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Dreams Die First
California in the 1960s is a time of free love and peace on Earth. But the times, they are a'changing, and Gareth Brendan is trying his best to keep up. When his wealthy, powerful uncle gives him control of an underground newspaper, Gareth finds an outlet for all the radical thoughts and ideas he's kept inside. Suddenly, he's the head of an empire of casinos and clubs, movies and magazines, surrounded by models and pimps who cater to the ultra-rich. Dreams Die First is an explosive story of one man's vision of liberated sexuality and how he turns that vision into a life of fame and fantasy. But all that power comes at a price, as a ruthless underworld syndicate seeks to topple Gareth's throne. Harold Robbins, the world's bestselling novelist, does it again in Dreams Die First, a tale of power and passion that transports readers to another place and time.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
52 people are currently reading
607 people want to read
About the author
Harold Robbins
314 books437 followersBorn as Harold Rubin in New York City, he later claimed to be a Jewish orphan who had been raised in a Catholic boys home. In reality he was the son of well-educated Russian and Polish immigrants. He was reared by his pharmacist father and stepmother in Brooklyn.
His first book, Never Love a Stranger (1948), caused controversy with its graphic sexuality. Publisher Pat Knopf reportedly bought Never Love a Stranger because "it was the first time he had ever read a book where on one page you'd have tears and on the next page you'd have a hard-on".
His 1952 novel, A Stone for Danny Fisher, was adapted into a 1958 motion picture King Creole, which starred Elvis Presley.
He would become arguably the world's bestselling author, publishing over 20 books which were translated into 32 languages and sold over 750 million copies. Among his best-known books is The Carpetbaggers, loosely based on the life of Howard Hughes, taking the reader from New York to California, from the prosperity of the aeronautical industry to the glamour of Hollywood.
His first book, Never Love a Stranger (1948), caused controversy with its graphic sexuality. Publisher Pat Knopf reportedly bought Never Love a Stranger because "it was the first time he had ever read a book where on one page you'd have tears and on the next page you'd have a hard-on".
His 1952 novel, A Stone for Danny Fisher, was adapted into a 1958 motion picture King Creole, which starred Elvis Presley.
He would become arguably the world's bestselling author, publishing over 20 books which were translated into 32 languages and sold over 750 million copies. Among his best-known books is The Carpetbaggers, loosely based on the life of Howard Hughes, taking the reader from New York to California, from the prosperity of the aeronautical industry to the glamour of Hollywood.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
December 27, 2013
A novel as first draft, figure-it-out-as-I-type, plotting by Harold Robbins. It's about a guy who takes over a down and out underground newspaper and turns it into something to rival Playboy and Penthouse. Along the way there are some shady mobsters, a sex cult, gay torturers, drug lords, shootouts, karate kicks, coke snorting, pot smoking, drinking, lots of sex and lots of misogyny. It reads quickly and it's trashy, and there is also a dark streak of cynicism between the lines. The wildest thing about the book is that it was a bestseller when first published. If you like 70's trash, you'll probably enjoy it.
December 17, 2014
Liked it when I first read it when I was a teenager, loved it now that I'm old enough to understand it.
May 22, 2020
The cover tells me that it was a #1 bestseller.This has to be among the worst books ever written by Harold Robbins,although there are quite a few contenders for that title among his books.
It made me wonder where is the writer who penned books like Never Love a Stranger,A Stone for Danny Fisher and The Dream Merchants.
This is a writer who knew that his books would sell even more if he added the requisite doses of sex,sleaze and trash.He had discovered an easy formula.
It is a disgusting book,even one star seems too much.The protagonist is a publisher of porn,apparently modeled on Hugh Hefner.It is a totally tasteless and crass effort.
But it was a #1 bestseller,and that is all Robbins seemed to want,never mind the contents.
The downward spiral would continue in his later books as well.
It made me wonder where is the writer who penned books like Never Love a Stranger,A Stone for Danny Fisher and The Dream Merchants.
This is a writer who knew that his books would sell even more if he added the requisite doses of sex,sleaze and trash.He had discovered an easy formula.
It is a disgusting book,even one star seems too much.The protagonist is a publisher of porn,apparently modeled on Hugh Hefner.It is a totally tasteless and crass effort.
But it was a #1 bestseller,and that is all Robbins seemed to want,never mind the contents.
The downward spiral would continue in his later books as well.
April 9, 2017
Hell's bells, what a hot mess this potboiler was. With a little research, I discovered it was the sixth bestselling novel of 1979. It was pretty evident that Mr. Robbins could've only made up a plot as preposterous as this by chucking out ideas as he went along. Was this a great ride: no. Was it a fun ride: for the most part. It was certainly never dull, but Robbins is sometimes hit or miss for me. His library is extensive and there's little doubt he was hitting the hardcore drugs later in life. Dreams Die First is a good example of that.
April 26, 2012
First read upon publication in 1977 - this book continued the downward spiral of Robbins's novels begun with THE INHERITORS in 1969. Subsequent books would be even worse, with Robbins almost redeeming himself only once, with his next book, MEMORIES OF ANOTHER DAY (1980).
4/24: Not quite as bad as I remember it as being, but then again, I don't remember much about it in the first place - obviously one of HR's more forgettable efforts.
4/26: Upon original publication uch was made of Robbins featuring a bisexual male character at the forefront, but Gareth Brendan is really bisexual only when it's convenient for him, and Robbins was far too much of a raging heterosexual to portray any of the gay characters as anything more than the traditional two-dimensional image that had appeared in popular fiction - it's all pretty much caricature here (particularly his take on - what else? - a gay hairdresser), and by the time he gets around to giving us a sex scene between two men, it's fairly perfunctory and really rather Robbins-traditional, with anatomy the only real differential (but not too much, really: one of the participants throws "himself on the bed lying on his back, his legs raised in the female position").
One of the truly amazing things about this novel is how slow on the uptake the protagonist is: even halfway through, the reader has a far better idea of what's going on than he does. Maybe if Gareth Brendan weren't spending so much of his time smoking pot, snorting coke, or having sex, he'd be more aware.
I wish the GoodReads rating system allowed for half-stars - if it did, I'd give DREAMS DIE FIRST a **1/2 rating rather than ** - the extra 1/2 would be for readability. That's really about the only thing it has going for it.
4/24: Not quite as bad as I remember it as being, but then again, I don't remember much about it in the first place - obviously one of HR's more forgettable efforts.
4/26: Upon original publication uch was made of Robbins featuring a bisexual male character at the forefront, but Gareth Brendan is really bisexual only when it's convenient for him, and Robbins was far too much of a raging heterosexual to portray any of the gay characters as anything more than the traditional two-dimensional image that had appeared in popular fiction - it's all pretty much caricature here (particularly his take on - what else? - a gay hairdresser), and by the time he gets around to giving us a sex scene between two men, it's fairly perfunctory and really rather Robbins-traditional, with anatomy the only real differential (but not too much, really: one of the participants throws "himself on the bed lying on his back, his legs raised in the female position").
One of the truly amazing things about this novel is how slow on the uptake the protagonist is: even halfway through, the reader has a far better idea of what's going on than he does. Maybe if Gareth Brendan weren't spending so much of his time smoking pot, snorting coke, or having sex, he'd be more aware.
I wish the GoodReads rating system allowed for half-stars - if it did, I'd give DREAMS DIE FIRST a **1/2 rating rather than ** - the extra 1/2 would be for readability. That's really about the only thing it has going for it.
September 28, 2007
I think I had read the novel at the age of 15 or 16 and trust me I was unaware of more half of the american slanks used in the story. But I had a good time reading and Robbin is a great storyteller. One thing about the characters is that you can never hate them inspite of many loopholes.
May 17, 2013
Was a good book. Could picture it as I read it.
Read
July 23, 2007in this book i was able to see how cruel or harsh the world can be...
a rAw aNd pAsSiOnaTe bOok...
a rAw aNd pAsSiOnaTe bOok...
March 1, 2015
Most Robbins fan's hate this book but I tend to favor as it is loosely based on Larry Flynt and Robbins came to my home town to see Flynt up close.
January 16, 2018
Enjoyed this, way back when I read it.
July 15, 2024
This is a very personal opinion about this book. If you enjoyed it - that's fantastic - but i surely didn't.
I believe you need to have a very specific taste in books and stories to enjoy this book.
I really don't feel there is a story to be told here - it's very slowpased and there is absolutely no page in this book that makes me think "Wow - here we go! This is exciting/good".
I think it comes down to the fact that I don't find any joy or excitement in all of the sex, drugs and "big-money" that is going on. I saw something deeper - something behind this curtain of a fast-paced life where money is everything. There was love here in a way, that is mostly not socially accepted - you can LOVE a lot of people at the same time, but in different ways - but it's just well-hidden in the story.
This book just wasn't for me - sorry i guess
I believe you need to have a very specific taste in books and stories to enjoy this book.
I really don't feel there is a story to be told here - it's very slowpased and there is absolutely no page in this book that makes me think "Wow - here we go! This is exciting/good".
I think it comes down to the fact that I don't find any joy or excitement in all of the sex, drugs and "big-money" that is going on. I saw something deeper - something behind this curtain of a fast-paced life where money is everything. There was love here in a way, that is mostly not socially accepted - you can LOVE a lot of people at the same time, but in different ways - but it's just well-hidden in the story.
This book just wasn't for me - sorry i guess
October 24, 2017
Al fin he terminado mi primera novela en el idioma español (aunque sea una traducción). Leí la mayoría en los últimos seis mesas, dado que mi nivel de español no me sirvía hasta para ese entonces. En este tramo, fue fácil mantener mi interés, porque es un libro que no se puede dejar. Había mucho nuevo vocabulario (como p.ej. una palabra en cada página) pero el mismo vocabulario suele aparecer una y otra vez, entonces lo recomiendo como libro por estudiantes del español como lengua extranjero. Gracias Xiomara por el regalo inicial!
September 1, 2014
Gareth's bisexuality is portrayed so casually. It reminded me of Fassbinder's Fox and his Friends. Robbins is a master storyteller. It is not the best Harold Robbins but is still 80% better than most works in this genre. Psychedelic pulp with one quite nasty S & M scene.
Read
August 23, 2008isbn,original
October 4, 2012
The book is about sex & drugs.. Disappointing..
January 6, 2013
I have read this book more than a few times and always understand it a little better each time. A harsh book but a good read!
July 11, 2017
Skip the erotic scenes and it will become a decent read.
July 15, 2016
A GOOD READ from Harold Robbins. An explosive compilation of drama, action, wits and 15 shades of Gareth.
August 27, 2025
Trashy but entertaining. Harold Robbins was in tune with the zeitgeist of the seventies. Books about sex, drugs, wealth, power and ambition sold like hotcakes. Here we have Gareth Brendan, a bisexual young man in California with plans to launch a men's magazine and build an entertainment empire akin to Hugh Heffner's. The magazine 'Macho' pushes the boundaries of what could be published and was a roaring success. The novel is infused with a lot of illicit drugs and sleazy goings on across short fast paced chapters. Gareth has a rich but perverted uncle who backs his initial enterprise. There are a number of young women in on-off relationships with him Marissa, Eileen and Denise, there is also associations with a peace and love minister with flexible morality. As Gareth's empire grows, he’s pulled into a world of temptation, betrayal, and excess that threatens to destroy everything he’s built. This was my first read of a Harold Robbins, I can see the appeal, my rating is 3.5 rounded up to 4.
November 12, 2024
Yazarın zaten Hollywood'da senaryo yazmasından da kaynaklı kitap 70'ler Hollywood filmi gibi. Sürekli bir olay var, kadınından erkeğine herkes ana karakterimize aşık ve yer yer çok rahatsız edici unsurları da barındırıyor kitap içinde; istismar, yasaklı madde kullanımı vb. Ama gene de kitap kendini okutuyor çünkü yazar gerçekten senaryocu olmaktan da kaynaklı sanırım akıcı bir yazım tarzına sahip. Ana karakterimiz de ne kadar kazanova ve çok güçlü olmasına rağmen, yani dönemin erkek karakter normlarına sahip olmasına rağmen, olaylar karşısında her zaman doğru noktada durmayı biliyor ve toksik bir insan değil hayatındaki herhangi bir kişiye. Bu da kitaba devam etmeni sağlıyor gerçekten. 'Sonunda bu insanların ne olacak acaba?' dedirtiyor sana
Sonu da bu kitaptan beklemeyeceğim bir sondu ve, bir noktası hariç, yakışmış kitaba gerçekten.
Sonu da bu kitaptan beklemeyeceğim bir sondu ve, bir noktası hariç, yakışmış kitaba gerçekten.
September 8, 2025
3.5*
This was my "A book that came out the year you were born" reading challenge. As is my want, I leapt in without reading the blurb and found myself in the hippy-dippy , sex-and-drugs scene of 1960s California.
Our first person narrator and protagonist is the handsome young layabout Gareth into whose lap falls the opportunity to publish a few pages of a trashy magazine leading to him becoming a pornography kingpin. Things do rather seem to keep falling into Gareth's lap - mostly young women and men but also drugs and unlikely prospects to expand his business.
It's pulpy rubbish but an enjoyable read. There's a lot of sex and drugs but it's not sordid and in fact rather tame for the era. Gareth's a likable chap, he has some morals, and some of the people around actually have some brains - even the women!
Peace and love , baby.
This was my "A book that came out the year you were born" reading challenge. As is my want, I leapt in without reading the blurb and found myself in the hippy-dippy , sex-and-drugs scene of 1960s California.
Our first person narrator and protagonist is the handsome young layabout Gareth into whose lap falls the opportunity to publish a few pages of a trashy magazine leading to him becoming a pornography kingpin. Things do rather seem to keep falling into Gareth's lap - mostly young women and men but also drugs and unlikely prospects to expand his business.
It's pulpy rubbish but an enjoyable read. There's a lot of sex and drugs but it's not sordid and in fact rather tame for the era. Gareth's a likable chap, he has some morals, and some of the people around actually have some brains - even the women!
Peace and love , baby.
April 19, 2020
Harold Robbins books are what they are. After the usual heavier books, once in a while, you might enjoy a piece of delicious junk like this. The sensation of reading a Robbins novel actually feels like a light workout in the head, like going to the gym and lifting weights only half as heavy as what you usually lift. The same muscles are working but it feels so easy, pleasant, not much work. And this one from the '70s had lots of the usual juicy ingredients : danger, violence, sex, sex, sex, power, drugs, drugs, drugs, women and a surprisingly (for the '70s) bisexual hero. Even though it's junk, I do think it could have maintained some good-junk standards and used a rewrite or two so it felt less like a second draft, but it's still a good enough Robbins.
August 20, 2021
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.
March 16, 2022
Harold Robbins isn't exactly known for writing great books. His novels are usually potboilers full of steamy sex and a thin plot. But once in awhile he could turn out a semi-decent book that had a little more plot and better characters in it.
This is not one of those books. This one read like he was given two days to come up with characters and write a plot around them. The narrative is rather bland and feels pieced together, plus it moves so fast that you don't really get to know any of the characters.
So it's not one of his better books.
This is not one of those books. This one read like he was given two days to come up with characters and write a plot around them. The narrative is rather bland and feels pieced together, plus it moves so fast that you don't really get to know any of the characters.
So it's not one of his better books.
June 27, 2024
A roller-coaster ride of sex, drugs, and porn set in the 60s. It was wild to follow the ups and downs of publishing nudie magazines, winning and losing fortunes very quickly. The story wanders all over the place, with religious cults, Mexican and Mafia cartels, a variety of women (and a couple of men) all popping up semi-randomly. A stream of conscious tale of outrageous behavior. The ending crashed like a bad trip, but I enjoyed the ride.
If your own morals aren't very flexible, you might not enjoy this.
If your own morals aren't very flexible, you might not enjoy this.
July 4, 2017
A Robbins classic!
What a story! It had all the ingredients of the classic Harold Robbins novel: pact writing, simple yet substantive plot, compelling characters and a sizzling combination of violence, humor, intrigue and of course, sex. This is the literary Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll come alive. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
What a story! It had all the ingredients of the classic Harold Robbins novel: pact writing, simple yet substantive plot, compelling characters and a sizzling combination of violence, humor, intrigue and of course, sex. This is the literary Sex, Drugs and Rock n Roll come alive. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
February 6, 2018
It's been a while since I've read any Harold Robbins. Like most of his works, there's a Book One and a Book Two and I found I preferred Book One this time. I felt Book Two was flitting around all over the place and I was as confused and disoriented as some of the characters on all the drugs that were flying around! It was okay, but I've read better.
August 22, 2020
A fine month to be distracted by Harold Robbins novels... the writing is fine and the stories are engaging - a healthy dose of sex and violence and drugs, and a storyline that makes me want to find out what in the world in going to happen next - an ending that was a bit abrupt or maybe I just wanted more story with these characters...
February 25, 2021
"You manage to turn up in the strangest places."
"My home is where my work takes me."
"I'm not sure...I'm not sure of anything anymore."
Jam-packed with cliched statements like these (- and, oddly enough, not before the 300 pages mark) this novel is one painful journey from its dismal beginning to the pointless end. But don't get me wrong. It is like walking down a dark, dreary lane full of thorns; but each time they prick you, you bend down to pick them up. Instead, you seem to be facing a thistle-shaped truth, something that makes you cry out,"Ouch!" but still insists on being fact.
Part One is called 'The Down Side'. as far as I can tell, it's the best part of the book. Gareth's sticky struggles in getting a porno newspaper started, his strident efforts at rescuing a gay 'slave' from a masochistic party, and his revenge- that forms the whole pack. Not altogether honey and milk, but still easy to go on and keep gliding. Linear progressions are the keyword. Everything goes smoothly from one point to the other, transits from moment to moment and detail to detail as a novel ideally should.
The only thing that is genuinely great in this novel is its insight. No, it's not an insightful novel- far from it- but it gives you in an insight, a peek, into the world of 1960s America. Cocaine, gay clubs, and unlimited erotica- that is calling it 'in a nutshell'. And some of it is truly shocking, more so because it's not the first time I'm reading a book set in this era. The author succeeded in not letting his narrator go sick and squeamish at all the gore, by making him an ex-soldier (hold on, didn't I say that already??)
There are scores of women in the novel, but you might already have guessed what their primary function is. I won't bother to mention it, heck! Each one of them is similar, save for her name, or perhaps her descent.
***
Considering that I finished this book in a record break three days (actually, two nights and a day) without even being in a marathon, you shouldn't really sweat about it. Say, if you've got a plane to catch, and oodles of time to kill, then pick this up. Read it in two slots, before hopping over the seat, and after you're well ensconced in the sky-high depths. Because the one thing this book doesn't fail to do is grab you by the scruff of your neck, and move at breakneck speed, stopping only for a joint of coke and then back to business. Perhaps that is just what one needs sometime, to get engaged in a sick, monstrous mentality, that is still enticing you to read.
"My home is where my work takes me."
"I'm not sure...I'm not sure of anything anymore."
Jam-packed with cliched statements like these (- and, oddly enough, not before the 300 pages mark) this novel is one painful journey from its dismal beginning to the pointless end. But don't get me wrong. It is like walking down a dark, dreary lane full of thorns; but each time they prick you, you bend down to pick them up. Instead, you seem to be facing a thistle-shaped truth, something that makes you cry out,"Ouch!" but still insists on being fact.
Ex-Vietcong soldier and street-strutter Gareth begins narrating in a shoddy bedroom reeking with cigarettes and failure and bisexuality. Rainy night, money problems, bad hangovers,- and a bossy uncle with half the city at his beck and call- perfect beginning, huh?
Part One is called 'The Down Side'. as far as I can tell, it's the best part of the book. Gareth's sticky struggles in getting a porno newspaper started, his strident efforts at rescuing a gay 'slave' from a masochistic party, and his revenge- that forms the whole pack. Not altogether honey and milk, but still easy to go on and keep gliding. Linear progressions are the keyword. Everything goes smoothly from one point to the other, transits from moment to moment and detail to detail as a novel ideally should.
Sadly, Part Two ('The Up Side') is scarcely a parallel event. The continuity is broken, you don't make head or tail of how one character gets from this corner of the beach to that without gaping at a hundred nudes first, and then talks business with a vodka or martini or both juggled together in his hand. (Not hers). The language, I agree, is forever engaging and absolutely.....a specimen of show-don't -tell; BUT that can only get you to so much heights. Actually, it's the language itself that made me hand this book three stars. How, you might ask, then, is the content?? Well, some of the stuff really sickened me. Moments of bringing about a hard-on are not rare, but again, raunchiness doesn't guarantee your success.
The only thing that is genuinely great in this novel is its insight. No, it's not an insightful novel- far from it- but it gives you in an insight, a peek, into the world of 1960s America. Cocaine, gay clubs, and unlimited erotica- that is calling it 'in a nutshell'. And some of it is truly shocking, more so because it's not the first time I'm reading a book set in this era. The author succeeded in not letting his narrator go sick and squeamish at all the gore, by making him an ex-soldier (hold on, didn't I say that already??)
There are scores of women in the novel, but you might already have guessed what their primary function is. I won't bother to mention it, heck! Each one of them is similar, save for her name, or perhaps her descent.
***
Considering that I finished this book in a record break three days (actually, two nights and a day) without even being in a marathon, you shouldn't really sweat about it. Say, if you've got a plane to catch, and oodles of time to kill, then pick this up. Read it in two slots, before hopping over the seat, and after you're well ensconced in the sky-high depths. Because the one thing this book doesn't fail to do is grab you by the scruff of your neck, and move at breakneck speed, stopping only for a joint of coke and then back to business. Perhaps that is just what one needs sometime, to get engaged in a sick, monstrous mentality, that is still enticing you to read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews