Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
A Novel
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4.3 • 288 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
#1 New York Times Bestseller
“Classic, sparks-flying Tarantino.” —Washington Post
Quentin Tarantino’s debut work of fiction is an audacious, hilarious, disturbing novel of historical fiction about life in the movie colony, circa 1969. Here is Hollywood, both the fairy tale and the real thing, as given to us by a master storyteller who knows it like the back of his hand. This new edition includes a foreword by Walter Kirn.
RICK DALTON—Once he had his own TV series, but now Rick’s a washed-up villain-of-the week drowning his sorrows in whiskey sours. Will a phone call from Rome save his fate or seal it?
CLIFF BOOTH—Rick’s stunt double, and the most infamous man on any movie set because he’s the only one there who might have got away with murder. . . .
SHARON TATE—She left Texas to chase a movie-star dream, and found it. Sharon’s salad days are now spent on Cielo Drive, high in the Hollywood Hills.
CHARLES MANSON—The ex-con’s got a bunch of zonked-out hippies thinking he’s their spiritual leader, but he’d trade it all to be a rock ‘n’ roll star.
These indelible characters—and many more: an acting child prodigy beaming with hope; a booze-drenched former A-lister who’s lost it all—occupy the vanished world of Hollywood in 1969, brought to brilliant life in these pages. As the New York Times raves, “Tarantino’s first novel is, to borrow a phrase from his oeuvre, a tasty beverage. . . . [He] makes telling a page-turning story look easy, which is the hardest trick of all.”
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this fun throwback to the paperback novelizations of classic ’60s and ’70s films, director Quentin Tarantino transports us to Hollywood in 1969, telling the story of his hit movie in a new way. Rick Dalton is a drinker with an acting problem. His slick pompadour and history as a once-great leading man are barely enough to snag him guest roles as TV villains of the week. Tarantino fully immerses us in a momentous time and place, when Hollywood and America as a whole were in the midst of massive cultural shifts. He weaves fact and fiction together so seamlessly that when characters from his fictional world, like badass stuntman Cliff Booth, interact with real-life figures, like members of the infamous Manson Family, it all rings true. And of course the book is packed full of Tarantino’s trademark dialogue, all crackle and expletives. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a love letter to the history and mythology of Tinseltown.
Customer Reviews
Great read
In my opinion the story works better in novel form. Better character development, more plot, and fun to read. When you watch the movie you feel like stuff is missing, but this book fills some gaps in. I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy the movie.
Fun Read, but..?
… it ends abruptly without ever going into the alternate reality/spin that the movie did so well. It was like… huh? That’s it?? What happened to Cliff’s confrontation at Spahn Ranch? What happened to the violent crescendo at Rick’s house with Cliff and Rick? It felt like Tarantino just ran out of steam and said, “Well, you’ve seen the film already.”
Wow wow wow
Really terrific! Tarantino expands on all the characters from the film in an exciting way. All the loose ends or unknowns from the movie are revealed. It feels at times like he is just showing off his film knowledge. All in all a great read and would highly recommend!