# 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood', the book **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [July 1, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-the-book/945443 "2021-07-01T17:15:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-the-book/945443/1 "2021-07-01T17:15:35Z")
I’ve just finished reading the “novelization” of **Once Upon a Time in Hollywood** , written by Tarantino himself. I absolutely loved it. It expands on the film entertainingly without duplication. There are a variety of genres, including lots of fascinating detail on the film and TV industry of the 60s that is effectively non-fiction. The book covers Cliff’s background in sections that swing between pulpy and realistic. There is much more detail on the lives of the Manson family, told in a fictionalised but unsensational way. We get the backstory to the scenes of the new TV western pilot Rick is filming, and we see him having a drink and gossip with the star of the show afterwards, with of course lots of interesting detail on the interior of the bar they go to. The structure is fairly different, with a completely different endpoint to that of the film. The violence in the film isn’t repeated. There are lots of quotes I could make, but these should give a flavour: _“Both World War Two hero Neville Brand and classic World War Two dogface Lee Marvin were allowed to be drunk on set without the insurance company closing down the production._ _[…]_ _In George C. Scott’s leading-man actor’s contract was a stipulation that three days of the production would be lost to the actor’s alcoholism."_ ---
**Author:** ![BigDfromLA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@BigDfromLA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigDfromLA)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2021, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-the-book/945443/2 "2021-07-02T07:42:06Z")
Does the book even mention Bruce Lee or Cliff’s encounter with him? Tarantino did get some criticism for how he portrayed Lee in the film. Lee came across as a buffoon, clown and a phony, which I think was a little unfair…and I am not a Lee fan, though I respect the guy. Once Upon A Time…in Hollywood is the best movie I have seen in last five years. I will check out the book. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2021, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-the-book/945443/3 "2021-07-02T09:01:33Z")
Yes, none of the Bruce Lee stuff is dialled back. In the film it is clear that the Bruce Lee scene occurs in Cliff’s memory, so that it may not have really happened that way in fact, and I suppose that applies in the book as well. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2021, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-the-book/945443/4 "2021-07-02T11:54:10Z")
Found and purchased on the kindle store for $9.99. Thanks for the heads up OP! ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2021, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-the-book/945443/5 "2021-07-02T12:07:23Z")
> [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](#): > > Yes, none of the Bruce Lee stuff is dialled back. In the film it is clear that the Bruce Lee scene occurs in Cliff’s memory, so that it may not have really happened that way in fact, and I suppose that applies in the book as well. Supposedly the book (as well as things Tarantino has said in interviews) makes it clear that the fight actually was supposed to have happened the way it did, and was not an “unreliable narrator” situation: > **[Was That Bruce Lee vs. Cliff Booth Fight a Dream? Tarantino Novelization Has...](https://www.moviemaker.com/was-bruce-lee-cliff-booth-fight-dream-tarantino-novelization-has-the-answer/)** > > Was that Bruce Lee and Cliff Booth fight in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood a dream? Quentin Tarantino spells things out in his novelization of the film. > **[Quentin Tarantino addresses complaints about Bruce Lee scene](https://www.avclub.com/quentin-tarantino-doesnt-get-the-criticism-of-once-upon-1847202180)** > > In an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino talked about criticsim of the film's Bruce Lee fight scene, where Brad Pitt's character Cliff knocks Lee into a car. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2021, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-the-book/945443/6 "2021-07-02T12:23:52Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Supposedly the book (as well as things Tarantino has said in interviews) makes it clear that the fight actually was supposed to have happened the way it did, and was not an “unreliable narrator” situation I wouldn’t say that is clear in the book, given some of the other stories it has about Cliff’s life, but it’s interesting Tarantino is giving us that explanation separately. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2021, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-the-book/945443/7 "2021-07-02T12:44:06Z")
I haven’t read the book, so I don’t know for sure, just what I’ve read _about_ the book, but yeah, QT is pretty defiant about it on the interview. > [@kayaker](#): > > Found and purchased on the kindle store for $9.99. > > Thanks for the heads up OP! I do want to read the book-- sounds like it’s worth springing for the $9.99 on Kindle. Thanks for the tip, and Happy Anniversary, kayaker! Here’s an article about the “5 wildest revelations” from the book in case anyone’s interested: > **[The 5 wildest things from Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood...](https://www.avclub.com/the-5-most-shocking-things-from-quentin-tarantino-s-onc-1847207576)** > > Quentin Tarantino's novel version of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood re-shuffles and re-contextualizes many aspects of the 2019 film, including Brad Pitt's fight with Bruce Lee, and the Manson Family's attack on actor Rick Dalton. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2021, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-the-book/945443/8 "2021-07-02T13:03:49Z")
I’m very glad QT didn’t include any of Brandy the dog’s backstory in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2021, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-the-book/945443/9 "2021-07-02T14:14:04Z")
Yes, that would be difficult to film ethically. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2021, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-the-book/945443/10 "2021-07-03T03:18:23Z")
I dont think thats the way Lee comes off. Imo he comes off as overconfident and enjoying his stardom. Lee was a smallish man. No matter what martial art he knows he still is subject to the laws of physics and a bigger stronger man could indeed push him around. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2021, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/once-upon-a-time-in-hollywood-the-book/945443/11 "2021-07-03T03:43:43Z")
I take it QT isn’t a Beatles fan. He describes “A Day in the Life” as having a “pretentious sound design.” That’s a new one. I usually hear it described as “innovative” or “groundbreaking.”