Harold Robbins was a popular American novelist famed for his thrilling stories of ambition and excess. His books, such as The Carpetbaggers and The Adventurers, are bold tales of glamour, wealth, and power.
If you enjoy reading books by Harold Robbins then you might also like the following authors:
If you like Harold Robbins' dramatic and glamorous storytelling, you'll probably enjoy Sidney Sheldon. Sheldon often explores ambition, betrayal, and power struggles, featuring characters who rise and fall in sophisticated, high-stakes worlds.
Check out his book The Other Side of Midnight, a tale of revenge and passion—you won't want to put it down.
Jackie Collins is great if you're into stories filled with wealth, scandal, and juicy secrets—much like Harold Robbins' novels. Her books offer a look into the extravagant and often turbulent lifestyles of glamorous characters.
Try reading Hollywood Wives for a fun dive into the hidden drama behind Hollywood's glitzy facade.
Like Robbins, Irving Wallace writes novels packed with intrigue, power struggles, and complex characters who face challenging moral dilemmas. Wallace's books often involve politics, media, and hidden scandals, pulling you into the heart of the action.
The Prize is a good choice to experience his storytelling—it revolves around Nobel Prize winners caught in a web of personal and international drama.
Arthur Hailey is excellent if you're fascinated by how large industries and systems shape people's lives. Similar to Robbins, he examines behind-the-scenes drama and human tensions in sectors like aviation, hotel management, and media.
Check out Hotel, which gives you an inside look at the drama unfolding in a major luxury hotel, complete with secrets, intrigue, and memorable characters.
If glamorous settings, romance, and bold female characters are what draw you to Harold Robbins, you might really enjoy Judith Krantz. Her novels often revolve around strong, ambitious women making their way through luxurious, high-powered worlds.
A great place to start is Scruples, which tells the story of a woman who creates a lavish fashion empire and faces plenty of trials and tribulations along the way.
If you enjoyed Harold Robbins' glamorous, larger-than-life portrayal of ambition and scandal, you might like Jacqueline Susann. Her novel, Valley of the Dolls, explores fame, addiction, and the dark side of life in Hollywood and New York.
Like Robbins, Susann creates bold characters chasing success, whose glamorous lives often hide heartbreak and struggle.
James Clavell writes engaging stories filled with powerful characters, complex plots, and dramatic tensions similar to those you find in Harold Robbins' novels.
In Shōgun, Clavell creates an absorbing tale set in feudal Japan, showing themes of ambition, survival, and the pursuit of power. His stories, though historical, carry the same intensity and drama Robbins fans enjoy.
Ken Follett is a storyteller who creates intense and fast-paced narratives filled with drama and suspense. His novel, The Pillars of the Earth, is an epic tale set during the building of a medieval cathedral.
Follett portrays strong, driven characters navigating power struggles, rivalry, and ambition, themes Harold Robbins readers will find appealing.
Mario Puzo offers gritty portrayals of crime and ambition, similar to Robbins' dramatic storytelling. His novel The Godfather delves deeply into the ruthless world of the Mafia, highlighting themes of family loyalty, power struggles, and corruption.
Robbins fans might especially appreciate Puzo's vivid characters and his exploration of ambition and moral compromise.
For readers who love Harold Robbins' dramatic portrayals of wealth, love, and personal struggle, Danielle Steel may be a great match. Her novel The Promise examines themes of romance, betrayal, tragedy, and resilience.
Like Robbins, Steel creates emotionally charged stories about complex relationships and personal struggles set against glamorous backdrops.
Jeffrey Archer creates stories filled with ambition, rivalry, and twists of fate, much in the same vein as Harold Robbins. His novels often explore themes like wealth, political intrigue, and suspenseful plots.
Archer's ability to craft pageturners full of drama is evident in his popular novel Kane and Abel, a tale of rivalry between two ambitious men whose paths intertwine in unexpected ways.
Lawrence Sanders offers readers a captivating blend of power struggles, scandal, and suspense. His detailed characters and compelling storylines are similar to Robbins' style in their exploration of ambition and greed.
In his novel The First Deadly Sin, Sanders introduces readers to Edward X. Delaney, a detective navigating the dark side of wealth and privilege to solve a chilling crime.
Dominick Dunne's novels reveal the hidden scandals of the wealthy, offering readers behind-the-scenes glimpses into elite society. He writes with insight drawn from personal experience, capturing the excesses, corruption, and darker truths lurking beneath glamour.
Dunne's The Two Mrs. Grenvilles dramatizes true events involving high society, scandal, and murder, themes that Robbins' fans often enjoy.
Herman Wouk combines historical depth with engaging storytelling, often highlighting themes of personal ambition, moral decisions, and the complexities of power.
Readers who appreciate Robbins' blend of drama and human conflict may enjoy Wouk's expansive storytelling and character-driven narratives. His celebrated novel The Caine Mutiny explores authority, betrayal, and leadership during a turbulent sea voyage during World War II.
Rona Jaffe's novels focus on the personal aspirations and struggles of individuals, often women, as they navigate life, love, ambition, and the demands of society. Her stories are accessible, emotional, and relatable, offering readers vivid portrayals of human drama and growth.
Her popular novel The Best of Everything delves into the lives of young women striving to succeed—and survive—in the competitive New York publishing world.