The Carpetbaggers

So, a 1960s drama based loosely on Howard Hughes that has the same vibe as primetime soap operas (for those of you who remember the pre-streaming era) like Knots Landing or Falcon Crest. I.e., lots of sex, violence, vulgarity, and people generally behaving badly. Throw in fictionalized versions of Jean Harlow, Jane Russell, William Randolph Hearst, Tom Mix, et cetera.

It not only became a huge bestseller, it also became somewhat the same type of "pretend you didn't" book as Fifty Shades of Grey was to a much later demographic. I mean, it got banned in Australia and is currently bowdlerized in the UK. It made Harold Robbins a very wealthy man, and he went on to sell even more books than J.K. Rowling has sold.

Nowadays, however, it strikes show more me as a bit tame. Any reality TV show promises to be more provocative. I mean, we have Kardashians discussing their sex tapes, barely-if-at-all blurred couples having sex on everything from Below Decks to Jersey Shore, even shows whose sole purpose is just, well: Naked and Afraid, Dating Naked, Buying Naked, Naked News ... you get the theme.

From my point of view, The Carpetbaggers is more interesting as a look back on the standard for lurid to a 1961 audience of readers than as a titillating summer read in 2024. That said, it's an easy read, so why not?

I read this because of a book group. I'm not sorry I did, even if I doubt I'll pick up another Harold Robbins book in the future. show less

If i was to do a one word review it would be 'Inconsistent'. Inconsistent characters, tone, pacing, graphicness, length.. somehow.
This is basically a soap-opera drama, something along the lines of 'Dynasty' or 'Dallas'. It follows the interweaving lives of three main people, a cowboy, a woman based at least partially on jane russel and a howard hughes knockoff. Except then just as your expecting it to finish up it adds two more new characters... what? Who are these people, why is this still going? Its like it was meant to be two books but the author couldn't quite find enough material for the second so instead you have here a novel and a half.
Between the now 5 main characters are about 18 different personalities. There's never any show more attempt made to use the book medium to advantage. In books its easy to see what people are thinking and get inside their heads but that never happens here, your as removed from them as you would be watching it on tv.

Other oddities are that the book can be quite graphic when it comes to sex and violence, sometimes.. then other times it turns and runs from the sex or violence, again inconsistent.
There are a lot of side characters in this too some of which pay off and others that just disappear from the story suddenly and without a trace.

The various storylines interweave and the plot jumps back and forth in time and from location to location often without any lead in. Everytime you hit a paragraph end you wonder whether the next one will be in the same time or place (and usually isn't). In other novels this would be extremely confusing but somehow here its merely annoying.

Oh and heres a reverse spoiler, the howard hughes character does not end up storing his piss in jars, i kept waiting for that to happen but no, maybe in the sequel ;) .

Having said all that, you can't deny its dramatic, if you like your soaps this has a lot of story to munch on and the writing is fine even if the structure is a mess. show less

"The Carpetbaggers" is a vintage 1960s best selling novel. The story is ‘brain candy’ that makes for easy summer reading and light entertainment… complete with all the typical Robbins’ fare including corporate board room drama, Hollywood hype, illicit sex, and crimes of passion.

Taking the reader from 1925 to 1945, Robbins tells this epic tale from the point of view of five different people, jumping back and forth to the primary character Jonas Cord, Jr. Jonas is just turning 21 when he inherits his father’s multi-million dollar portfolio of businesses: Cord Explosives, Cord Plastics, Cord Aircraft, Inter-Continental Airways, and a motion picture company. Jonas Jr.’s primary ambition is to live up to his father’s standards. show more Indeed, that is quite a challenge. The character of Jonas Cord Jr. is very loosely based on the the life of Howard Hughes.

Other important characters are the motion picture sex goddess Rina Marlowe, a career prostitute- Jennie Denton, and two of Jonas’ work associates … the fearless whiz-kid David Woolf and Nevada Smith- a half-Indian rugged ranch-hand turned western film star. As the story unfolds, Robbins traces each of their individual backgrounds from childhood to the point at which their lives become intertwined through their association with Jonas. This takes the reader from Jonas Cord’s elitist- yet secluded life of luxury- to a state penitentiary in Louisiana, to the Jewish neighborhood on the Lower Eastside of Manhattan, a Catholic nursing school and religious convent, and stage-sets in Hollywood.

Moving at a brisk pace there is lots of action. The variety of characters illustrates a cross section of American life during the depression and pre-World War II which focuses on the evolution of the movie industry and aeronautics development. One great scene depicts the sexual revolution with a hands-on discussion held by movie executives (all male) and Rita Marlowe about what is appropriate attire for women in films. It begins with Jonas calling in his top aeronautics engineer to design a more natural looking voluptuous bra for Hollywood’s sex goddess. The result ends with the collapse of the pointed cone shaped bra... literally.

Another entertaining scene occurs with Jonas clinching a major business deal with several associates in a public men’s room. Battling over the final point of whether Jonas would net $10 million or $15 million- he agrees to compromise, “For two and a half million dollars, I bet you can’t pee into that urinal from where you’re standing,” Jonas said, “pointing to one about four feet from him, ‘If you do, the deal is yours for twelve five. If you don’t I get fifteen.” Generally Jonas drives a tough bargain, though he does display a good sense of humor.

Jonas’ philosophy on life is that “people would pay any price for what they really wanted... people all have their price. The currency might differ. It could be money, power, sex. Anything. All you needed to know was what they wanted.” That attitude made for an exciting novel.

Robbins is good at diverse dialogue- all the way from the corporate executives to tough street kids. It is hard to believe he never finished high school himself. He certainly was street smart and knew how to present believable scenes.

What always amazes me in re-reading the old classics and best sellers of prior eras is the age at which young adults took responsibility for their own lives. It’s hard to visualize kids from today’s Millennial generation taking on life with so much gusto and passion.

Is "The Carpetbaggers" a little on the trashy side? Sure. But humorous, and- as I said-very entertaining. show less

I have decided that life is too short to continue reading this book. There is plenty of action, but it is dated and poorly edited. An example:
'Her eyes stared coldly up at me. "Look, Jonas," she said coldly,...'
It is also full of gratuitous violence (my main objection) and frankly silly sexual fantasies. And it is predictable. Robbins builds the scene and you just think: Uh-oh, I know what's coming now. Do I really have to put myself through reading this?
Nope, I don't. One for the charity shop.

Marvelously zestful. Dozens of celebrities (from Howard Hughes to Jean Harlow) are for some reason assigned fictitious names and cavort across a huge stage in time and space. Includes one of the best revenge stories ever written in the vignette that tells of the youth of Nevada Smith.

A novel about the life of an entrepreneur who battles his way to the top. He, and everyone else in this effort are bad people and reveal no humanity, wit or compassion. Atlas Shrugged for the simple minded. the author was well paid for his work.

Humdinger of a novel.
Loosely based on Howard Hughes life and therefore it revolves around aviation and Hollywood.

This one is Harold Robbins' first novel. Raw power.