Shopgirl

published	September 5th 2001 by Hyperion
first published	2007
binding	Paperback
isbn	0786885688 (isbn13: 9780786885688)
ebook
pages	130
description	Steve Martin's first foray into fiction is as assured as it is surprising. Set in Los Angeles, its fascination with the surreal body fascism of the ...more [close] Steve Martin's first foray into fiction is as assured as it is surprising. Set in Los Angeles, its fascination with the surreal body fascism of the upper classes feels like the comedian's familiar territory, but the shopgirl of the book's title may surprise his fans. Mirabelle works in the glove department of Neiman's, "selling things that nobody buys any more." Spending her days waiting for customers to appear, Mirabelle "looks like a puppy standing on its hind legs, and the two brown dots of her eyes, set in the china plate of her face, make her seem very cute and noticeable." Lonely and vulnerable, she passes her evenings taking prescription drugs and drawing "dead things," while pursuing an on-off relationship with the hopeless Jeremy, who possesses "a slouch so extreme that he appears to have left his skeleton at home." Then Mr. Ray Porter steps into Mirabelle's life. He is much older, rich, successful, divorced, and selfish, desiring her "without obligation." Complicating the picture is Mirabelle's voracious rival, her fellow Neiman's employee Lisa, who uses sex "for attracting and discarding men." The mutual incomprehension, psychological damage, and sheer vacuity practiced by all four of Martin's characters sees Shopgirl veer rather uncomfortably between a comedy of manners and a much darker work. There are some startling passages of description and interior monologue, but the characters are often rather hazy types. Martin tries too hard in his attempt to write a psychologically intense novel about West Coast anomie, but Shopgirl is still an enjoyable, if rather light, read. --Jerry Brotton [close]
date added	03-13-07 edit book

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Lissa rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

09/27/07

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 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 behind the glove counter at Neimann Marcus. She has few friends, doesn’t do much with her art, and is basically wafting through life trying not to get mired in depression. Enter Ray Porter (the Steve Martin character), a 50 year old man also drifting through life, searching for the perfect woman by running through all of the imperfect ones as fast as he can. The two embark on a relationship which predictably ends badly, but also predictably teaches both of them something about themselves and allows them to grow as people and friends.

I didn’t have super high hopes for this book at the outset, having seen another example of Steve Martin’s writing in the play Picasso at the Lapin Agile (a play which starts in a very promising manner and ends with an Elvis impersonator beaming down into a small French café in Monmartre. Really.) Surprisingly, this book is relatively well written and even contains some witty insights on relationships between people. Here are two examples of such passages:

… Jeremy does have one outstanding quality. He likes her. And this quality in a person makes them infinitely interesting to the person who is being liked. (p8)

“I am traveling too much right now,” he says. In this sentence, he serves notice that he would like to come into town, sleep with her, and leave. Mirabelle believe that he is expressing frustration at having to leave town and that he is trying to cut down on traveling. … So now they have had the Conversation. What neither of them understands is that these conversations are meaningless. They are meaningless to the sayer and they meaningless to the hearer. The sayer believes they are heard and the hearer believe that they are never said. (p64-65)

That being said, I couldn’t get past the fact that this book is essentially chick lit. It might be semi-good chick lit (if that isn’t an oxymoron), and it may have been written by a man, but it’s chick-lit nevertheless. It has all of the hallmarks of chick-lit with a little bit of Paulo Coelho style self-discovery – no wonder it was a NYT best seller. I can’t recommend it without reservation, but if you want a short book for a quick plane/train ride, it would certainly do the job....less

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Dawn rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

08/08/08

bookshelves: books-i-will-never-read-again

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Dawn by: Saw the movie first
recommends it for: NO ONE

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Have you ever really, REALLY wanted to read something, serasrch ALL over for it, finally found it, and then were so genuinely disapointed by it you could almost cry?? THAT is how I feel after reading "Shopgirl".

I saw the movie (with Steve Martin, Claire Danes and Jason Schwartsman, who I believe givbes an amzing performance) and while being dark, sad and VERY twisted, I truly enjoyed it (if you want a truly surreal experience, rent "Shopgirl" and "stardust" ...more

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Sheila rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

03/24/08

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

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Daniel rated it:

(review of isbn 0786866586)

04/11/08

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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2 comments

Shannon rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

02/26/08

bookshelves: festival-o-suck, own

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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Gerry rated it:

(review of isbn 0786866586)

07/10/07

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

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Jenn added it (review of isbn 0786891076)

06/12/08

bookshelves: just-read

Read in April, 2008

recommended to Jenn by: Jen
recommends 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 This is the review I posted while I was in the process of reading the book in my livejournal:

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 hard for me to separate from in reading this; firstly, that Claire Danes plays the protagonist in the film version and secondly, that STEVE MARTIN wrote this book. No offense to SM's talent or style, but you KNOW this book only got published because he's him. The straight up fact is that novellas don't get published on their own these days unless you are Stephen King, or unless the story later becomes famous in its own right (see also: Kate Chopin's "The Awakening", Richard Matheson's "I am Legend"). Much like more traditional, shorter short stories, the novella is rapidly becoming a lost art form.

Ahem. Oh yeah, Claire Danes. When the character of Mirabelle is described as being angular, awkward, but still pretty, it seems like destiny to cast Claire Danes.

That's all I have to say on the subject thus far. I'm only 15 pages in.

I don't have a lot to add that isn't a spoiler. I liked the book, I liked the ending, but the stress of reading it isn't something I was prepared for....less

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Theresa rated it:

(review of isbn 0753820285)

08/03/07

bookshelves: 2007reads

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

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Cori rated it:

08/06/07

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

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Shaindel rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

05/10/08

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

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Eileen rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

05/08/08

bookshelves: fiction

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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Diane rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

04/08/08

Read in April, 2008

recommended to Diane by: Co-worker
recommends 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

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Kelly rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

03/12/08

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

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Holly rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

05/22/08

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

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Kristin rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

12/02/07

bookshelves: guilty-pleasure-reading

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

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Johnsergeant rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

11/24/07

bookshelves: audiblecom, audiobook

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

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Amelia rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

04/23/08

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

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Emily rated it:

(review of isbn 0786891076)

02/23/08

bookshelves: novels

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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Julie rated it:

(review of isbn 0786866586)

04/27/08

bookshelves: fiction

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

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Yoke rated it:

02/26/08

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

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