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  • The Castle on Sunset

  • Life, Death, Love, Art, and Scandal at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont
  • Written by: Shawn Levy
  • Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
  • Length: 12 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (12 ratings)

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The Castle on Sunset

Written by: Shawn Levy
Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
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Publisher's Summary

Since 1929, Hollywood’s brightest stars have flocked to the Chateau Marmont as if it were a second home. An apartment building-turned-hotel, the Chateau has been the backdrop for generations of gossip and folklore: where director Nicholas Ray slept with his 16-year-old Rebel Without a Cause star Natalie Wood; Jim Morrison swung from the balconies; John Belushi suffered a fatal overdose; and Lindsay Lohan got the boot after racking up nearly $50,000 in charges in less than two months. But despite its mythic reputation, much of what has happened inside the Chateau’s walls has eluded the public eye - until now.

With wit and insight, Shawn Levy recounts the wild revelries and scandalous liaisons, the creative breakthroughs and marital breakdowns, the births and deaths to which the hotel has been a party. Vivid, salacious, and richly informed, The Castle on Sunset is a glittering tribute to Hollywood as seen from inside the walls of its most hallowed hotel.

©2019 Shawn Levy (P)2019 Random House Audio

What the critics say

"Fascinating, dishy, and glimmering with insight, The Castle on Sunset is a must-read for anyone interested in the rich and racy history of Tinseltown. Shawn Levy’s entertaining and deeply researched biography of a building chronicles experiences both glamorous and sordid, historical and contemporary. This is the definitive book about Hollywood’s most storied hotel." (Cheryl Strayed, number one New York Times best-selling author of Wild)

"Reading The Castle on Sunset, I felt like I was sneaking around the hallways of the Chateau after midnight and peering through keyholes in history. Shawn Levy pulls back the velvet curtains to reveal all the decadence, glamour, ghosts and gossip of a fabled and dreamy Hollywood. Lovingly researched and wonderfully dishy." (Joe Hagan, author of the national best seller Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazine)

"Alongside an endless supply of famous guests, Levy has managed to make the hotel itself a living, breathing, and wonderfully endearing character. The Castle on Sunset is thoughtfully researched and gorgeously executed." (Jacob Tomsky, New York Times best-selling author of Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality)

What listeners say about The Castle on Sunset

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Revealing

A good listen. I’ve listened to quite a few audiobooks about iconic hotels, but this one was unique. It flew under the radar and wasn’t famous to those who weren’t in the know. More residential than temporary, especially in its early history, the most interesting stories are about lives lived there than titillating gossip. Though there was plenty of that too, if only debunking myths. Following the history provided a lens on everything from LA riots to the arrival of the Beatles on the music scene. A bit of a pop cultural primer, in areas.

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Very Enjoyable

If you are interested in history and Old Hollywood then you'll enjoy this book. Engaging stories of the hotel as well as the rich and famous (and infamous) who lived, worked and loved there.

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1 person found this helpful