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 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. ( )

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. ( )

"Os Insaciáveis", romance erótico que narra a saga de homens e mulheres sedentos de sexo, amor, dinheiro e prestígio. Jonas Cord, piloto e homem de negócios, movido pelo fantasma de um pai tirânico, é o personagem principal de uma história turbulenta e explosiva. Ao lado da sensual estrela de cinema Rina Marlowe, persegue o sucesso a qualquer preço. Em seu caminho, amantes, inimigos e concorrentes não são poupados. Cord se aproveita de tudo o que eles podem oferecer em sua escalada inescrupulosa rumo ao topo. "Os Insaciáveis" descreve a vida, os desejos e ambições dos ricos e famosos com um realismo que marcou época. Um dos romances mais populares da segunda metade do século XX.

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 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. ( )