Betsy

I had read this when it was first published and liked it. I liked it when I read it this time, too, though maybe for different reasons. I was glad to see the pictures and have the names of the actors who portrayed the characters in the movie. Tommy Lee Jones (a younger version) will always be Angelo in my mind. Enjoyable fast read, though a bit dated in style, as should be expected for a book written more than 30 years ago.

To me, Harold Robbin's 'The Betsy' is about finding true love. I kind of skipped through the corporate wheeling and dealing pages and focused on Angelo's personal angst and love life. I loved Angelo. He is at the same time an every man and a hero. I found Betsy highly energetic, optimistic, and the ending, just beautiful. This is a far cry from his usual gritty and grim novels.

As with most of the Harold Robbins books that I have read this one was action packed and kept me interested all the way through. This Book is about a shrewd and cunning business minded race car driver who rises to meet the challenges of building a product against all odds. I saw the movie and then I read it again, It was interesting to visualize a younger Tommy Lee Jones as Angelo Perino. I found I enjoyed the book just as much the second time through. 5 stars