aspects of The Butler were interesting, others were lackluster. There is quite a bit of repetition & there is mild foul language. The way Olivia was introduced was abrupt. There needed to be a smoother entrance. She came out of left field. We get to see Joachim discover that a butler’s role is changing and, in many cases, is no longer needed. Olivia must discover where she belongs and what she should do with her skills. The ending felt rushed though it was satisfying. The Butler felt disjointed with repetitive details.
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