The first major biography of the most influential, powerful, and controversial film critic of the twentieth century Pauline Kael was, in the words of Entertainment Weekly ‘s movie reviewer Owen Gleiberman, the Elvis or Beatles of film criticism. During her tenure at The
New Yorker from 1968 to 1991, she was the most widely read and, often enough, the most provocative critic in America.

In this first full-length biography of the legend who changed the face of film criticism, acclaimed author Brian Kellow gives readers a richly detailed view of Kael’s remarkable life–from her youth in rural California to her early struggles to establish her writing career to her peak years at The
New Yorker.