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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
Didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Loved the movie and was worried that the book would be just a novelization, but it's not--it's a telling of the story in a different medium, with the commensurate depth and interiority that a film won't allow.
Tarantino is very skillful in writing dialogues. It goes without saying when watching his works. However, he went on a tangent too often and I found myself skipping most of it. Most of it are useless to the plot. He wrote a lot about side information, but not a lot of meat for the main plot. The book also doesn't have a strong ending like the film, an odd choice. Overall I still enjoy it, but maybe a bit more editing for him doesn't hurt.
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's fine I guess if you want to read Tarantino name-dropping old Hollywood stars and talking about under-age girls and feet for 400 pages
so glad film twitter doesn't read or we wouldve gotten 3 rounds worth of discourse about this
For fans of the movie this novelization is a must read. This book is almost shockingly good. It’s not among the great books of all time but for what it is, essentially a retelling of the film with extra details sprinkled in here and there, it is spectacular. I can certainly understand why people unfamiliar with many of the films and actors of old school Hollywood would find much of the banter in the early sections of the book tedious, but for film buffs it’s great. Another highlight is how the novel reveals the true nature of Cliff Booth and if he really is a killer. The weirdest thing about the novelization is that the ending of the movie is briefly summarized before the midway point in the story. This big change works for people who have seen the movie and already know the shocking (and fantastic) ending, but for those reading before watching the whole novelization will leave unsatisfied.
Turns out Quentin Tarentino IS a good writer. And a Hollywood trivia nerd.
dark
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cool, sleek, sexy. Was hoping to flame thrower violence in print, but the film does it better. Long live Johnny Madrid.
Pretty early on the Manson's attack on Rick and Cliff gets mentioned as a offhand remark which surprised the hell out of me, but I assumed we'd still get the scene later. But not ever including it is such a baller move from Tarantino, because a big spectacle like that plays out better on screen than on the page, and the new last chapter of Trudi/Mirabella and Rick practicing their lines together was the best chapter in the whole book.
Speaking of Trudi, she's my favorite character in the story. I laughed during every chapter that featured her.
For this and other choices Quentin makes I do think you kind of do need to have seen the movie to fully enjoy this book, but I don't think that's a bad thing. The assumption that the reader has seen the movie lets him get so much more creative in writing the story, catering it to this new medium.
The only thing limiting my enjoyment and ultimately keeping me from liking the movie over the book is the amount of tangents the book goes on. I think they're great, the only problem is, since most of the tangents are about 50s-70s movies and actors, there are a lot of times I just have no idea what he's going on about, and killed the pacing a little bit. The ones I was at least a little familiar with worked really well, which makes me think I'd really dig them all if I knew more.
Speaking of Trudi, she's my favorite character in the story. I laughed during every chapter that featured her.
For this and other choices Quentin makes I do think you kind of do need to have seen the movie to fully enjoy this book, but I don't think that's a bad thing. The assumption that the reader has seen the movie lets him get so much more creative in writing the story, catering it to this new medium.
The only thing limiting my enjoyment and ultimately keeping me from liking the movie over the book is the amount of tangents the book goes on. I think they're great, the only problem is, since most of the tangents are about 50s-70s movies and actors, there are a lot of times I just have no idea what he's going on about, and killed the pacing a little bit. The ones I was at least a little familiar with worked really well, which makes me think I'd really dig them all if I knew more.