Rating: 
Summary: At least it's short.
Review: I love Steve Martin, but I was thoroughly disappointed with this recent work. I would have put the book down shortly after I began reading it, but I was avoiding writing a long academic paper. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure that my choice to continue reading the book was the least painful one. Still, I gave this book an extra star for being short (it's a one-day read). Perhaps my criticism is due to a deep hatred of romance-type novels. Additionally, I expected a bit more comedy from Steve. Regardless of the reasons, though, it stunk.
Rating: 
Summary: Sheer perfection.
Review: I've been a huge fan of Steve Martin's work for decades, but I honestly believe that hasn't prejudiced my review of "Shopgirl." I would have considered this one of the best pieces of literature I've read all year if it were written by a total unknown. "Shopgirl" is the charming story of a young woman who works as in the glove department at Neimans. Her job and her life are a study in stillness. Martin tells her story with complete honesty and beautifully nuanced prose. A description of a Saturday night: "...Mirabella in not afraid to go to a local bar alone, which this night she does, where she might run into someone she knows or nurse a drink and listen to the local band. As she sits in the booth...it never occurs to Mirabella to observe herself, and thus is spared the image of a shy girl alone in a bar on a Saturday night." He also perfectly captures LA at the turn of the millenium. His description of a gallery showing: "The party needs a volume control but there isn't one, and everyone would be straining to hear each other except they are all talking simultaneously." Even though their themes are ultimately very different, Martin's writing style and eye for detail kept reminding me of Fitzgerald in "The Great Gatsby". Obviously, I can't recommend this book highly enough.
Rating:
Summary: fun read
Review: I enjoyed this book. I read it this past weekend and I was very impressed. I have always liked Steve Martin in movies, but I never knew he was such a good writer! I especially enjoyed the way he wrote the different perspectives on the same conversation between a man and a woman discussing their relationship. He really seemed to understand the root of many common misunderstandings between men and women!
Rating: 
Summary: East Coast Book Club
Review: Steve Martin did an amazing job telling this story from the perspective of a woman. It was endearing and warm and fun to read. He has a wonderful way of creating this whole world around the simple life of a sales girl from Neiman's.
Rating:
Summary: Shop Girl - BEST book ever!
Review: Steve Martin amazed me . . . not only is he a great actor but a fabulous writer as well!!! Shop Girl recently became my all time favorite book, moving Go Ask Alice by Annonymus to a close second. Why was shop girl so good you ask? Martin writes with a style that is intriguing and makes you want to read more. The book possesses an overwhelming amount of truth about relationships, sex, love, emotion, life, work, depression, etc. that makes it unique. It was a relief to find an author that was not afraid to tell the story how it would happen in REAL life . . . with all the details and vulgar language. But in doing so, Martin explores the most sensitive of topics and then proceeds to say all the things people think but are afraid to share. Shop Girl is simply brillant and a book that everyone needs to read . . . it make a great gift and is a quick read. Steve Martin gets my vote as an author and I give Shop Girl 5 stars!!!
Rating:
Summary: Fun quick read!
Review: Sex. Immaturity. Shallowness. Vulnerability. Fear. Betrayal. Committment. Shopgirl is a fun, quick read that covers all these aspects of relationships. You'll enjoy this book because you'll either see a little bit of your love life or certainly someone else's. You'll never walk into a store like Neiman Marcus without thinking about gloves and the Mirabelle's, Ray's, Jeremy's and Lisa's of the world! Enjoy 8^)
Rating: 
Summary: I wish it was better!
Review: I am a big fan of Steve Martin, the actor, though found this book very disappointing. I expected something clever and somewhat interesting, but it was neither. I found the story to be extremely generic with very little to offer. The characters were so simple that I pictured cartoon characters in my mind's eye. If your looking for strong character development or even a good story, go elsewhere. I wish it was better.
Rating:
Summary: I'm a Steve Martin fan
Review: I am a steve martin fan so i am a little biased, but i really enjoyed this book. It was an extremely short and quick read, but i felt that Martin does a good job with the writing. It was quirky and oddly written at times, but i could definitely hear martin speaking it while i read. I like the idea that steve martin wrote from a young woman's perspective
Rating:
Summary: Wish it was as good as the cover
Review: I have to admit I bought this book because it was red and shiny and because the first paragraph reminded me of the writing style of Frederick Barthelme, on the a short story of almost the same name-'Shopgirls' (Law of Averages), plural is the difference. After the first paragraph I found out it was'nt and I got confuse on who's point of view I am on. First or third? Anyway, I did finish the book and was hoping to be enlightened. But I was sort of disappointed, 'sort of since' I already had a feeling that the ending was flat. I'm not a big fan of Steve Martin and was hoping that reading this book would change my view of him since it was highly rated, but it didn't. His style of writing is not intriguing enough for me. Needs to let his readers think a little bit, and not flat out over explain things. He uses "which means" which means... that he's telling the story instead of showing and having the audience be part of it. You know how it goes when theres a middle man in any situation, theres always something left out or exagerated or misinterpreted... That's how I felt reading this book. Steve Martin himself was the middle man and that there was something left out. Which means (hehe).
Rating:
Summary: It was really good!
Review: I am shocked by how much I really, really enjoyed this brief little work of fiction. We already knew Steve Martin could write a good joke, but who knew this literary talent was hidden under the surface? The brief story centers around Mirabelle, a sad young woman trying to eek out a living selling gloves at Nieman Marcus. We see roughly a year in her life which see dates and falls in love with an older man who has taken pains to let her know their's is a relationship that will not end in commitment. We see how his wealth helps to change her but in the end what we see is how she really comes to change herself. This is quite a lovely comming of age story. Hats off to Mr. Martin.
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