It's All True: A Novel of Hollywood    by David Freeman Order:  USA  Can Simon & Schuster, 2004 (2004) Hardcover      Reviewed by David Pitt Here's a novel about a Hollywood screenwriter written by a Hollywood screenwriter, but don't start yawning yet: unlike many inside-Hollywood books written by insiders, this one's actually quite good. Years ago, Henry Wearie wrote a few scripts that, while they never got made, gave him a reputation around Hollywood as an up-and-comer. When one of his scripts finally got produced, and became a hit movie, he was golden. Now his career is spiraling down, and soon Henry's going to be just another has-been. Then things start looking up: an old girlfriend, now in a position of some influence at a major studio, expresses interest in one of Henry's off-the-cuff pitches. Can Henry climb back up to the top – and, if so, will he be able to retain some small shred of dignity and self-respect? Freeman is a graceful writer, and he fills the novel with enough inside-Hollywood detail to satisfy the most eager of film buffs. The story is entertaining, the characters are interesting, the dialogue is pithy. Only the author's tendency to belabor the point – does he really need to call his tired, seen-it-all screenwriter Wearie? – mars this otherwise excellent novel. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews