Why am I writing about the late Harold Robbins? Well, the truth is, I'm always with a book but, my husband is not much of a reader. However he does love to listen to audio books on road trips and in more recent years we've taken to listening to one we can agree upon every few months. In 2019, Harold Robbins was his pick (an author he read earlier in life). Since I had never tried Robbins, I agreed to try him out and honestly the first few we picked were quite entertaining I must admit.
Here are the ones we listened to in 2019:
This past week we listened to one more by Robbins:
(terrible - 1.5/5 stars)
Dreams Die First was a free Audible Download and now that we finished it I understand why it was free - I wanted to give up but we persisted - this one was rather raunchy - LOL Have you ever read or listened to a Harold Robbin's book? I really enjoyed: A Stone for Danny Fisher.
My Thoughts - In Dreams Die First, it's the 1960s and in California and LasVegas sex, drugs, corruption and porn seem to be everywhere. Gareth Brendan is a young guy whose wealthy uncle gives him control of one of those underground newspapers that offers provocative pictures of women and, the publication becomes almost an overnight success. I'm not going to write too much more only that it was pretty bad. This was my worst experience with a Harold Robbins book to date even though their were some very laughable moments. Overall it was just too over the top for me. Although my husband liked it more than me, he agreed that this one was a bomb compared to other Robbins books, although Derek Shetterly gave quite a good performance considering what he had to work with.
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In July of 2019 The Hollywood Report wrote an excellent overview of Harold Robbins and his life calling him "one of the most debauched party-givers Hollywood has ever seen: "He was Gatsby." In case you're interested here is the entire article.
Book Series in Order offered a complete list of his books and a pretty decent bio of the somewhat forgotten man known for his racy books and tales of power and corruption.
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On a more positive note, I get to select all our joint audio book listens for the remainder of 2021:) Our next audio that we hope to begin tomorrow is Robin Cook's new book: Viral. (It has to be better.)
You made me nostalgic when you said Harold Robbins. I used to read them surreptitiously when I was 16 though I doubt my mother had an inkling what I was doing.
ReplyDeleteThat is funny! I'm pretty sure your mother would not have approved.
DeleteIt sounds like some Harold Robbins books leave you feeling like I felt after reading Malibu Rising. I'm glad that A Stone for Danny Fisher was a very good experience.
ReplyDeleteA few of the the Harold Robbins had a pretty good story to them just, not our latest one.
DeleteThose sound interesting, we've never read anything by him.
ReplyDeleteAll of the audiobooks that we tried so far had really good narrators.
DeleteI never read or listened to any of Harold Robbins' books. They just never appealed to me. To each reader his/her own.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that I have read something by Robin Cook years ago, but off the top of my head, I can't recall what it was so maybe I just imagined I did.
In the 80s and 90s I read Robin Cook's medical thrillers this stopped. The one most people have read was Coma, which was made into a movie with Michael Douglas - great movie.
DeleteHarold Robbins was a big name during my teen years in the sixties, I think, and I probably read some of his work. Can't remember anything about them, but his is a name that I will always associate with that period of my life.
ReplyDeleteYes, he said that was when he read Robbins most often as well. I guess it was the same period women of a certain age were drawn to books like Valley of the Dolls (not me though:)
DeleteI don't think I've ever read anything by Harold Robbins even though I know the name. I love the road trip story. How fun! I'm not sure what my husband and I would end up listening to! He enjoys reading but doesn't read very much and skews heavily towards nonfiction.
ReplyDeleteI doubt we will listen to any more Robbins but, I like to be agreeable now and then LOL
ReplyDeleteVicki, it's not often when listen together but always on a 2 or so hour road trip. We will usually pick some sort of thriller or mystery more often than not. We also listened to a few of Obama's books as well and Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.
ReplyDeleteI have never read a Harold Robbins so it's good to get a sense of them through your review. Thank you
ReplyDeleteThat is because you are just a young-one:) lucky you LOL
DeleteGO here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaGNGp-a8YM and stop around 14:20 minutes. Ah, Harold RobBINS!
ReplyDeleteI've never watched this before Nan LOL
ReplyDeleteI think I recall Harold Robbins's books being racy back in the day but didn't get to any. I read a few of Cook's medical thrillers. Glad you can enjoy these together on your road trips.
ReplyDeleteYes Susan, most are racy, and some very racy (even over the top at times.)
DeleteSomehow, I have never read Robbins!
ReplyDeleteI have never read any Harold Robbins and can't say I'll be running to get one either. And, I don't think I've read anything by Robin Cook either. I hope this one turns out to be a better choice for you guys!
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