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The Pleasure of My Company
by
Steve Martin
The Barnes & Noble Review
Celebrated comedian and actor Steve Martin follows his critically acclaimed first novella, Shopgirl, with this endearing tale of a lonely, tic-ridden man who is transformed by the miracle of love from a passive spectator to an active participant in life.
A slave to his obsessive-compulsive disorder, Daniel Pecan Cambridge is a young recluse who...more
Celebrated comedian and actor Steve Martin follows his critically acclaimed first novella, Shopgirl, with this endearing tale of a lonely, tic-ridden man who is transformed by the miracle of love from a passive spectator to an active participant in life.
A slave to his obsessive-compulsive disorder, Daniel Pecan Cambridge is a young recluse who...more
Compact Disc, 0 pages
Published
December 1st 2007
by Hyperion Books
(first published October 1st 2003)
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I have read many of Steve Martin's novellas, as well as his previous novel, Shopgirl, and enjoyed them.
However, I think The Pleasure of My Company has to be my favourite. The pace, the characters, the humour and the quirks of the main character drew me in. It is a short enough book that it can easily be read in one sitting. But I found that I wanted to keep coming back to it, to once again see life through Daniel's eyes.
I am not keen on analysing books for the deeper meanings of li...more
However, I think The Pleasure of My Company has to be my favourite. The pace, the characters, the humour and the quirks of the main character drew me in. It is a short enough book that it can easily be read in one sitting. But I found that I wanted to keep coming back to it, to once again see life through Daniel's eyes.
I am not keen on analysing books for the deeper meanings of li...more
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I have to say that after I read Shopgirl I was hesitant to give Steve Martin another try. Hesitant, but some moments of Shopgirl made me feel like I also sort of owed him.
I am so glad I did. This book is obviously less meditative, and certainly more outright sappy--but I loved almost every moment of it.
The difference? I loved and cared about the characters. Felt closer to them each time the main character reached just a little bit more out of his self imposed bubble.
...more
I am so glad I did. This book is obviously less meditative, and certainly more outright sappy--but I loved almost every moment of it.
The difference? I loved and cared about the characters. Felt closer to them each time the main character reached just a little bit more out of his self imposed bubble.
...more
Joel Neff
rated it
·
review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Sentimentalists and those prone to melancholia.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Anthony
rated it
·
review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
people who liked "Roxanne"
Recommended to Anthony by:
Dad
Shelves:
read-in-2010
I think Steve Martin genuinely wants to be a writer, as opposed to a celebrity who wants people to know schweet they are because their name is written in huge letters on a ghost-written book, which added points to "The Pleasure of My Company." I hope Martin has brushed up his writing chops a bit since this novella (I won't judge too harshly, pretty sure I have yet to get a single reader on this website) because despite a couple flaws, the story comes out heartfelt, funny, and sincere....more
I'll do my best not to compare or contrast this with Shopgirl since, for the most part, both books are completely different animals. Even though, like with Shopgirl, at times I was either very frustrated or very surprised by what I was reading.
Daniel, the character whose head the reader is in, is slightly off from normal, to put it in a nice way. One of the biggest frustrations for me in the book, however, was that it's not really clear why this is the case; I mean, we know it has to...more
Daniel, the character whose head the reader is in, is slightly off from normal, to put it in a nice way. One of the biggest frustrations for me in the book, however, was that it's not really clear why this is the case; I mean, we know it has to...more
The greatest obtacles are those we impose upon ourselves. As for the deepest wounds, they tend to come from those who love us considerably less than by all rights they should. This wonderful little book eloquently expresses both of these points. It belongs to that popular category of fiction which is narrated in first person from the perspective of a character who is emotionally and/or mentally challenged, thus magnifying commonplace exploits to Mount Everest proportions. I'm looking for a s...more
This is such an optimistic story, and the experience of reading it is so joyful. The writing is lovely, the characters are fascinating, and the plot unfolds like a flower.
Obstacles and obsessions have narrowed Daniel's world. He doesn't have a job, he doesn't have friends. He can walk to the Rite-Aid by following a complicated route that avoids curbs. His grandmother sends him letters filled with love ... and checks. Twice a week, a student therapist named Clarissa stops by to ask ...more
Obstacles and obsessions have narrowed Daniel's world. He doesn't have a job, he doesn't have friends. He can walk to the Rite-Aid by following a complicated route that avoids curbs. His grandmother sends him letters filled with love ... and checks. Twice a week, a student therapist named Clarissa stops by to ask ...more
I absolutely loved this book... even more so than Martin's first novel, Shopgirl. I'm pretty sure he's a genius.
The narrator, Daniel, has anxieties and compulsive behaviors that are completely absurd. He has many unlikeable qualities, but he is also kind-hearted, witty, and hopeful. Martin does a great job of humanizing him so that by the end, I empathized with all of his eccentricities.
I liked that the world was so tiny, rarely expanding beyond Daniel's apartment. Small...more
The narrator, Daniel, has anxieties and compulsive behaviors that are completely absurd. He has many unlikeable qualities, but he is also kind-hearted, witty, and hopeful. Martin does a great job of humanizing him so that by the end, I empathized with all of his eccentricities.
I liked that the world was so tiny, rarely expanding beyond Daniel's apartment. Small...more
The book jacket describes the main character as a "modern-day neurotic yearning to break free." At first, I wasn't that jazzed up reading about his various neuroses, but Daniel Pecan Cambridge grew on me. I loved Shopgirl almost instantly but I grew to love Martin's second novel as I read more of it, with my attachment to it coming to a crescendo just as I read the last page. (damn!)[return][return]While I don't join Daniel in his insistence on a constant total of wattage from indoor l...more
Daniel Pecan Cambridge is an Obsessive/Compulsive man who can’t even make it to the Rite Aid without following a strict route based on how the scooped driveways line up. The book is full of his little habits, some of which make more sense than I’d like to admit.
The book is a love story of sorts, though it’s not like any love story you’ve ever read. You get to see the compassion and soul of this man so rooted in routine that he can’t see his way out. From one obsession to another, ...more
The book is a love story of sorts, though it’s not like any love story you’ve ever read. You get to see the compassion and soul of this man so rooted in routine that he can’t see his way out. From one obsession to another, ...more
Good! I enjoyed this book alot, much more than I expected to. Here are 3 quotes that I couldn't get out of my head:
Let me tell you about my mailbox. It is one of twelve eroded brassy slots at the front entrance of my building. It is also my Ellis Island, because, as I don't have a phone or a computer, and I disconnected my TV, everything alien that comes to me comes through it first.
The Pleasure of My Company, Steve Martin
Still upside down, I reminded myse...more
Let me tell you about my mailbox. It is one of twelve eroded brassy slots at the front entrance of my building. It is also my Ellis Island, because, as I don't have a phone or a computer, and I disconnected my TV, everything alien that comes to me comes through it first.
The Pleasure of My Company, Steve Martin
Still upside down, I reminded myse...more
Daniel Pecan Cambridge lives in a prison of disorder. His life in Santa Monica is a highly structured life in which he must find a way to the Rite Aid that doesn't involve stepping off a curb. He is mentally unable to hold a job like the one he once had at Hewlett Packard. He is unable to use public transportation unless he can draw lines between passengers based upon the plaids and stripes they are wearing. He prioritizes his mail into three piles, savoring letters from his grandmother in Texas...more
This is the first book by Steve Martin that I have read. I was a little nervous to read one of his book because I know how terrible comedians' language can be. My fears were not realized.
This was a really wonderful book about a man who had some very serious mental roadblocks in his life. He had created so many rules about how he could and could not live his life, about what he could and could not do that he had made himself a prisioner in his own apartment. He could no longer work ...more
This was a really wonderful book about a man who had some very serious mental roadblocks in his life. He had created so many rules about how he could and could not live his life, about what he could and could not do that he had made himself a prisioner in his own apartment. He could no longer work ...more
I read Shopgirl, Martin's other bestselling novella, last weekend, and while I wouldn't call it "fantastic," the characters stuck with me all week. It was a mediocre story with exceptional heart (and yes, that is a bit of a nod to Martin's occasional turn toward the prosaic).
The Pleasure of My Company is the apple to Shopgirl's orange. There really is no comparison. While Martin's earlier work is occasionally funny, it is primarily somber and deals with heavy subjects (cli...more
The Pleasure of My Company is the apple to Shopgirl's orange. There really is no comparison. While Martin's earlier work is occasionally funny, it is primarily somber and deals with heavy subjects (cli...more
A delightfully clever story, I thought this was a humorous book with a touch of sweetness. It has a great main character. Daniel Pecan Cambridge is extremely neurotic. He is full of obsessions, tics, and methods to calm himself down. He is brutally honest with himself/readers, a misfit but a very endearing one. Some of the antics he pulls are strange and could be gimmicky in another book, but I felt like Steve Martin (yes the comedian!) did a great job with the material and it was entertain...more
Steve Martin being the goofball that he is, wrote a decent novella, and having narrated the audio book himself, made it even more enjoyable. I listened to the audio book while traveling and discovered unfortunately that I tend to fall asleep listening to audio books! (Could this be the answer to my insomnia? Just a thought....) Though this wasn't an all time literary prize winner, if you like Steve Martin, you'd enjoy this book.
The story begins as Daniel's lacking social life is dott...more
The story begins as Daniel's lacking social life is dott...more
I am a huge fan of Steve Martin. His standup routines are excellent. His films are funny. I also enjoyed his autobiography, Born Standing Up. I was not impressed, however, with Martin's novella, Shopgirl. I found it to be lacking in substance, not very funny or entertaining, and unmemorable. The Pleasure of My Company has caused me to re-think Martin's ability to write fiction. The Pleasure of My Company is entertaining, funny, and heartwarming. The ending may be a bit sappy and too much of a "...more
I decided to add this even though I read it ages ago because I'm currently watching Shopgirl. I have only seen snippets because CNN is more entertaining. I hated the book and I think I would like the movie even less. Some men can write women well, some can't. God knows I love Steve Martin, but Shopgirl sucked donkey balls. The Pleasure of My Company, however, is on my all-time favorites list. I adored this book and apparently I am not alone in either review. Shopgirl had an emptiness abou...more
I loved this book, of course I went in with a bias because of my love of Steve Martin, but it was the first I'd ever read by him. I've read it twice now in less than a year, which is rare for me, I rarely re-read! But Daniel Pecan touches my heart, makes me burst out into raucous laughter on the bus and is one of my top ten favorite characters of all time!
He never really apologizes for his behavior or thoughts and why should he? You feel the fact that he cannot help the way his brai...more
He never really apologizes for his behavior or thoughts and why should he? You feel the fact that he cannot help the way his brai...more
I hold in high regard, the variance of output Steve Martin produces. He's a fascinating character who has been around, making himself known in trademark guises for decades now. As comedic actor, he's iconic; as a writer he's good at weaving cozy webs around sensitive, struggling characters.
In 1990's Shopgirl Martin sculpts Vermont transplant, and glove counter ingenue, Mirabelle Buttersfield, into a compelling LA heroine. Three years later in 1993The Pleasure of My Company follows the...more
In 1990's Shopgirl Martin sculpts Vermont transplant, and glove counter ingenue, Mirabelle Buttersfield, into a compelling LA heroine. Three years later in 1993The Pleasure of My Company follows the...more
I'm crossing my fingers this is just as lovely as Shopgirl :)
IT iS!
Steve Martin is a beautiful writer. Who would have guessed? He is already so multi-talented. What an admirable guy! Now, I must read EVERYTHING by this brilliant man!
Some of my favorite lines:
"Philipa couldn't see that she was in the charmed part of her life when hope woke her up every day and put her feet into her shoes."
"The irony is that the one pe...more
IT iS!
Steve Martin is a beautiful writer. Who would have guessed? He is already so multi-talented. What an admirable guy! Now, I must read EVERYTHING by this brilliant man!
Some of my favorite lines:
"Philipa couldn't see that she was in the charmed part of her life when hope woke her up every day and put her feet into her shoes."
"The irony is that the one pe...more
Many of my friends raved about Martin's best-selling novel "Shopgirl," but most had not heard of the novella I found in a used bookstore for $.99, although, it too, is a best-seller. I'll admit, I probably wouldn't have picked up the book if it wasn't such a large discount, no matter how much I love Steve Martin. The book summary, in my opinion, leaves much to be desired and I found the first few chapters to be the opposite of a hook; forcing it to turn into a chore for me to read. ...more
The Pleasure of My Company is a first-person narrative whose central character, Daniel Pecan Cambridge, is a little ... idiosyncratic? Odd? Neurotic? Abnormal? All of the above? You be the judge: He can only cross streets at driveways symmetrically opposed to one another, the total output of light in his apartment must always equal 1,125 watts, and in attempts to find love, usually comes across more stalker-like than Casanova.
Throughout the short novel, Daniel fantasizes about wooing...more
Throughout the short novel, Daniel fantasizes about wooing...more
This book was very enjoyable. I immediately fell for Daniel and his strange yet endearing thought processes. His quirky seclusion is slowly erroded away as he makes connections with people around him. As inhibiting as his neurosis and compulsions may be, he somehow manages to live a life that rewards him. Steve Martin has a wonderful way of writing. The pace and wording of his novel was delightful.
My favorite quotes from the book:
"Philipa couldn't see that she was in the c...more
My favorite quotes from the book:
"Philipa couldn't see that she was in the c...more
Another amazing read from Steve Martin! He knows how to completely absorb himself in his characters, and this book is fascinating because it's narrated in the first-person by the main character, Daniel, a man with a mental disorder that I couldn't quite put my finger on, though I'm leaning toward OCD. Whatever it is, it involves ridiculous neuroses like being unable to step off of curbs (making travel by foot anywhere virtually impossible) and forming "magic squares" in his mind using ...more
Ah! I like listened to Steve Martin read his work almost as much as David Sedaris reading his stories. I enjoyed The Pleasure of My Company more than Shopgirl. Every so often there is a description or metaphor that just takes my breath.
Daniel is an isolated thirtysomething so impaired by obsessions and phobias that he can barely leave his apartment block. He can't cross curbs, so he has to take elaborate walks to the Rite Aid to pick up his prescriptions, crossing the street only at matchi...more
Daniel is an isolated thirtysomething so impaired by obsessions and phobias that he can barely leave his apartment block. He can't cross curbs, so he has to take elaborate walks to the Rite Aid to pick up his prescriptions, crossing the street only at matchi...more
Maybe it's not as intricate a book as "Shopgirl", or erudite as "Picasso at the Lapin Agile", but "The Pleasure of My Company" is my favorite of Steve Martin's novels.
Martin isn't afraid to invert a comedy rule - instead of surrounding a sturdy "straight man" with wacky secondary characters, he gives us Daniel Pecan Cambridge, a highly-OCD introvert, and surrounds him well relatively well-adjusted folks. The comedic joy here is watching how Da...more
Martin isn't afraid to invert a comedy rule - instead of surrounding a sturdy "straight man" with wacky secondary characters, he gives us Daniel Pecan Cambridge, a highly-OCD introvert, and surrounds him well relatively well-adjusted folks. The comedic joy here is watching how Da...more
The fact that Steve Martin chose a somewhat cliche scenario for this book (a protagonist with OCD whose safe, regimented life is encroached upon by "normal" people who are actually more screwed up than he is...BUT...they teach one another about love and life) only serves to show how well he can write. This is a funny, touching novel that ends up giving insight into who Steve Martin is beyond the one-dimensional comedian from vintage SNL and '80's films.
It's not the best nove...more
It's not the best nove...more
Jess
rated it
·
review of another edition
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Martin fans, people who didn't like Shopgirl but want to give Martin a second chance
Recommended to Jess by:
first half of Pure Drivel & Born Standing Up
Daniel Pecan Cambridge would like to date the realtor selling the place across the street...it's just that things like curbs and bulb wattage keep getting in the way.
Funny, mostly light, and better than I expected. I read Shopgirl in high school and it just didn't click. This is better.
I keep seeing the word "sweet" used to describe it. That isn't the one I'd chose, but the text definitely isn't saccharin. The ending is a little, oh, I don't know. After ...more
Funny, mostly light, and better than I expected. I read Shopgirl in high school and it just didn't click. This is better.
I keep seeing the word "sweet" used to describe it. That isn't the one I'd chose, but the text definitely isn't saccharin. The ending is a little, oh, I don't know. After ...more
Its size and author suggest a light, funny read, but there's a darkness to The Pleasure of My Company that pokes through unexpectedly from time to time. Daniel Pecan Cambridge suffers from many neuroses, although the depth and seriousness of his mental illness is a little suspect, as he shows a surprising ability to negotiate his way out them at times (maybe that's common?). They seem to have gotten worse with age, as he hints at earlier times when things weren't quite so constricted. Currently,...more
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Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician, and composer. He was raised in Southern California in a Baptist family, where his early influences were working at Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm and working magic and comedy acts at these and other smaller venues in the area. His ascent to fame picked up when he became a writer for th...more
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“I understood that as much as I had resisted the outside, as much as I had constricted my life, as much as I had closed and narrowed the channels into me, there were still many takers for the quiet heart.”
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“Or is it that I think too much?”
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