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Harold Robbins
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The Dream Merchants Kindle Edition

by Harold Robbins (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 515 ratings
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PASSION, INTRIGUE, POWER, AND MONEY

A fascinating look at the early days of the world’s most glamorous industry—Hollywood. It was the latest “gold rush”—when ambitious, if unscrupulous, men and women flooded California to turn cinematic dreams into reality, regardless of the moral cost.

Johnny Edge, a former carnival barker, schemes and plots his way to the top while Peter Kessler turns his back on a staid life of small-town stability to stake his fortune on the movie business. Beautiful starlet Dulcie Warren is willing to use her sexuality and to play dirty to get to the top, if that’s what it takes. When the lives of these three ambitious, determined characters collide, they have the potential to build a dream—or shatter one.

“He is still recognizable as the playboy-novelist who—spurning nice reviews and a different kind of reputation—happily wrote about money for money, and about sex for sex.” —The New Yorker

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  1. Print length
    516 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    November 11, 2020
  5. File size
    2806 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Harold Robbins (1916–1997) is one of the bestselling American fiction writers of all time, ranking 5th on the World’s Bestselling Fiction Author List just behind William Shakespeare and Agatha Christie. He wrote over 25 bestselling novels, sold more than 750 million copies in 42 languages and spent over 300 weeks combined on The New York Times bestsellers list. His books were adapted into 13 commercially successful films and also television series that garnered numerous Oscar®, Golden Globe®, and Primetime Emmy® nominations starring Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley, Laurence Olivier, Bette Davis, Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, and more. The self-proclaimed “world’s best writer in plain English,” Robbins wrote novels that resonated with audiences due to their graphic depictions of sex, violence, power, and drugs, and the multilayered complexities of his characters, as evidenced by his bestselling novels Never Love a Stranger, The Carpetbaggers, Where Love Has Gone, and The Adventurers. He once said in an interview: “People make their own choices every day about what they are willing to do. We don’t have the right to judge them or label them. At least walk in their shoes before you do.” Robbins’ personal life was as fascinating to the public as his novels. An enthusiastic participant in the social and sexual revolution of the 1960s, Robbins cultivated a “playboy” image and maintained friendships with stars including Frank Sinatra, Clint Eastwood, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dino De Laurentiis, Robert Evans, Ringo Starr, Barbara Eden, Lena Horne, and Quincy Jones, and was one of the first novelists to be prominently featured in gossip magazines, earning him the title of “The World’s First Rock Star Author.”

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08L5MJHP5
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wolfpack Publishing (November 11, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 11, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2806 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 516 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 515 ratings

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Harold Robbins

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
515 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Craig Graham
5.0 out of 5 stars Both History & Entsrtainment
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2023
Verified Purchase
I feel as if I just heard an oral history of the film industry told by a trusted old relative. Along the way I heard a great story of characters I really liked, and could not wait to hear more about.
I know the history is probably not 100% accurate, but it sure was entertaining! Like a movie they admit was "based upon" an event or person.
But again, an excellent book, and I cannot wait to read his next one!
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KK
4.0 out of 5 stars The movie industry from the sta
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2023
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It
Was
A
History lesson about the motion picture industry from Nickelodeons to Silent Films to the first Talkies done in a style that no one can do better than Harold Robins.
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Jeani Rector
5.0 out of 5 stars Hollywood's beginnings
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2018
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When you think Harold Robbins, you think sex and shallowness. Not for The Dream Merchants.

Instead, this book is an exciting yet factual window into the very beginning of Hollywood, starting in about 1916 into the 1940s. It is the most interesting history book I have ever read.

This book has everything: education, great character development, and heart. I loved this book so much that I read it twice. Try it if you like history.
3 people found this helpful
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Michael C Davies
3.0 out of 5 stars Early Harold Robbins kicks off the first book in his movie trilogy
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2018
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“The Dream Merchants” is the first novel in Robbins’ movie trilogy written in 1949 to be followed by “The Carpetbaggers” in 1961 and “The Inheritors” in 1969. It is one of his earliest novels, and it shows. Whilst the book has a good story line, charting the rise of its main protagonist Johnny Edge and the birth of the motion picture industry, the plotting and story telling is clunky and meandering, unlike the tightly written narratives of the novels which were to follow. However many of the elements which Robbin would later use in his novel structures are present – the switching between first and third person and the books within books which go backwards and forwards in time. “The Carpetbaggers” is arguably Robbins’ best novel, and if you compare it to “The Dream Merchants”, you can see just how much he developed as a writer during the ten years between the two novels. Interestingly, unlike his later novels, there is very little sex and the book is probably more sentimental than his other novels. Robbins clearly made a decision at a point in his career to write novels which were more sexualised. “The Dream Merchants”, like “A Stone for Danny Fisher”, falls into the category of his earlier writing which is more sentimental, less tightly written and with few sexual references. It is probably the weakest of the trilogy, and Robbins, no doubt drawing heavily on his experience in finance at Universal Pictures, populates the novels with numerous financial dealings and machinations, on an almost too frequent basis to the detriment of the plot. If you are a fan of Robbins, read “The Dream Merchants”, but accept that you are reading an early book of a novelist who is still learning his craft and yet to write at his best. Perhaps what impresses most, is just how much he developed between this novel and his best.
8 people found this helpful
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Almihaad
5.0 out of 5 stars The Dream Merchant
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2012
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There was nothing I wanted to know before I purchased the product other than wishing for the early arrival of the product and it came early enough. This was because it was part of my son's Birthday gift. The only baffling thing was that the order was duplicated and I was made to pay for it. I have no intention of returning the duplicate since I hope to find a good use for it. Bravo Amazon!!
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E. Todd
4.0 out of 5 stars I liked this book
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2018
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I liked this book. It gives you a good idea of how the movie industry was in the beginning.
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Lindsey Witmar
5.0 out of 5 stars So glad to have this back in print and in a ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 28, 2017
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So glad to have this back in print and in a deluxe trade paperback size. Hopefully, more Harold Robbins titles on the way!!
One person found this helpful
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Juli A Faoro
5.0 out of 5 stars Love all of his books and still a master story ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2014
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Love all of his books and still a master story teller - Why isn't "The Carpetbaggers" in Kindle form? ... so want to purchase it :) please please please :)
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Top reviews from other countries

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DEREK
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2023
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Good book
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sameer
3.0 out of 5 stars Expensive for such an old story
Reviewed in India on May 9, 2022
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The book is about the movie industry ! Interesting in parts but not worth the price tag
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HAT
4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Worth Getting
Reviewed in Canada on July 10, 2014
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This is Robbins' second novel. It does jump around a bit but the characters are very interesting. In addition, a lot of twists and turns. Definitely worth it. Thanks Amazon for making all of Robbins' older novel available for a reasonable price.
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lookfar
4.0 out of 5 stars 最高傑作のひとつ
Reviewed in Japan on September 4, 2007
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主人公は東海岸で映画会社を作ります。ところがギルドと対立したため西へ西へと逃げてついにハリウッドにたどりつきます。そこで映画会社を作って大成功をおさめます。しかし主人公の人生は波乱万丈です。ロビンス流のエログロバイオレンスが炸裂します。彼の作品の中でも名作中の名作です。
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in India on November 22, 2016
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Ok
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