Even for Tarantino loyalists, the first 100 pages of his Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood novelization are a slog. All the criticisms that skeptics lobbed his way for years pop off the page. Without his stable of actors, the mentions of other movies, directors, and stars (as well as the return of his casual use of the N-word, thankfully omitted from the film) grate against the eyes, the novel reading more like an attempt from one of Tarantino’s imitators, or worse a Wikipedia entry, than the genuine article. But then something happens. As the book unfurls, Tarantino’s rhythms settle, and his skills as a novelist emerge. He’s able to reimagine his cinematic history the way he reimagined actual history, and this dime-store paperback becomes impossible to put down, even if you’ve seen the film a dozen times. Tarantino stages a total rework. Characters Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt in the movie) become more unlikable (as