Rating: 
Summary: Steve Martin can write!
Review: Most of us are familiar with Steve Martin the comedic actor and not Steve Martin the author. Well, it's about time we all took a closer look at Martin the author because the guy CAN write. Not only is The Pleasure of My Company well-written, but it's also thoughtfully constructed. For people who are expecting this novel to be the literary equivalent to Martin's cinematic slapstick physical comedy will either be pleasantly surprised or sorely disappointed. TPOMC has a Zen-like quality to it, which originates from the character's constant and often witty introspection. This calmness is in direct opposition with the character's numerous disruptive habits stemming from his OCD and the problems that arise from this conflict, along with the character's steady transformation, makes for a delightful and entertaining read.
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Summary: It is a bad version of "The Jerk"
Review: This literary version of "The Jerk" never gets going for me. It starts off as a monologue and since I know Steve Martin wrote it the image I got in my head is of Steve on stage telling me this story. Once a few characters are introduced they have no depth or real life. As the books goes on the story never progresses. The main character has no conflicts to change is character. He has a few obsessive compulsive issues to deal with but they mysterously dissolve by the end of the book. I found the ending to be particularly bad. The main character's problems are solved and he finds true love in a terrible final 10 pages. This was a story about a wierd guy who has some mildly humurous episodes and then gets better. Who cares?
Rating: 
Summary: I Think I Liked It
Review: The jury is still out for me on Steve Martin as a writer. I really enjoyed "Shop Girl." "Pleasure of My Company" had some great moments and fresh and unique ideas, but didn't capture me in the same way. I found more similarities to "Shop Girl" with Augusten Burroughs' "Sellevision" or Rikki Lee Travolta's "My Fractured Life" then I necessarily found with "Pleasure of My Company". It is a unique and interesting book, not bad at all. It's just different than what I expected and not filled with that same quick wit I found in "Shop Girl" and with Burroughs and Travolta. I'm not counting Martin out. I liked this novel I think, I'm just not as sure as in the past.
Rating: 
Summary: Tender, Touching and Triumphant!
Review: This is a wonderfully written book with depth, charm and humor! Kudos to Steve Martin! Thank you!
Rating: 
Summary: Get on the court in life!
Review: While I haven't read Steve Martin's first book, this book was horrible! I'm not interested in the thoughts and delusions of this character who's obsessions and psychoses rule his boring, mundane life. I'd rather read about someone who gets on the court and plays the game of life, not someone who lets life pass them by.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I loved this book, it was fun, interesting and kept my attention. I didn't realize who wrote it at first. I'm very impressed!
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Summary: THE PERFECT NOVELLA & A PLEASURE TO READ
Review: Steve Martin has written the perfect novel here: Compelling, witty, gentle, and pure joy to read. Anyone tired of crime and violence novels will love Daniel Cambridge, Martin's first person character in PLEASURE. Though his mental stability keeps him confined to out of work status at his California apartment, Daniel finds attractive elements in each of the women he desires. Charming them each in his non-aggressive way, Daniel eventually finds the love of his life through selfless, altruistic acts by merely being his sweet self. Martin seems to know much about women with his honest observations and descriptions of their inner and outer beauty. You almost wish he would pass along his secret to being a gentleman, but he is subtler than that. Quite simply, Daniel is a man you wish you knew in real life.What is delightful about this novel beyond the brilliant prose and soothing descriptions, is knowing that when Steve Martin tires of acting we will be enjoying his novels. I have been a Steve Martin fan for years, reading most of his offbeat books, and listening to all of his comedy albums. I found SHOP GIRL to be a surprisingly fun novel to read. Martin has raised the bar for himself with PLEASURE and I look forward to additional, and longer stories. Steve Martin is truly a talent to be cherished. Read this book. You'll be glad you did. Steve, write more and longer books!
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Summary: wow. he can write, too...
Review: Steve Martin may be known for his acting and comedy, but he should not be discounted for his writing. He translates well from one role to the next. I was a bit hesitant at first, but his success as a screenwriter/playwright convinced me to try his fiction. I was not disappointed. Although the story is short, its characters are so fresh and real that you wish the book had more pages. Martin's portrayal of obsessive-compulsive behavior was so hilarious and dead-on that I wondered if he had been studying me.
You can read this book in one sitting, and you will enjoy the story and Martin's intelligent writing.
rdnewman.com
Rating:
Summary: Read this book!
Review: Read this book! It's fun and quirky lead, Daniel, is plagued with neurosis both hilarious and disconcerting...A short read, but well worth the money...It will bring a smile to your face...
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Summary: A pecaned slice of life.
Review: Being named after a nut or "human error" dulling his Mensa score are part of the typical day for Daniel Pecan Cambridge, but his story is not your typical read. It's a knotted twist on what defines "normal" and maneuvering the curbs along the way. Daniel lives life mainly in his head, entertaining himself (and the reader) with wonders of minutia. In less talented hands than writer/actor Martin, Daniel might come across menacing; the "elixirs" served to the starlet in his building somehow taste like a kindness, an ear listening, an eye seeing some inner magestic...just like Daniel would like to be seen. He's awarded with "Most Average American" - not bad for someone who knows that acoustical ceiling tiles contain 64 sound-absorbing holes; a bright fellow who's apartment's total light wattage must be exactly 1125. Judge only if you don't care how your towels are folded OR if your remote control doesn't have it's "spot" to rest. This story, Martin's second novel, shines a ray on one idea clearly: No matter how secular, aloof or protected someone designs their path to be, life has a way of serpentining in and wrapping around "the quiet heart." "One half of my face was shut like a salted snail, while the other half was held open in an attempt to see." With THAT eye, introduce yourself to The Pleasure Of My Company. --Laurel825
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