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The Ballad of a Small Player

By Lawrence Osborne
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Ballad of a Small Player by Lawrence Osborne is a dramatic tale set amidst the vibrant world of Macau's casinos. It follows an Englishman who gambles away his fortune, grappling with loneliness and existential despair. As he navigates his tumultuous life, he encounters a mysterious woman, sparking a haunting exploration of fate and redemption.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by tales of high-stakes gambling set against the backdrop of Macau's opulent casinos, combined with a deep exploration of themes like fate, chance, and existential despair. The narrative beautifully combines tension and introspection, ideal for readers who appreciate atmospheric prose and complex characters navigating the fringes of society.

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The Ballad of a Small Player is a sleek, dark-hearted masterpiece: a ghost story set in the land of the living, and a decadent morality tale of a Faustian pact made, not with the devil, but with fortune’s fickle hand.

A riveting study of risk and obsession, from a writer of effortless grace and menace

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A riveting study of risk and obsession, from a writer of effortless grace and menace.

Soon to be a major Netflix film, starring Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton.

'I waited patiently for the next hand to be played out, and I had a feeling it was going to be a Natural, a perfect nine.'

His name is Lord Doyle.

His plan: to gamble away his last days in the dark and decadent casino halls of Macau.

His game: baccarat punto blanco—'that slutty dirty queen of casino card games.'

Though Doyle is not a Lord at all. He is a fake; a corrupt lawyer who has spent a career siphoning money from rich clients. And now he is on the run, determined to send the money—and himself—up in smoke.

So begins a beguiling, elliptical velvet rope of a plot—a sharp suit, yellow kid gloves, another naughty lemonade and an endless loop of small wins and losses. When Lady Luck arrives in the form of Dao-Ming, a beautiful yet enigmatic lost soul, so begins a spectacular and unnatural winning streak in which millions come Doyle's way. But in these shadowy dens of risk and compulsion, in a land governed by superstition, Doyle knows that when the bets are high, the stakes are even greater.

The Ballad of a Small Player is a sleek, dark-hearted masterpiece—a ghost story set in the land of the living, and a decadent morality tale of a Faustian pact made, not with the devil, but with fortune's fickle hand.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Ballad of a Small Player by Lawrence Osborne has been praised for its elegant and precise prose, capturing the glitzy yet gritty world of Macau's casinos with sharp insights into addiction and despair. Critics have compared it to works by Graham Greene and Paul Bowles, noting its existential themes and atmospheric tension. It is described as both a compelling thriller and an introspective study of decline and decadence, offering an electrifying and immersive reading experience.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099599685

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 23 April 2015

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 130.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 163g

Pages: 224

Collections

Best Sellers at Book Hero Crime & Thriller Fiction General Fiction Horror & Supernatural In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Lawrence Osborne Literary Fiction New Release Fiction Penguin Books Psychological Thriller

About the Author

Born in England, Lawrence Osborne is the author of the critically acclaimed novels The Forgiven, The Ballad of a Small Player, Hunters in the Dark, Beautiful Animals, Only to Sleep- A Philip Marlowe novel (commissioned by the Raymond Chandler estate), The Glass Kingdom and On Java Road. His non-fiction ranges from memoir through travelogue to essays, including Bangkok Days, The Naked Tourist and The Wet and the Dry. His short story 'Volcano' was selected for Best American Short Stories 2012. The film of The Forgiven, starring Ralph Fiennes, Matt Smith and Jessica Chastain was released in 2022. The Ballad of a Small Player, starring Tilda Swinton and Colin Farrell, is due to be released in autumn 2025. Osborne lives in Bangkok.

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