From Barnes & Noble
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 whose lonely, pathologically structured existence is unexpectedly turned around by Clarissa, a psychiatry student and social worker who's been studying his complex peculiarities. When her abusive ex-husband tries to take away her son, Teddy, Daniel steps in to protect the boy. From this single, uncharacteristic moment of courage and involvement, Daniel soon grows to care deeply for Clarissa and Teddy, until they bothe become an essential part of his life.
With this second novella, Martin proves himself a master of the genre. He develops the relationship between Daniel and Clarissa slowly and carefully, exhibiting real affection for his flawed but lovable characters and combining vivid, realistic detail with imaginative and thoughtful ruminations on the nature of truth, society, and family. Insightful, rich, and subtly satirical, The Pleasure of My Company is a charming tale of love that will delight readers. Tom Piccirilli
From the Publisher
Steve Martin's "gifts for subtlety and slyness compare to those of the finest comic novelists" (People) and his latest New York Times bestseller — a witty and tender tour de force — is now in paperback!
Shopgirl revealed the novelist in Steve Martin — witty, tender, intelligent, and passionate about his craft. And with the successful publication of The Pleasure of My Company, his reputation as one of our most gifted writers has been confirmed. Here, the reader is introduced to Daniel Pecan Cambridge, whose life is full and rich — but only within the confines of his Santa Monica apartment. Daniel's pathological obsession with street curbs and gas station attendants wearing blue hats may prevent him from venturing into the world outside of his window, but not from pursuing romance in his own peculiar way.
Meticulously constructed, laugh-out-loud funny, and brilliantly inventive, Steve Martin's chronicle of a modern-day neurotic yearning to break free has touched more than 200,000 readers. Now in paperback, thousands more can have the pleasure of discovering his most delightful novel to date.
Steve Martin is a celebrated writer, actor, and performer. His film credits include Father of the Bride, Parenthood, and The Spanish Prisoner, as well as Roxanne, L.A. Story, and Bowfinger, for which he also wrote the screenplays. He's won Emmys for his television writing and two Grammys for comedy albums. In addition to the play Picasso at the Lapin Agile, he has written a bestselling collection of comic pieces, Pure Drivel, and the bestselling novella Shopgirl, which is soon to be a major motion picture. His work appears frequently in The New Yorker and the New York Times. He lives in New York City and Los Angeles.
Oakland Tribune -
Carole Goldberg
A charmingly funny and touchingly wistful story . . . [Martin] makes this flawed man believable and sympathetic, endearing even when exasperating.
The Washington Post
… witty and well-tuned.
— Louis Bayard
Entertainment Weekly
A sweet, symmetrical story of love and ‘the quiet heart’.
Denver Post -
Kevin Sampsell
Martin's writing shows enormous depth and grace.
People
His Martin’s gifts for subtlety and slyness compare to those of the finest comic novelists.
Library Journal
Martin’s characters are sweet, sad, and gently oddballs He is adept at painting vivid metaphors a pleasure to read.
Booklist
Martin’s first novel, Shopgirl, was charming and clever, and his second is even more accomplished.
Kirkus Review
A genuinely funny and surprisingly touching tale. As compassionate as it is funny.
New York Times Book Review
A few of the episodes build to moments of hilarity, and Martin’s gift for comedic metaphor is uniquely his own.
Publishers Weekly
A complex mix of wit, poignancy, and Martin's clear, great affection for his characters.
Booklist -
Kristine Huntley
Martin's trademark humor is guaranteed to have readers laughing hard.
Publishers Weekly
Martin's first novella, Shopgirl (2000), was a revelation, a compassionate yet cool, meticulously crafted tale of a young woman's affair with an older, successful man not what most readers were expecting from the famed comic actor and author of Pure Drivel. Martin's second novella continues the enjoyment, offering another story with a conscience, one funnier than Shopgirl but put together just as smartly, if very differently. Martin forgoes the distanced omniscient narration of Shopgirl by plunking readers into the head of one the odder yet more charming protagonists in recent fiction, Daniel Pecan Cambridge, a gentle soul suffering from a mild mix of autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Daniel, 33, lives in a rundown Santa Monica apartment, his life constricted by an armor of defensive habit (all the lightbulbs in his apartment must equal 1,125 watts; he can't step over curbs so can cross streets only where two opposing driveways align, etc.), his dull days punctuated only by imagined romances and visits by his student social worker, lovely and kind Clarissa. Daniel's ways (a product of child abuse, Martin shows with subtlety) are challenged when Clarissa and her infant son, Teddy, move in to escape an abusive husband; when Daniel wins a contest as "Most Average American" and must give a speech to claim the $5,000 prize; and when his beloved grandmother dies, sending him on a road trip of discovery back home. This novella is a delight, embodying a satisfying story arc, a jeweler's eye for detail, intelligent pacing and a clean, sturdy prose style. What's most remarkable about it, though, is its tenderness, a complex mix of wit, poignancy and Martin's clear, great affection for his characters. Many readers are going to love this brief, big-hearted book. Agent, Esther Newberg. 250,000 first printing; major ad/promo, including Today Show appearance. (Oct. 1) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Readers unfamiliar with Martin's previous novella, Shopgirl, may be surprised to find that the comic actor is a decidedly serious author. Rather than wild-and-crazy attention-getters, Martin's literary characters are sweet, sad, and gentle oddballs. Daniel is a thirtysomething former cryptanalyst whose neuroses keep him isolated in his Santa Monica apartment, observing but rarely participating in the world around him. His hang-ups about crossing streets lead him on highly circuitous routes to Rite-Aid, where he goes to ogle his favorite pharmacist surreptitiously. To head off panic attacks, he fabricates massive "magic squares"-the mathematical puzzles favored by Ben Franklin. Daniel's quiet days are broken only by erratic check-ins from an understanding grandmother and biweekly visits from a student psychologist named Clarissa. It is through Daniel's growing relationship with Clarissa and her toddler son that he finally begins to come out of his head and into the world. Martin is adept at painting vivid metaphors; scenes where Daniel thwarts Clarissa's attempts to analyze him are particularly deft. A pleasure to read; recommended for all libraries.-Christine Perkins, Burlington P.L., WA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
The lighter side of obsessive-compulsive behavior. What a joy the novella is. It may not be the best deal out there in terms of dollars-per-page, but many authors would give better value if they realized they had only a long story's worth of material and stuck to it. Martin's second short fiction (after Shopgirl, 2000) is an impressively economical and yet by no means limited piece of light comedy. Although Daniel Cambridge doesn't have a job, he keeps himself pretty busy. See, Daniel is chock-full of obsessive little tics that would drive the ordinary person insane. For instance, the combined wattage of all the lights turned on his Santa Monica apartment at any one time must be 1125, and he often leaves his apartment (not stepping off curbs) for the sole purpose of satisfying his need to touch the corner of every copying machine at Kinko's. Daniel also has an elaborate fantasy life involving women he sees passing his window. Fortunately, his grandmother back in Texas sends him money every so often: "She is the one family member who understands that my insanity is benign and that my failure to hold a job is not due to laziness." As always in stories about a closed-off neurotic of this kind, the world in all its chaotic glory must come crashing into his life in multiple ways, first in Daniel's sputtering imaginary relationship with a local real-estate lady and then something much more tangible with Clarissa, his social worker. Although Martin succumbs to a banal plot choice later on, when his neurotic goes on a road trip, this is a genuinely funny and surprisingly touching tale. By letting Daniel speak for himself, the author enables the reader to experience his neuroses from the insideand to witness them as the strangely reassuring, though assuredly life-limiting, rituals that they are. As compassionate as it is funny, and never overstays its welcome. Agent: Esther Newberg/ICM
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