Rating: 
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: 
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:
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.
Rating: 
Summary: not the most likeable main character
Review: As with other reviewers, I was seduced by Steve Martin as author as well as the joy I found reading Shopgirl. Alas, there is no joy in Daniel Pecan Cambridge's world for him or for me. I didn't find the prose that humorous at all, and the main character was rather pathetic. And not in a sad, I feel sorry for him, way. Mostly I found him annoying. I felt like slapping him and saying, you dolt, it's just a curb, step over it and get on with your life. Moments were amusing, but with the central character being quite unlikeable, I found the reading a chore and I just didnt care what happened to him.
Rating:
Summary: Poignant characterization
Review: A friend had this book sent to me from Amazon. I wasn't sure I wanted to read it because he said it was funny and since I prefer to read literary works I was dubious about the writing. What a pleasant surprise it was to find it was a very well written portrayal of a transformation. The evolution of the protagonist from a frightened person who lives a limited life, ensnared by his neurosis, to someone whose life gradually blossoms to one of possibilities is finely crafted in this story. One does this book a disservice by referring to it as simply a comedy. Kudos to Steve Martin
Rating:
Summary: give it a chance
Review: Steve Martin has an incredible way with words. Even with his works that I don't particularly enjoy, his use of language shines through, along with his keen sense of observation. I almost didn't finish reading this book because I found the first 20-30 pages fragmented, and perhaps a little condescending toward its protagonist. I persevered, though, and was rewarded with a satisfying story. Heck, just reading about Daniel's trips to Rite Aid is worth the price of admission.
Rating:
Summary: No longer than it needs to be & memorable characters
Review: The Pleasure of My Company is a novel told from the point of view of the protagonist, Daniel Peca Cambridge. Daniel is an obsessive compulsive and a mathematical savant. He is completely benign, and even describes himself that way, albeit deprecatingly. Daniel describes his days and the challenges of life for someone who can't step of curbs or allow the lights in his apartment to be switched such that the total number of watts lit at any time differ. He describes his adventures, which include falling in love three times, winning a contest two times, and learning to love someone enough to overcome some of his obsessions. Altogether, this is a charming narrative with memorable characters. I will add just a few words on the format. I like that the book is thin. Lots of books aren't really any longer than this one, but the publishers/printers make them look longer by putting fewer words on the pages and using thicker paper. This one is not deceptive--it's a quick read, but the boks is as long as it needs to be.
Rating:
Summary: For Steve Martin fans
Review: .
If you want to read a SM book, I'd recommend Shopgirl far and above The Pleasure of My Company. First, I love Steve Martin and pre-ordered this book. But, I'm surprised by all the reviews that call it hysterically funny. It's sad. The protagonist is sad; he suffers a mental illness that's making him miserable - it isn't funny. The writing tries, very hard--too hard--in some places, to be funny. At times, less rather than more, there are genuinely funny lines (I did laugh a little). Mostly, though, we (I include myself) enjoy it because it's Steve Martin and we're fans. Otherwise, this really isn't a very good book. It doesn't have a lot to say and it doesn't say it very well. It isn't very funny and it doesn't treat its subject matter, OCD, in a way that seems appropriate. I don't mean that we can't laugh at misfortune (Steve Martin is GREAT at having us do so), but he misses the mark here. It reads as though it's trying too hard, and it reads as though it's shallow, which I fully believe SM is not. Plus, the nature of OCD - obsessive, repetitive thoughts - makes for boring reading. I even skimmed through some of this little novella. There's just not much here. We get the blow-by-blow of this guy's thoughts, which are quite pitiful, written as though we should be laughing. And his name, "Pecan," as in "nut" - whack us over the head as if we didn't get it! Spoiler:
I liked the redemptive, "Hollywood," ending and unrealistic character growth and recovery. I had a sense of completion, at least, though in this man's world it's pure fantasy. Onto something more substantial...
Rating:
Summary: My love to Daniel (and you too Steve)
Review: I fell in love with Daniel Pecan Cambridge by the end of the first chapter...and loved him even more by p. 172. Daniel is a character both winsome and quirky. His obsessive-compulsive disorder causes him to shut out a major portion of his surroundings...can't get over those curbs. He is infatuated with several women in his current life. But it his heart of gold that shines through and makes this a wonderful little book. When he wins a contest for "Most Normal Person in the USA" we laugh at the irony. His journey home is touching. Steve Martin just so subtly lets us know why Daniel is the way he is. An author who can make me laugh and shed some tears within a few pages gets a big thumbs up in my book. This is an endearing story, just a little better than "Shopgirl."
Rating:
Summary: The lighter side of obsession
Review: Whatever one's opinion may be of Steve Martin as actor/director/screenwriter/painter/etc, his reputation as a fabulous novelist is fast growing and appears to be well-deserved. Martin's latest book, The Pleasure of My Company, revolves completely around Daniel Pecan Cambridge, a "benign" obsessive-compulsive personality who is endearing and funny and very, very real. Martin's ability to relate specific personal details and the fine-tuning of Daniel's inner monologue make the character strikingly authentic. And while there is a lot of laugh-out-loud funny stuff (like the fact that Daniel thinks a jogging suit consists of khakis and loafers, or the scene following this athletic foray that involves some wayward Mineral Ice) Martin does not miss his chance to create a character searching for a fulfilling life. While Daniel's past history is not too detailed and a small segment hinting at a past hardship with his father is vague and a little distracting, overall the reader understands Daniel's self-imposed failings and cheers at the smallest of his accomplishments. An exquisite character study and a truly enjoyable read.
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