Rating: 
Summary: Not a Great Piece of Literature
Review: But an entertaining read.What I mean is that I read this book for my book discussion group. Unlike other books we've read, I am not sure that there's much to discuss. I don't see a lot of "turning points" in this book, where a character is forced to make a decision, and makes one that the reader doesn't expect. This is not to say that it's predictible, of course. There's a wide range of locales, spanning three continents. It would probably be enjoyed by people who enjoy novels about a "woman making her own way in the world." For a (completely different) historical novel focusing on a woman, I recommend _The Russländer_ by Sandra Birdsell.
Rating: 
Summary: A fine read
Review: This is the first book of Isabel Allende that I read and I am not planning to stop. In "Daughter of Fortune" coming-of-age story of a girl is explored against the background of california gold rush. I like the diversity of characters in the book and how Isabel is able to make them as real as they can be by showing their differing passions for life. One review said that the ending is abrubt...I don't think it is...As noted by one of the main male characters when consoling the main female character "Nothing is in vain. You dont go anywhere in life, Eliza, you just keep walking" Pg.395 sums up best what the book is about.
Rating: 
Summary: Unsatisfying Ending
Review: I read 400 odd pages for that ending?! I enjoyed the characters however there were too many of them for the author to thoroughly explore. The end of the book was abrupt - seemed as if she had used up her word count and had to finish the book in a hurry. And similarly the fantastic locations (Chile, California and China) were only touched on. A very frustrating read.
Rating:
Summary: Me quede aterrada con ese final
Review: Isabel Allende tiene una forma unica y peculiar de escribir. Me gustan mucho sus libros, pero tiene un problema: da demasiados detalles y se sale de la trama. Esta era una fantastica historia, sin embargo, no le dio la importancia que debio darle al personaje. Se intereso mas en describir la vida en chile y otras cosas que le restaban importancia a lo que verdaderamente la tenia: la historia de Eliza. No es que no me haya gustado, si me gusto, pero el final es algo tragico e inesperado. Me quede con las ganas de saber que paso despues. Se habra quedado con tao'chien? se habra reconciliado con Miss Rose? Eso nunca lo vamos a saber!
Rating:
Summary: FANTASTIC
Review: I read this book the week the english version was released. This was a fantastic novel that had me rushing home to find out how the plot was unfolding. When I finished, I found myself yearning for more; needless to say I was thrilled when PORTRAIT IN SEPIA was released. Both are a MUST read.
Rating:
Summary: Daughter of Fortune's value ain't what her other books are
Review: Allende is a wonderful storyteller and this book has her magic touch. She vividly describes Chile, China and gold rush so that you are keenly aware of the setting and background of each scene. She does not miss neither a detail nor a nuance which makes every page real. However, I felt let down by the end of the book. I wanted more from her and felt she was ready to end the book and just finished it. This is still a good read but not the great read her other books were.
Rating:
Summary: liars
Review: i wont read all 300 reviews, but of the few i read i didnt think people gave the book justice. i havent read any other of her books so i cant compare. i didnt like the way the book left me hungry for answers but i liked the book extremely. some posted about girl finds boy, girl looses boy, girl gets another. hold on just a minute. that is soooooo wrong. i was a bit clueless for a long time that tao would be the one she'd fall in love with. i loved how it was written. when eliza and tao were first living together u really want something to happen with them, but also still want her to find joaquin. i didnt realize that the story would be about this at all....the story was so complex and came together, tho some parts were left unspoken about and some things seemed to extravegant. i loved how despite the challenges tao and elzia still fell in love, even being apart of different cultures and lives, and so close yet so far. it never said they got together, but hopefully they did. i had to read this for school, but even if i didnt i kno i'd read this book for pleasure.
Rating:
Summary: Cliche-ridden formula
Review: The problem with this novel is that the descriptions of the time period and the places are more interesting and believable than the characters. There are many cliches in the book -- the necklace that is given to a character and then recognized by another character when the likelihood of these two people actually meeting up is practically nil. You have the madam with the heart of gold, the character of Rose who appears to be a proper English woman but writes racy novels on the side...etc., etc. This novel does meander wildly. I felt that the main character would not really take to the harsh rigors of California during the Gold Rush as she did. I just did not find it believable that a young girl would quite easily enjoy travelling around dressed as a boy, filthy dirty with no money, little food, no shelter. She always seemed to land on her feet a little too easily. I was really getting impatient with the last 100 pages since the conclusion is SO PREDICTABLE. If you want to read a really good South American author - try Gabriel Garcia Marquez (?) not sure of the spelling. "Love in the Time of Cholera" is much better.
Rating:
Summary: Formula Romance + Adventure
Review: Girl gets boy, girl looses boy, girl finds another boy. Sorry but I did not find this to be an epic novel. The characters seemed very formula driven to me. However, the adventure and historical pieces I did find of interest -- 19th century Chilean society and economics, sailing from Chile to California, the California Gold Rush, the early Chinese immigrants, the birth and development of San Francisio and the state of California.
Rating: 
Summary: An Epic Novel, a 3.8 on a scale of 1 to 5
Review: Isabel Allende's "Daughter of Fortune," is a beautifully rendered, impressive novel. Allende tells the tale of a young Chilean orphan, Eliza Sommers, who follows her lover to California during the Gold Rush. She travels incognito and lives in a rough world of single men and ladies of the evening. Allende's far flung canvas captures mid 19th century Chile and California. Her world is one of raw beauty and rough living.
Eliza makes both a physical and a spiritual journey as she eventually must decide what "following one's heart" really means.
I enjoyed this book though I felt at times Allende lost her way. Overall though, I commend her effort.
I would recommend this book to individuals who enjoy fiction on historical eras, particularly "woman themed." (It was an Oprah Book.) I would not recommend this book to those inviduals who need plots and settings served up quickly and neatly.
overall, it was a worthwhile read for me.
| 
