This satiric novel is essentially an exploration into a man's skewered psyche. Along the way author Michael Tolkin enjoys taking Hollywood apart...folly by folly. A portrait of Tinseltown emerges and one that is very dark. Griffin Mills, a top studio executive - a player indeed - finds himself stalked by a disgruntled screenwriter and is soon caught in a web that results in murder.
The noir aspect of The Player is defined by interior monologues, a staple of Hollywood B-movies. But this book is all class with an intriguing plot and well drawn characters.
As so often happens, Tolkin was invited to adapt The Player for the screen. Robert Altman directed and a who's-who's cast of stars ensured a world-wide hit in 1992.
Tolkin continues to write. A sequel, Return of the Player, was published in 2006. It has yet to be filmed.
