Helpful Score: 6
A very enjoyable book with a very likeable character. This book is both sad and funny, light and heartwarming. I'm glad I read it. It was a "pleasure" to meet Daniel.
Helpful Score: 6
This is the second book I've read by Steve Martin. I thought Shopgirl was beautiful & poetic. The Pleasure of My Company is a close second. It took me a little bit to get through the first pages but once I did, it greatly intrigued me. The main character is complex, yet very human.
Helpful Score: 4
An interesting look into the life of a man challenged by his own psyche and striving to expand his small world if only one step off the curb at a time ~ Steve Martin is an interesting author who's writing is unlike any other ~ he revels in writing the vulnerable underbelly of a character and as always, can make you laugh out loud. I loved Shop Girl and I really enjoyed The Pleasure of My Company.
Helpful Score: 3
Read it for a bookclub and enjoyed it but spent most of the book imagining it as a movie screenplay where Steve Martin plays the leading role-- as would be expected, it captures his sense of humor well. Basic plot: obsessive compulsive man learns how to grow out of his shell and find meaningful friendships along the way by helping others.
Helpful Score: 3
Steve Martin may be widely known as an actor, but he has the soul of a writer. After reading Shopgirl (and having my spirit sufficiently rocked by it) I knew I had to find another novella written by him to see if it was a fluke.
It wasn't.
The Pleasure of My Company is, again, a wonderful piece. The protagonist, Daniel, is a man of many obsessions. He is very much trapped by himself and his obsessions that restrict crossing the street and sleeping and everything else in his life. Martin is a master of characterization, continually proving that he can build believable and complex characters that people WANT to read about. To watch Daniel interact with the world and people around him is a treat, not only because he is funny in his quirkiness, but because he is a sympathetic character that you find yourself genuinely rooting for. When you close the book, I promise you will do so with a smile.
This novella is beautiful in its effortless simplicity; it is poignant and witty. It remains the only book that I have bought multiple copies of just to send around to friends.
It wasn't.
The Pleasure of My Company is, again, a wonderful piece. The protagonist, Daniel, is a man of many obsessions. He is very much trapped by himself and his obsessions that restrict crossing the street and sleeping and everything else in his life. Martin is a master of characterization, continually proving that he can build believable and complex characters that people WANT to read about. To watch Daniel interact with the world and people around him is a treat, not only because he is funny in his quirkiness, but because he is a sympathetic character that you find yourself genuinely rooting for. When you close the book, I promise you will do so with a smile.
This novella is beautiful in its effortless simplicity; it is poignant and witty. It remains the only book that I have bought multiple copies of just to send around to friends.
Helpful Score: 3
It is difficult for me to explain why I liked this book. There was just something very innocent about it, which I found refreshing.
Helpful Score: 2
Great portrayal of a character disabled by neurotic and compulsive behavior, much more satisfying than "The Incident of the Dog..." in that regard. Poignant and bittersweet, but in with a plausible happy ending. I have been a fan of Martin's writing long before "Shopgirl" (anybody else remember "Cruel Shoes"?) and he never disappoints!
Helpful Score: 2
This is Steve Martin's second novella. I purchased it based on how much I liked "Shopgirl" and it just sat on my bookshelf for a long time before I finally picked it up to read it. Well, I'm so glad I eventually did because it was a great read!
The narrator, Daniel Pecan Cambridge, is one of the quirkiest characters ever. He is obsessive compulsive and has all sorts of neuroses. He is deathly afraid of curbs and can only cross streets at perfectly symmetrical scooped out driveways, he has to keep the lighting in his apartment at the exactly 1,125 watts, and his life basically revolves around his twice-weekly sessions with Clarissa, a young psychology intern.
There were moments so hilarious that I had to literally put the book down to laugh out loud. But the humor was mixed in with tenderness and compassion. You could tell that Steve Martin loved this character as he wrote him. It showed from beginning to end. The writing was simple and almost poetic in places, and I think the short length was perfect.
Overall, I'll have to admit that I loved it. I adored Shopgirl, but I might have liked this book just a tad bit more. All I know is that I'll be anxiously awaiting whatever Steve Martin comes up with next.
The narrator, Daniel Pecan Cambridge, is one of the quirkiest characters ever. He is obsessive compulsive and has all sorts of neuroses. He is deathly afraid of curbs and can only cross streets at perfectly symmetrical scooped out driveways, he has to keep the lighting in his apartment at the exactly 1,125 watts, and his life basically revolves around his twice-weekly sessions with Clarissa, a young psychology intern.
There were moments so hilarious that I had to literally put the book down to laugh out loud. But the humor was mixed in with tenderness and compassion. You could tell that Steve Martin loved this character as he wrote him. It showed from beginning to end. The writing was simple and almost poetic in places, and I think the short length was perfect.
Overall, I'll have to admit that I loved it. I adored Shopgirl, but I might have liked this book just a tad bit more. All I know is that I'll be anxiously awaiting whatever Steve Martin comes up with next.
Helpful Score: 1
I tried to get through it but after 2 attempts at reading it, I had to put it down. I think the detail was a little TOO minute for me to get a good focus on.
Helpful Score: 1
Very fast read and compellingly interesting portait of an extremely neurotic man trying to deal with the people & things around him. Contains humor, wit, & pathos. I love Steve Martin's writing!
Helpful Score: 1
Strange novel, but entertaining, and it so much reminds me of someone that I know. An easy read, thought-provoking and humorous at the same time.
Helpful Score: 1
Funny at times. A good look into a fragile person's life.
Helpful Score: 1
Very funny and quirky book!
Helpful Score: 1
I just finished listening to the audio version of this book with my son last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. Steve Martin did a fine job with a complex emotional life and a bit of humor.
Steve Martin's love affair with words is a thing of beauty in this carefully crafted novel that follows an obsessive-compulsive man's efforts to get out of his own way so he can get to know the object of his affection. The story amounts to a delightful, funny and touching read.
Helpful Score: 1
Daniel Pecan Cambridge is a normal, attractive, 30-ish young man. Well, he's normal except for the fact that he has obsessive-compulsive disorder. In what would be an average person's 15-minute walk to the Rite-Aid, Daniel turns the process into an hour-long jaunt â filled with twists, turns and double-backs, all so that he won't have to step off of or onto a curb.
The total light wattage in Daniel's house must be at 1125 watts. If a 30-watt bulb burns out, he must hurry to replace it with another 30-watt bulb before the tightness in his chest, faintness, and shortness of breath threatens to render him unconscious.
Now, in the hands of a lesser novelist, all this obsessive redundancy would read like a psychiatric dissertation. However, since the author of The Pleasure of My Company is the brilliantly funny Steve Martin, you can bet that Martin's irony and cynical wit will shine through, creating a masterful portrait of a man who is fully aware that he is on the brink of insanity.
As an example of the aforementioned irony, Daniel enters and wins an essay contest as the most average American. Not only was he thought of as average, but as the leader of the average people. So Daniel justifies his title with the thought that he entered the contest as a lark â he merely wanted an excuse to hang out by the entry forms at the Rite-Aid so he could watch his favorite pharmacist, Zandy, in action.
The Pleasure of My Company, Steve Martin's second novella, equals and then surpasses his first, Shopgirl. As Martin fine-tunes his knack for discovering and detailing the nuances we've all experienced, Company becomes an obsession for its reader, compelling him/her to read it through to the end in one sitting.
The total light wattage in Daniel's house must be at 1125 watts. If a 30-watt bulb burns out, he must hurry to replace it with another 30-watt bulb before the tightness in his chest, faintness, and shortness of breath threatens to render him unconscious.
Now, in the hands of a lesser novelist, all this obsessive redundancy would read like a psychiatric dissertation. However, since the author of The Pleasure of My Company is the brilliantly funny Steve Martin, you can bet that Martin's irony and cynical wit will shine through, creating a masterful portrait of a man who is fully aware that he is on the brink of insanity.
As an example of the aforementioned irony, Daniel enters and wins an essay contest as the most average American. Not only was he thought of as average, but as the leader of the average people. So Daniel justifies his title with the thought that he entered the contest as a lark â he merely wanted an excuse to hang out by the entry forms at the Rite-Aid so he could watch his favorite pharmacist, Zandy, in action.
The Pleasure of My Company, Steve Martin's second novella, equals and then surpasses his first, Shopgirl. As Martin fine-tunes his knack for discovering and detailing the nuances we've all experienced, Company becomes an obsession for its reader, compelling him/her to read it through to the end in one sitting.
Helpful Score: 1
"The Pleasure of My Company" reads as though it's trying too hard, and it reads as though it's shallow, which I fully believe SM is not. Plus, the nature of OCD - obsessive, repetitive thoughts - the way they are presented here, in all their minutiae, makes for boring reading. I even skimmed through some of this little novella. Essentially, we get the blow-by-blow of Pecan's thoughts, which are quite pitiful, written as though we should be laughing.
Helpful Score: 1
I didn't like this as much as Shopgirl, in fact I was a bit dissapointed with this book.
Helpful Score: 1
Steve Martin may be widely known as an actor, but he has the soul of a writer. After reading Shopgirl (and having my spirit sufficiently rocked by it) I knew I had to find another novella written by him to see if it was a fluke.
It wasn't.
The Pleasure of My Company is, again, a wonderful piece. The protagonist, Daniel, is a man of many obsessions. He is very much trapped by himself and his obsessions that restrict crossing the street and sleeping and everything else in his life. Martin is a master of characterization, continually proving that he can build believable and complex characters that people WANT to read about. To watch Daniel interact with the world and people around him is a treat, not only because he is funny in his quirkiness, but because he is a sympathetic character that you find yourself genuinely rooting for. When you close the book, I promise you will do so with a smile.
This novella is beautiful in its effortless simplicity; it is poignant and witty. It remains the only book that I have bought multiple copies of just to send around to friends.
It wasn't.
The Pleasure of My Company is, again, a wonderful piece. The protagonist, Daniel, is a man of many obsessions. He is very much trapped by himself and his obsessions that restrict crossing the street and sleeping and everything else in his life. Martin is a master of characterization, continually proving that he can build believable and complex characters that people WANT to read about. To watch Daniel interact with the world and people around him is a treat, not only because he is funny in his quirkiness, but because he is a sympathetic character that you find yourself genuinely rooting for. When you close the book, I promise you will do so with a smile.
This novella is beautiful in its effortless simplicity; it is poignant and witty. It remains the only book that I have bought multiple copies of just to send around to friends.
Enjoyable story about a "nice guy" with some interesting quirks. Steve Martin does a good job making the main character accessible, instead of thinking "wow, what a wierd guy" I instead wanted him to succeed and be happy.
Took my a little while to get into the book but I think that the beginning pace was important to understanding the main character. Martin writes very well which made me persevere. By the end, I loved the main character and really enjoyed the book's conclusion.
An interesting read though it seems a little odd at times. I was hoping it would be funnier, though there were amusing moments.
I loved this audio. Steve Martin is so funny and innovative.
Steve Martin is a funny man, on screen or in print.
His unreliable narrator isn't completely unreliable. He knows he has OCD and a variety of phobias, but he isn't sure how to get outside his own apartment to improve his life. He subsists on disability checks and gifts from his grandmother. But the few people in his life and a series of strange events draw him out into the bigger world.
A very quick and enjoyable read.
His unreliable narrator isn't completely unreliable. He knows he has OCD and a variety of phobias, but he isn't sure how to get outside his own apartment to improve his life. He subsists on disability checks and gifts from his grandmother. But the few people in his life and a series of strange events draw him out into the bigger world.
A very quick and enjoyable read.
An incredibly beautiful, well-crafted, hilarious novel worthy of anyone's book list.
hard to follow along with his very disjointed writing style.
This is written by Steve Martin (yes, the actor). It was a nice read. Different from what I usually read (Koontz, King, etc). The main character was great.
Steve Martin is one funny guy. And a great author too."The chronicle of a modern-day neurotic yearning to break free."
Another cute Steve Martin book....
he is one of America's best.
he is one of America's best.
Touching story-Steve Martin's writing style is unique and I really enjoy it more with each piece that he presents.
A pretty decent work by Steve Martin. Worth a few hours' worth of weekend reading, for sure.
Loved it! An new side of Steve Martin!
I really enjoyed this book. although i thought the whole time it was going to have a sad ,dark ending that was going to make me cry but i was very surprised...and thoroughly enjoyed it. The book is about a man in his early thirties who has issues mental alphabetizing and understanding simple things without putting them in a logical order..he spends his life walking from place to place, but only if he does not have to step off a curb to get there. When a unlikely relationship occurs and his whole life gets thrown off balance. However, he doesnt want anyone to know about his mental handicaps and keeps his struggles with in. Its a very sweet book and im glad it didnt end on a sad note.
A funny story about a California man by a funny 'Saturday Nite Live' alum.
Though you're never quite sure which mental maladies the main character truly identifies with (possibly all), you're always entertained by Steve Martin's ability to draw a complete, human & intimate picture of him - & the other characters who bring color to his life & challenge him (mostly unwittingly) to be & do more than simply identify with his illness(es). This was quick, fantastic reading - almost too much so. Once I was done, I wanted to read it again. The guy grows on you!!! It didn't hurt that I was intimately familiar w/the setting, but I think anyone can enjoy this book - if they enjoy a great twist of phrase, honest dialogue & the notion of getting inside someone else's head.
This is a great read!
Very funny book.
This was a nice, quick read...I love Steve Martin!!
