The Ballad of a Small Player
First UK edition | |
| Author | Lawrence Osborne |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Publisher | Hogarth Press |
Publication date | 1 April 2014 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print, e-book, audiobook |
| Pages | 275 pp. |
| ISBN | 978-0804137980 |
The Ballad of a Small Player is a 2014 novel by British writer Lawrence Osborne. Set in the gambling casinos of Macau, it follows the fortunes of an English con man who passes himself off as a runaway person of nobility. Part ghost story, part psychological thriller, it earned Osborne comparisons with Graham Greene and Dostoevsky.
Reception
The novel was selected for numerous year's best novel lists, including the 100 Notable Books of 2014 in The New York Times,[1] by Neel Mukherjee in the New Statesman, and by Ian Crouch in The New Yorker.
It was admiringly reviewed by Tom Shone in The New York Times.[2] China scholar Paul French in the Los Angeles Review of Books wrote: "I'll come right out and say it... Osborne's novel is the best on contemporary China since Malraux's."[3]
Film adaptation
A 2025 film adaptation for Netflix was produced, directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave) and starring Colin Farrell and Tilda Swinton.[4] Shooting began on June 27, 2024, in Macau and Hong Kong. Netflix released the film on October 16th 2025 after premieres at the Toronto Film Festival, Telluride and the Zurich Film Festival.[5][6]
References
- ^ The New York Times (2 December 2014). "100 Notable Books of 2014". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Shone, Tom (4 April 2014). "'The Ballad of a Small Player,' by Lawrence Osborne". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "The Book the China Crowd Missed – Lawrence Osborne's The Ballad of a Small Player - BLARB". 14 January 2015.
- ^ Gajewski, Ryan (9 April 2024). "Colin Farrell to Star in Edward Berger's 'The Ballad of a Small Player' for Netflix". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
- ^ Calnan, Elle (27 June 2024). "Netflix's 'The Ballad Of A Small Player' with Colin Farrell filming in Macau". Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (30 April 2024). "Tilda Swinton Joins Colin Farrell In Edward Berger's Netflix Pic 'The Ballad Of A Small Player', Filming To Start This Summer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 14 July 2024.