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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
dark
funny
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m so glad this exists! Any fan of the film, Tarantino, or the film industry in general will dig it. I’d read novelizations of all his movies if he’d write them
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia
Probably my single most-anticipated book of the year, and it mostly lives up to those expectations - though it must be said that the movie is one of my favorites, and I’m not sure how well this could (or should) stand-alone. It works better as I believe it was intended: as an inside-inside-Hollywood extended play in the buzzing neon afterglow of its cinematic counterpart.
Narratively, it’s even looser-constructed and more meandering than the movie. Each chapter is essentially its own vignette, often starting with a verbatim scene from the movie but then panning out, elongating the scenes in order to go in-depth on a particular character’s backstory, or (most often) a particular filmmaker’s oeuvre (some real, some imagined). It’s Tarantino’s self-admitted way of Trojan horsing a film criticism book into a novel, and it does work if you’re willing to read a lot of witty opinions on actors and directors you’ve never heard of. Ultimately, the relative obscurity of his references plays to the book’s (and movie’s) greatest strength: weaving Cliff and Rick so seamlessly into the fabric of Hollywood history that it’s harder to believe they didn’t really exist than that they did.
The prose is simultaneously as fun and quippy as all of Tarantino’s dialogue and a reminder that he’s never written prose before; truncated sentences, odd punctuation, and a few elementary descriptors nod to a career spent writing scripts instead of manuscripts. In the end, it doesn’t matter - the style both fits the mass-market aesthetic he’s going for and serves as proof that great storytelling can transcend grammatical limitations. For all his flaws, no one ever questioned Tarantino’s storytelling abilities. And should any of us be surprised that his first foray into the literary world was with (forgive me) pulp fiction?
(Note: You’ve often got to be willing to forgive something to enjoy Tarantino’s work, and that’s no different here. Even when he’s ostensibly writing “in character” or as an imagined novelistic narrator, the descriptions of women can’t help but feel intrusive and crudely objectifying - especially when you consider that most of these characters have already been portrayed by real actresses. I cringe to think about those actresses reading the way he’s written about their “characters,” and I hope he can excise those tendencies from his writing going forward.)
Narratively, it’s even looser-constructed and more meandering than the movie. Each chapter is essentially its own vignette, often starting with a verbatim scene from the movie but then panning out, elongating the scenes in order to go in-depth on a particular character’s backstory, or (most often) a particular filmmaker’s oeuvre (some real, some imagined). It’s Tarantino’s self-admitted way of Trojan horsing a film criticism book into a novel, and it does work if you’re willing to read a lot of witty opinions on actors and directors you’ve never heard of. Ultimately, the relative obscurity of his references plays to the book’s (and movie’s) greatest strength: weaving Cliff and Rick so seamlessly into the fabric of Hollywood history that it’s harder to believe they didn’t really exist than that they did.
The prose is simultaneously as fun and quippy as all of Tarantino’s dialogue and a reminder that he’s never written prose before; truncated sentences, odd punctuation, and a few elementary descriptors nod to a career spent writing scripts instead of manuscripts. In the end, it doesn’t matter - the style both fits the mass-market aesthetic he’s going for and serves as proof that great storytelling can transcend grammatical limitations. For all his flaws, no one ever questioned Tarantino’s storytelling abilities. And should any of us be surprised that his first foray into the literary world was with (forgive me) pulp fiction?
(Note: You’ve often got to be willing to forgive something to enjoy Tarantino’s work, and that’s no different here. Even when he’s ostensibly writing “in character” or as an imagined novelistic narrator, the descriptions of women can’t help but feel intrusive and crudely objectifying - especially when you consider that most of these characters have already been portrayed by real actresses. I cringe to think about those actresses reading the way he’s written about their “characters,” and I hope he can excise those tendencies from his writing going forward.)
I wish Quentin did this with every movie he’s made. What a brilliant novel, expanding on the lovely world and characters of the movie. Masterfully done.
I've always suspected Tarantino has a novel's worth of backstory for every film he's ever written, and this one was undoubtedly the perfect opportunity for him to cross over into the medium. He does a stellar job not repeating what you've seen on screen, allowing the beats of the film to act as the structure more than the narrative. Fans of the feature and Tarantino's writing in general will thoroughly enjoy this deep dive into the thoughts and lives of Rick Dalton and Cliff Booth. The bountiful backstory fills in blanks I can only imagine will change the entire experience of revisiting the film. In the end it achieves its goal, leaving you smiling and ready press play.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Qué cosa tan especial, la verdad. Casi me gusta más el final aquí que en la película, creo.