Shopgirl: A Novella
by Steve Martin
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Read in June, 2007
I picked up Shopgirl at the Strand for $4.95. I had heard of it vaguely as the movie with Steven Martin in it as an adaptation of the book Steve Martin wrote. I purchased it as a book that I could take with me on vacation and have it be ultimately disposable. Sometimes this trick backfires on me as I end up really liking a book and toting it home with me regardless of my original intentions. This is not one of those times.
Shopgirl tells the story of depressed, artist Mirabelle who works beh...more
Shopgirl tells the story of depressed, artist Mirabelle who works beh...more
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I don't know why, but I almost want to perceive the story of the relationship of Mirabelle and Ray Porter as the author's parable of all relationships between older men and younger women.
A shy young woman toils in relative obscurity, unseen and unappreciated by her contemporaries (men and women alike), still emotionally a child waiting to bloom; an older man takes notice of her and is able to appreciate her youth and freshness and need for someone to notice.
Of course, there's the sex; ...more
A shy young woman toils in relative obscurity, unseen and unappreciated by her contemporaries (men and women alike), still emotionally a child waiting to bloom; an older man takes notice of her and is able to appreciate her youth and freshness and need for someone to notice.
Of course, there's the sex; ...more
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Read in April, 2008
There are a handful of writers I've come across who've successfully broken the "show, don't tell" rule every writer is taught. Kurt Vonnegut was one, and Steve Martin is another. It'd be hard to imagine Vonnegut in "Breakfast of Champions," for example, giving the reader all the information he wants to convey about Kilgore Trout, Dwayne Hoover and Eliot Rosewater through action and dialogue alone. Similarly, Martin in "Shopgirl," which is almost completely lacking i...more
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
boring people
OH, what an utterly FASCINATING look into the totally important and equally fascinating stereotypes regarding heterosexual sexual relationships. Everyone in this book could have died in a fire, and I wouldn't have cared. The girl, I hate her. I refuse to believe this girl is smart, everything she does indicates that she is a complete idiot. But the reader is supposed to accept that she is smart because Steve Martin cleverly includes this in the narration by saying something like "She is s...more
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Shopgirl may be thin, but it's not light. Some might think that Martin, in his debut novella, would go for the easy laughs of his earlier books, Cruel Shoes<i/> and <i>Pure Drivel. Instead he draws a stunningly lifelike portrait of a young woman, Mirabelle, and the two suitors who don't so much win her heart as force it to change alliances.
There's humor--how could there not be--but it's found in characters and not situations. This is not a book populated by props wh...more
There's humor--how could there not be--but it's found in characters and not situations. This is not a book populated by props wh...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommended to Jenn by:
Jenrecommends it for: fans of the novella
This is the review I posted while I was in the process of reading the book in my livejournal:
<pre>I am currently reading "Shopgirl", borrowed from [Jen]. I'm not far in, but I have to say that I find Steve Martin's writing style very...interesting. It's actually similar to mine (not to call mine interesting, the thought just occurred to me right now), a weird sort of third-person that I think there is a word for that I can't remember.
There are two things that are very har...more
<pre>I am currently reading "Shopgirl", borrowed from [Jen]. I'm not far in, but I have to say that I find Steve Martin's writing style very...interesting. It's actually similar to mine (not to call mine interesting, the thought just occurred to me right now), a weird sort of third-person that I think there is a word for that I can't remember.
There are two things that are very har...more
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Read in July, 2007
From my blog (I listened to the audio book):
I can honestly say that I haven't seen all that many Steve Martin movies. Father of the Bride. Father of the Bride II. Cheaper by the Dozen. A bit of SNL. That about covers my Steve Martin experience. So when I was listening to Shopgirl, read by Steve Martin, I was a little taken aback by some of the language (George Banks shouldn't say such things!).
The protagonist (if you can call her that -- events happened to her more often than not) is Mi...more
I can honestly say that I haven't seen all that many Steve Martin movies. Father of the Bride. Father of the Bride II. Cheaper by the Dozen. A bit of SNL. That about covers my Steve Martin experience. So when I was listening to Shopgirl, read by Steve Martin, I was a little taken aback by some of the language (George Banks shouldn't say such things!).
The protagonist (if you can call her that -- events happened to her more often than not) is Mi...more
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Read in January, 2004
recommends it for:
Steve Martin fans, novella fans, people with emotions :-)
I read this book out of curiosity because I'd always wondered what kind of writer Steve Martin is. (I mean, I'd used his quote "I think I did pretty well, considering all I started out with was a bunch of blank paper" for YEARS in writing classes, at the tops of syllabi, etc. I could at least see what he'd done with that blank paper.)
I was pleasantly surprised. I *really* liked this novella. It was the right size for the story. I think too often writers cram a lot into a short ...more
I was pleasantly surprised. I *really* liked this novella. It was the right size for the story. I think too often writers cram a lot into a short ...more
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Read in July, 2007
I love Steve Martin. <---This was how I was going to begin this review. Cushioning the harsh criticism with true admiration. Before I continued ...after that first line I decided I was much too harsh and I went into other goodreads reviews of this book to see how close my opinion was with the general public...and I found what I had predicted I would find. A whole bunch of people who loved his book. In between those admirers i found a few, who like me, love his work and want to make known how ...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommended to Diane by:
Co-workerrecommends it for: People who like words
This book was a surprise to me, loaned for on-the-plane reading after I'd finished the book I'd brought on the trip.
I had low expectations of the writing and the story. Both were pleasant surprises. Written in almost elegant prose, the characters in their small lives unfold. Vignettes of their lives are neat and complete, stacking on top of and inside one another, until the chain of experiences moves each character to a different place. It may seem insignificant or that the characters ju...more
I had low expectations of the writing and the story. Both were pleasant surprises. Written in almost elegant prose, the characters in their small lives unfold. Vignettes of their lives are neat and complete, stacking on top of and inside one another, until the chain of experiences moves each character to a different place. It may seem insignificant or that the characters ju...more
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Almost everything about this book works surprisingly well. The tone and style of the narration brings the reader very effectively into the life of Mirabelle, a girl who is lonely and longing to connect with other people. She doesn't get the opportunity to do so very often since she is both shy and employed at the glove counter of Neiman Marcus that seldom has any customers.
It is at the glove counter that Mirabelle meets Ray Porter. Ray Porter is a well-appointed older gentleman who treats Mi...more
It is at the glove counter that Mirabelle meets Ray Porter. Ray Porter is a well-appointed older gentleman who treats Mi...more
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Read in March, 2007
"She knows that she needs new friends but introductions are hard to come by when your natural state is shyness." p.4
"However, Jeremy does have one outstanding quality. He likes her. And this quality in a person makes them infinitely interesting to the person being liked." p.8
"She is offering herself to him on the outside chance that he will hold her afterward. She feels very practical about this and vows not to feel bad if things don't work out. After all, she te...more
"However, Jeremy does have one outstanding quality. He likes her. And this quality in a person makes them infinitely interesting to the person being liked." p.8
"She is offering herself to him on the outside chance that he will hold her afterward. She feels very practical about this and vows not to feel bad if things don't work out. After all, she te...more
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Read in December, 2007
Why four stars? Why guilty-pleasure reading? I think because I saw the movie first, and the book is written by Steve Martin. Everything becomes mixed in my head....I rather enjoyed the movie (which also starred Steve Martin and Claire Daines--one of my favorite actresses). But--obviously--what makes a good movie doesn't necessarily make a good book, even if the two are nearly exactly the same (which these two happen to be).
Add in an ice-storm that left us powerless for hours yesterday (t...more
Add in an ice-storm that left us powerless for hours yesterday (t...more
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Read in December, 2000
Downloaded from Audible.com
Narrator: Steve Martin
Length: 3 hours, 37 min.
Grammy Nominee for Best Spoken Word Album
Publisher's Summary
One of the country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin has written a novella that is unexpectedly perceptive about relationships and life. Martin is profoundly wise when it comes to the inner workings of the human heart.
Mirabelle is the "shopgirl" of the title, a young woman, beautiful in a wallflowerish kind of way...more
Narrator: Steve Martin
Length: 3 hours, 37 min.
Grammy Nominee for Best Spoken Word Album
Publisher's Summary
One of the country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin has written a novella that is unexpectedly perceptive about relationships and life. Martin is profoundly wise when it comes to the inner workings of the human heart.
Mirabelle is the "shopgirl" of the title, a young woman, beautiful in a wallflowerish kind of way...more
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Read in April, 2008
Well, I started this yesterday, and finished it today. Admittedly it isn't terribly long, but a two day read is still indicative of enjoyment for me! I watched the film over the weekend, and then read the book this week. I was afraid to do it in the reverse, but I liked them both very much! (Steve Martin may not have been the best choice for Ray Porter...but I didn't think he was bad, King.)
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised to some degree. I guess I hadn't realized Mr. Marti...more
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised to some degree. I guess I hadn't realized Mr. Marti...more
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Bored, I checked this out of the library one day, and I have to say, I found it surprisingly affecting. It's easy to sneer at Steve Martin for being a lit-pretender, but this wasn't a pretentious book in the least. It's a melancholy (not depressive), wise, and well-drawn portrait of a young woman in a sad, tender, no-strings-attached relationship with a wealthy older man who cares for her, but does not love her, and while this may sound banal, there's something extraordinary about this ability...more
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Read in April, 2008
This was an exciting book sale find. I had previously been introduced to Steve Martin's writing with Picasso at the Lapin Agile, and had watched the film version of Shopgirl several months back, and wanted to read the book ever since.
I didn't really mean to read it right away but I opened to page 1, and soon I was at page 40 without even thinking about it. Steve Martin's writing style - simple, straightforward, smooth - pulled me effortlessly into the lives of Mirabelle, Ray an...more
I didn't really mean to read it right away but I opened to page 1, and soon I was at page 40 without even thinking about it. Steve Martin's writing style - simple, straightforward, smooth - pulled me effortlessly into the lives of Mirabelle, Ray an...more
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Read in May, 2008
Main theme I gathered from this book is that "pain changes our lives." or is what makes us grow.
When I first started this book, I was like "oh, brother." But I kept reading because a friend recommended it to me and I trust his opinion on things. I ended up really enjoying the read. And, although it was a bit racey and graphic, I found myself identifying with some of the characters thoughts and feelings.
Here is one of my favorite about how one person believes wha...more
When I first started this book, I was like "oh, brother." But I kept reading because a friend recommended it to me and I trust his opinion on things. I ended up really enjoying the read. And, although it was a bit racey and graphic, I found myself identifying with some of the characters thoughts and feelings.
Here is one of my favorite about how one person believes wha...more
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Read in February, 2008
Mirabelle, a disenchanted salesgirl and aspiring artist who sells gloves and accessories at a department store. She has two men in her life: wealthy divorcee Ray Porter (Steve Martin) and struggling musician Jeremy. Mirabelle falls in love with the glamorous Ray, and her life takes a magical turn, but eventually she realizes that she must empower herself and make a choice between them.
n her 20s, Mirabelle leaves taciturn parents in Vermont to live in L.A. She sells gloves at Saks, lives alone ...more
n her 20s, Mirabelle leaves taciturn parents in Vermont to live in L.A. She sells gloves at Saks, lives alone ...more
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Read in June, 2008
The story is about three characters, but focuses on a shopgirl, Mirabelle, who works in the glove department at Neiman's. She is the one link between Jeremy and Ray Porter. Jeremy is a boy with big dreams for amplifiers who works as a stencil artist. Ray Porter is a millionaire whose big dreams, in terms of relationships, are still unclear in his fifties. These are characters who don't understand each other or themselves, but fail to realize this miscomprehension.
The book makes me want to w...more
The book makes me want to w...more
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 3.39 (5847 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.40 (4587 ratings) number of reviews: 643popular shelves
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quote
"[her] mind blackens. the blackness is not a thought, but if it could be pressed into a thought, if a chemical from a dropper could be dripped onto it causing its color and essence to become visible, it would take the shape of this sentence: why does no one want me?"
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