Steve Martin - Shopgirl Books

Pros: Character development, prose
Cons: A little sketchy on character interaction

As I write this, there is a DVD, snuggled in its red Netflix envelope, waiting patiently atop a jumble of books in my living room. That DVD contains the film version of the Steve Martin penned Shopgirl. It’s been waiting because I so love to ...

Pros: Beautifully written character study
Cons: Not much action to speak of – this is really just a character study

I saw the movie first. Sometimes that's a problem. Then again, sometimes it's a problem to read the book first and then see the movie. This time, I heard about the movie first so I saw the movie first. Now that I've read the book, I believe that this is ...

Pros: intense character development, realistic characters
Cons: none

Two years ago when I was on bedrest with my third child, three of my girlfriends got together and sent me a care package that included several books, one of which was Steve Martin's Shopgirl. I don't know how or why I missed reading it at the time ...

Pros: easy, quick read
Cons: stock characters, epilogue

Shop Girl is the story of a twenty-eight year-old Vermont girl, trying to find her place by moving to Los Angeles and starting her own life across the country. She has emotional baggage from both her upbringing and via clinical depression. Add ...

Pros: clever, witty, and endearing
Cons: gets a little too bogged down in emotions rather than events at times

Shopgirl is not the work of a wild and crazy guy. It is subtle, pensive, and skillfully crafted. Something you might expect from the Steve Martin who appeared in Parenthood or The Spanish Prisoner, rather than the one in The Jerk or The Man With Two...

Pros: well written, clear imagery.
Cons: characters a little too shallow

Paul Simon discusses his mid-life crisis in his song "You can call me Al, Steve Martin describes his in Shopgirl, a novella. At least with Steve Martin's book, I never have to open it again. With Paul Simon's song, every now and again I...

Pros: Shopgirl packs an enormous emotional punch
Cons: The story ends leaving the reader salivating for more

Everywhere you turn these days, comedians are writing stories and books, which are essentially a regurgitation of their stand up routines. However, I must say that Steve Martin is one of the few comedians that can actually write, the other one in my book...

Pros: Excellent character development; astute observations on modern life. And it's very, very funny.
Cons: Surely you jest.

When I heard that actor/comedian/Wild-N-Crazy King Tut crooner Steve Martin had recently published a novella entitled Shopgirl, and that it was receiving positive critical attention, it took me all of about five minutes to decide that I was going...

Pros: Taut writing; excellent character development; subtle humor; melancholy beauty.
Cons: A pat ending...I only have a minor beef with that, as it's still satisfying.

One of my favorite memories of when I was but a sprout was listening to my father's Steve Martin LPs. I liked to sing along to King Tut, and I pretended to understand jokes such as "My mother's singing teacher is a dirty old man. He keeps telling her to...

Pros: Excellent character study; unexpectedly moving
Cons: The ending feels rushed

Steve Martin never fails to surprise and impress.

He's come a long way from his arrow through the head and white suit days (which I always enjoyed, I must add). He's proven his abilities as a dramatic actor in such films as "The Spanish...

Pros: Short, easy to read, intricate analysis of relationships which skewers the stereotype of LA shawllowness
Cons: Short, and is deceptively shallow

In this touching and beautiful little novella, Martin displays his talents in another medium of communication. In an oddly effective narrative style (the narrative is presented entirely in the present tense, e.g. "Mirabelle leans across the counter on...

Pros: Martin at his neurotic best, good story, decent writing.
Cons: Martin at his neurotic best

I'll admit it; I'm a Steve Martin fan. I've been one since the early eighties when my adolescent brother thought he was funny to shove q-tips in his ears and do cheap take-off impersonations of Martin's comedy routines. I watched SNL at that time with...

Pros: small, lovely, poignant, moments of inspired perspicuity into a variety of human psyches
Cons: too short?

I listened to Shopgirl. I picked it up because I was looking for a book to listen to for my drive back to Nashville and it was short, unabridged, and written and read by Steve Martin. I expected on and off, rather forced funniness, I think, and was...

Pros: Mirabelle's student loans as well as credit card debts are taken care of
Cons: Ray's sexual desires are often met by the experienced Neiman Marcus employee

If there were any way to predict the novella's seductive qualities, one wouldn't have to look past the satin-red colored book jacket, which matches the colors of lingerie sported by the angelic models who grace the glossy
pages of...

Pros: Beautiful language and touching emotion
Cons: Characters not fleshed out enough and somewhat unsatisfying ending

I had many different preconceived notions when I first picked up Steve Martin's book. I expected either a rookie try at writing a serious novel or a laugh-out-loud funny comedy similar to the talented artist's movies or skits on Saturday Night Live....