''Max'' is a 1982 novel by

Howard Fast Howard Melvin Fast (November 11, 1914 – March 12, 2003) was an American novelist and television writer. Fast also wrote under the pen names E.V. Cunningham and Walter Ericson. Biography Early life Fast was born in New York City. His mother, ...

. It tells the story of a young man who leaves his humble roots on the

lower east side The Lower East Side, sometimes abbreviated as LES, is a historic neighborhood in the southeastern part of Manhattan in New York City. It is located roughly between the Bowery and the East River from Canal to Houston streets. Traditionally an im ...

of New York City to find success in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

's earliest stages. ''Max'' has had 52 editions of publication in 10 languages.

Plot

Max is about the life of Max Britsky, a poor

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

kid who grows up to be an entrepreneur during the infancy of the motion picture business. He eventually becomes one of the first major studio owners and one of the richest people in America. Though a shrewd businessman, his people skills leave much to be desired. Emotionally devoid, he loses his first wife through affairs with some of the starlets and secretaries that work for him. By the end of his life, he loses his studios and theaters and dies a penniless, lonely man.

References

1982 American novels Novels by Howard Fast {{1980s-novel-stub