Quentin Tarantino

February 1, 2008
This latest volume to be churned out by prolific celebrity biographer and true-crime writer Clarkson ("John Travolta: King of Cool; Whatever Mother Says]: A True Story of a Mother, Madness and Murder") begins with Tarantino's childhood and early life, which Clarkson is able to illuminate thanks to interviews with Tarantino's mother, Connie. As is typical of such pulp biographies, the remainder of the work is filled with intimate details and anecdotes provided by the director's friends, past and present. Clarkson does a good job of identifying the various pop-culture items that have influenced Tarantino, so the uninitiated will have an easier time parsing the intricate pastiche of references that Tarantino inserts into each of his movies. Dedicated fans will no doubt find the account of the rising star's career worthwhile, but the casual reader is likely to become bored with the sluggish pace and uninspired writing. Try Edwin Page's "Quintessential Tarantino" for a breakdown of the director's films; those looking for a definitive biography (or autobiography) may have years to wait.John Helling, Bloomfield-Eastern Greene Cty. P.L., IN

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