Rating: 
Summary: I shouldn't have liked this book....
Review: but I did. I usually don't go for the slice of life books about people and their psychological problems. But this one had such depth of insight (go figure) that I ended up caring a great deal about the characters. Martin somehow has figured out what goes through a needy girl's mind when venturing into the world of adult relationships. He also figured out how embarking (by chance, in this case) on the path of self-discovery, the explicit knowledge that _ideas matter_, can change a life. And he has figured out that a 50 year old man can be no more developed than a 25 year old - and the result of that. To those that think relationships are a great mystery, this book will give an insight. Not answers, but an insight.
Rating: 
Summary: Haunting and lovely
Review: It's a shame that some people read Shopgirl expecting Steve Martin's comedy. They'll leave disappointed and will have missed so much of what this books has to offer. Martin is able to paint a very insightful picture of loneliness and the quest to "fix ourselves." He satirizes modern expectations and relationships. It's alternately funny and emotionally painful to read. I'm sure everyone can identify with characters in this novella. It's a beautiful and meaningful story. Even the language and turns of phrase used are delightful. Don't underestimate Martin's ability as a writer. There isn't anything that man can't do.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Novella
Review: Shop Girl by Steven Martin is a profoundly interesting book about a shy, lonesome young lady who works at Neiman Markus in the glove department. The glove department, however, hardly ever gets any customers, so her day mainly consists of sitting behind the counter by herself thinking of all the people she wishes she were. Everyday for lunch she goes to the same diner and sits at the same table. She lives alone with her cat, who she cares about greatly. Her life is monotonous and depression is always a battle with her. She constantly needs to be prescribed with different medicines because after a while the old ones won't have an effect anymore.
Her life suddenly gets interesting when a strange man buys a pair of gloves from her department. Curiously enough she receives a pair of gloves in the mail a few days later, the same gloves she had just sold.
This book explores the wonder of love, affairs, and the emotionally unstable; the complexity of relationships and the desire for sex. The life one begins to lead can often times lead into something you wouldn't expect with people you don't really know.
The journey of the shop girl and how her life is transformed and affected is created in a descriptive, entrapping way, which won't let you put down the book.
Rating:
Summary: Steve Martin's Brilliance in Yet Another Medium
Review: Steve Martin's "Shopgirl" is one of the most pleasant literary surprises for me in the last year.
I received the added bonus of hearing Martin deliver the book on audio CD.
I've been a newspaper reporter for 30 years and would rank as one of my favorite hobbies the pure enjoyment of the English language, in written or spoken word, or in the lyrics of music.
In that venue, "Shopgirl" is nothing short of brilliant, and I'll explain what company I'm placing this literary gem in:
For me, the English language, in its most creative forms, has meant seeing and hearing the brilliance of "My Fair Lady," "Camelot," "Music Man" and other musical classics.
It has meant watching Richard Burton deliver some of the more memorable monologues in cinema. The enjoyment has included the now classic humor of Jerry Seinfeld, the incredible prose of William Manchester in his book, "The Last Lion Alone," about Winston Churchill. And the brilliant prose in "Cold Mountain."
And most recently, it has meant hearing Steve Martin read a novella he wrote, which possesses such preciseness and economy of wording that one is left with the feeling that he has heard a true original. Nothing borrowed, nothing rethought; in its purest form, "Shopgirl" is Mr. Martin's original take on contemporary social interaction.
I heard the audio CD four months ago and my opinion has not changed. This is a masterpiece, brilliant in its study of human nature and relentless uncovering of the psyche of the main characters. Bravo, Mr. Martin!
Rating:
Summary: Love will tear us apart
Review: I've just barely finished reading this and while reading it people who've only heard of it would say that they had "heard it was 'depressing'" - which even though that's a serious, grown-up word, doesn't make much sense in this. Now, you can still continue reading my revue without spoiling a thing because I simply hate robbing people of the first impression of things. SO, the book follows a somewhat brief, but undeniably important part of a girl's mundane existence when she unwittingly accepts a promising invitation for a dinner date, and it goes from there. It's a very thoughtful, tender story and I like the thoughts that came to mind that I don't remember by the end of the chapter, but felt glad that I had the thoughts anyway because they resonate a lasting memory of something good (whatever the thoughts were). The story itself is haunting and if you try hard enough, you may hear Steve Martin's voice narrating it, in your mind. Or just try not to think about the fact that he wrote it... even if that is the sole reason you're curious about it. So all in all, it's a really good story even for those who are willing to give a short book a look-see.
Rating:
Summary: A different kind of romance
Review: Truly a masterpiece of modern literature, Martin's Shopgirl explores the territory of male - female relationships and offers surprising revelations. In the short space of 134 pages, we are shown the true developement process of lovers by chance and mentors due to circumstance Shopgirl, by Steve Martin, is written in a causual style and expresses human emotions so profoundly - without the pomp and circumstance commonly found in many novels.
Each word matters. The effect is at once mesmerizing and hypnotic, sad and surprising, and joyfull...joyfull? As I write this word, I am surprised I would use it as a way to describe this touching tale of self-discovery and ...romance? I'm not quite sure romance is the correct word. By romance I mean the kind that a character has within. Shopgirl presents a tale of ignorance, that is oftentimes painful to imagine.
An essential read. the images linger long after reading a single chapter.
Martin weaves a seemingly effortless and touching story that is a masterpiece because of its simplicity. This is an Adult novella that focuses on mental beginnings and growth.
Although it is short enough to be read in a single sitting, I truly enjoyed the suspense of reading it over the course of several days. I sincerely recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Uniquely Martin View of Life
Review: I am usually not a fiction fan, but I read "Shopgirl" because of my utmost faith and admiration for its author. He did not let me down. This was a truly remarkable book. In reading "Shopgirl," I found the uniquely Steve Martin view on life and relationships, without the humorous spin the author usually maintains. The author writes with a view on life similar to that in his movie, "LA Story," but the similarities end there. "Shopgirl" is not a comedy, which gives Martin the freedom to explore intricacies he could have never touched if he was working to make the reader laugh. However, he does expose the intrinsic humor in humans fumbling through relationships, while not allowing it to interrupt the storyline or character development. I found the language easy to read and the characters extremely well-developed for a novella of this size. It gets a rare five stars from me, and I would recommend it to almost anybody.
Rating: 
Summary: Not satisfying
Review: Normally, I would never write a review of a book (especially one I didn't like), but I felt an obligation to the future customers who would see the (former) four-star review and be led to the conclusion that this is a good book. I didn't find it funny, I found it depressing and weird. Ray/Mirabelle's relationship didn't interest me whatsoever, and the closing of the book portrayed Mirabelle as a very shallow person. Who knows, maybe I'll like the upcoming movie (I do like Claire Danes..). Steve Martin is one of my favorite actors, but in my opinion (maybe yours too?), he should stick to that.
Rating: 
Summary: Incomplete
Review: I tend to admire Steve Martin for his subtle absurdity. I picked this book up on the shelf and read the first few pages and decided to buy it. It's a pleasant read. There's some nice writing in there. There is subtle comedy, touchingly bittersweet theories on the motivations of men and women in sexual relationships. But I agree with the person who says the author got bored and decided to end it. Actually, my theory was that something came up, a deadline, or another project, and he decided to wrap up this scribbling zipped up the last chapter and turned it in to the publisher. The ending is rushed and brings the story to an unsatisfying close. I got no satisfaction from Lisa's supposed "comeuppance." So she slept with the wrong guy - yawn. But the biggest problem I had was the storyline involving the father and his Vietnam buddy. As the book rounded out to the end, I thought "Okay, 10 pages left to find out what happened to the father in Vietnam. 3 pages left." It seems he forgot about that part of the story. What kind of slipshod publisher would have allowed that? At least if they weren't going to finish that story, they NEEDED to cut it out. It has no place in this book as is. Even though I enjoyed reading the book for the sake of Mr. Martin's raw material, I am embarrassed to have bought it and contributed it's profits. The rest of the world has to work harder than this to make money. D-
Rating: 
Summary: Quaint but much like David Gilmour's "How Boys See Girls"
Review: David Gilmour's "How Boys See Girls" (1992) is very much like this work by Mr. Martin (older man, younger woman, love, not love, sex, obsession etc.) but much better. After reading Gilmour there's not much more to get out of "Shopgirl" as a man. It's a nice continuation of the study of how men see women. Both put into words what most of us experience in our everyday relationships and the quest for something greater. I give this 3 out of 5 simply because I've read this story before in Gilmour's book, so -2 points on originality. Other than that, it's a nice story to read in a couple of hours while enjoying a tasty mocha at your favorite cafe.
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