The novel tells the life story of two fictitious Hollywood celebrities—Toby Temple and Jill Castle (roman à clef on Sheldon's acquaintances Groucho Marx and Erin Fleming)[1] and portrays the emotional extremes of success and failure and how people inevitably become victims of time.

It was adapted into a television film in 1993 starring Perry King, Lori Loughlin, Christopher Plummer, and Juliet Mills.

After running away to Hollywood to avoid a shotgun marriage, his delusion of being naturally funny and charming is shattered when he struggles to start his career as a comedian.

She discovers the difficulty of being an actress with no connections and, after being drugged into participating in a pornographic film, decides to start earning better roles in exchange for sexual favors.

Toby enjoys Jill's new role as his manager, seeing her resemblance to his mother, but he suffers a stroke that leaves him paralyzed with an estimated few years left to live.