From the bestselling author of Shopgirl comes the tender story of a troubled man who finds love, and life, in the most unexpected place.
Daniel resides in his Santa Monica apartment, living much of his life as a bystander: He watches from his window as the world goes by, and his only relationships seem to be with people who barely know he exists. He passes the time idly filling out contest applications, counting ceiling tiles, and estimating the wattage of light bulbs.
It is through Daniel's growing attachment to Clarissa, and to Teddy, that he finally gains the courage to begin to engage the world outside, and in doing so, he discovers love, and life, in the most surprising places.
Filled with his trademark humor, tenderness, and out and out hilarious wordplay, The Pleasure of My Company is a tour de force sure to delight all of Steve Martin's fans.
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"I happen to think Steve Martin is a genius. Or to put it into terms Sarah and Dalia would understand, "I'd knock him up". In this book, he writes about some sort of obsessive-compulsive savant, and to write about brilliance, you've got to have some in you. I always read Martin's little novellas when i'm being non-committal on the bookshelf and get in those modes when i can't finish a single book. His books are short, smart and funny. One more comment is that I feel like Steve Martin is notably over-sexualized for an older man, much like Roald Dahl. On the other hand, it could be merely an unconventional reminder than men over 60 are human too. even if they still think like 13 year olds...."
— JJ (4 out of 5 stars)
" Read this about 5 years ago. It was interesting and funny. "
— Laurie, 2/11/2014" Another strong book from Steve Martin. He should really spend more time writing novels with his gifts, but I guess he's financing his writing through acting! "
— Julia, 2/7/2014" I enjoyed this book and getting to know the main character and the people he interacts with and how it ends for the main character. I would recommend this book. It short and an easy enjoyable read. Give it 20 pages though. "
— Marsha, 2/2/2014" A sweet, yet unrealistic story. I found Pleasure of My Company to be a humorous contrast to Martin's other, more sober works. Yet his treatment of Daniel's mental illness was a little too off for me to really embrace this book. At first, Martin presents Daniel as laughable, which seemed unkind, and then he presents Daniel as curable, which seemed fanciful. A cute story nonetheless. "
— Corinne, 1/30/2014" I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Jill and I listened to an audio version of the book, read by Steve Martin, driving back to NY from Michigan. This was the first Steve Martin book I'd ever "read," so I didn't know what to expect. To my great delight, the book was tender, funny, touching, and extremely well-written. This is a "small" story -- you really get into the inner-world of an extremely quirky narrator. Despite that limited viewpoint, however, the story touches on very big issues. I'd recommend listening to the audio book if possible, because I can imagine how just reading the text, without Martin's expert narration, might cause you to miss some of the jokes. "
— Niko, 1/15/2014" What a wonderful, quirky, little book. There is no end to Steve Martin's talent. "
— Bettye, 1/15/2014" I was expecting something quirky and fun like Shopgirl, but I didn't like this one at all! Mostly because I found the main character, Daniel, totally unlikable, a liar, and just plain ole' creepy. Yuk! "
— Alyson, 1/12/2014" I loved the detail Of the neurotic thought process. "
— Carmel, 1/11/2014" Another great Steve Martin book. Well written, witty, highly enjoyable. "
— Jacqulyn, 1/6/2014" Did not bother to finish it..... "
— Amy, 12/17/2013" This book was a quick and great read. I can't really say enough good about it and the growth of the main character. The tables, that I'm sure real people have to do to calm themselves, was amazing to me. Steve Martin isn't only a great comedic actor but a wonderful writer also! "
— Hollyhocks, 12/1/2013Steve Martin is a legendary writer, actor, and performer. His film credits include Father of the Bride, Parenthood, The Spanish Prisoner, and Bringing Down the House, as well as Roxanne, L.A. Story, and Bowfinger, for which he also wrote the screenplays. He’s won Emmys for his television writing and two Grammys for comedy albums. In addition to a play, Picasso at the Lapin Agile, he has written a bestselling collection of comic pieces, Pure Drivel, and a bestselling novella, Shopgirl, which was made into a movie.