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Pleasure of My Company, The/ Unabridged

Pleasure of My Company, The/ Unabridged

List Price: $25.98
Your Price: $16.37
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: OC DELICIOUS!
Review: Daniel Pecan is weird and quirky and narcissistic to some degree. But you love him immediately.
Steve says he took more risks writing this book. I saw him at the NYC book fair when he spoke. And I could definately see that he went out a limb. May be we are getting closer to a glimpse at Martin himself.
The women are still written beautifully. He knows us so well, it is almost like he must have the power to enter our minds at times. (See Shopgirl)
Martin is really very humble in person. One of the nicest celebs I have encountered. You could tell when he switched into a character he had played and he seemed more comfortable there than as himself.
Sad, cause who would not want to be you Steve? King Tutt was brilliant. Plains, Trains, and Automobiles!
I am just glad you are still sharing! Thank you for the glimpses.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: I didn't know he could write.
Review: Good story. Main character is crazy. I laughed out loud 4 or five times, two times uncontrolably ( I wish this thing had spell check). He can write.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Understanding how the mind works
Review: Knowing and loving someone with OCD I found this book like looking into a mirror of my life. I think anyone that has had a relationship with a person who's life is challenged by this disorder will find that Steve Martin's story helps in understanding how the mind of your loved one works, and how strangth can be found in the smallest things to fight the biggest battles (like curbs). I thank Mr. Martin for writting this book and giveing others a look at what life is like for many living in a world controlled by obsessive thoughts and the peopel that love them.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A good read
Review: OK, I'm the only guy in the world that will confess that I didn't used to find Steve Martin funny. I thought his "wild and crazy guys" skit was silly and actually walked out of "The Man With Two Brains." Now, years later, I find him to be a smart writer. I live about 100 miles south of LA but this book gives a great flavor of what it must be like to be an obsessive compulsive in LA. Daniel Pecan Cambridge is the main character; he needs you to know about the wattage in his apartment, about the curbs in his neighborhood, and what makes him average. In all of this I found him to be endearing and was actually rooting for him in his romances. This is one of those rare books that sucks you in and makes you feel like a friend.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Quirky and quick
Review: First off, this book is not Shopgirl.

That is, for me, it didn't leave the same indelible impression that the comic genius' first novella left me with. It is a remarkably quick read, and contained passages that had me laughing out loud. One particular passage that has stayed with me had to do with seeing someone -- a non-comedian -- actually do a double take in real life. The book left me with an undeniable impression of the pain that a neurotic, obsessive-compulsive guy must feel every day.

That being said, I think Mr. Martin took some easy ways out to end the story. I don't want to give anything away; I'll just say that for a story so unconventional in its ability to make entertaining pages and pages of describing someone who has trouble doing anything, I felt neither the tremendous change that would have been necessary to justify the main characters sudden ability to act, nor the subtle build up to said action.

This book, nonetheless, made me laugh and laugh hard, and for that, I am grateful.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Steve Martin is a Genuis
Review: I loved his previous book ShopGirl, and loved this one even more. The quirky characters come alive. It is just such a marvelous book. Who knew Steve Martin has the heart of a compassionate loving soul!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: His Company was not that Pleasurable
Review: The main character is obsessive compulsive and the book recounts his thinking through his neuroses, infatuations and events in his life. He has an uncanny insight into his own insanity (as he refers to it). Many of the character's infatuations were reminiscent of a pubescent teenager's. His analysis of the "relationship" he was fostering with a real estate agent he never met but had seen was humorous.

I did not find the character very likeable. He was not sympathetic in any way and frankly, I got tired of his rantings. Nor did I find the book hilarious as the reviews had promised. Several of the scenes resonated with Steve Martin's comedic voice and I could imagine him playing the part. This was what made Shopgirl so incredible - it was well-written and you could not imagine it was Mr. Martin doing the writing. This book seemed like more of a screenplay than a novel.

The ending was pure Hollywood; again making it seem more a screenplay than a novel. After loving Shopgirl, this was a huge letdown. The writing is still good and that is what got it to a three star rating. I can not whole-heartedly recommend this book as I can Shopgirl.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Wild and Crazy Guy?
Review: Daniel Cambridge is not wild, but he may be a little crazy. After all, when he leaves his Santa Monica apartment he must avoid curbs, crossing only where two scooped-out driveways face each other. That is only one of the obsessions and compulsions holding Daniel captive, and the twice-weekly visits of therapist-in-training Clarissa don't seem to be making much of a difference.

In other hands, Daniel's character could be pathetic. However, Steve Martin makes him more eccentric than truly crazy, and the coping mechanisms Daniel has developed to live within the constraints of his neuroses are actually sort of endearing. It was a joy to watch Daniel take his tentative steps toward engaging with the world, and I found myself rooting for him all along the way.

Even in the earliest days of his stand-up career (I've been a fan since 1970) Steve Martin's intelligence was obvious. His use of language makes his writing both funny and smart. In some ways, this novel reminded me of "Roxanne," and the qualities that made that film so enjoyable.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An exageration of everyones inner-dialogue
Review: This book was fantastic. Some have said that the lead character isn't likeable...likeable or not, Martin has created a character that simply magnifies all that lives in each of us. Anyone that feels they occasionally live inside their own head a little too much will fall over laughing while also starting to wonder if they are truly neurotic, not normal, while reading this book. The ending is fantastic...Martin is great with words, incredibly humorous, but also has something to say. I was very surprised with how deeply this little book touched me.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very Good
Review: It's good to see authors embracing literature and taking chances. Martin does not create an overly likable lead character which is a dangerous chance to take, but it works to both humorous and moving advantage. Rikki Lee Travolta did it with his book My Fractured Life to great success. I'm glad to see Martin follow a similar path to an equally enjoyable outcome.


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