Shopgirl

By: Steve Martin

Narrated by: Steve Martin

Length: 3 hrs and 36 mins

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, who works behind the glove counter at Neiman Marcus "Selling things that nobody buys anymore..."

Slightly lost but not off-kilter, very shy, Mirabelle charms because of all that she is not: not glamorous, not aggressive, not self-aggrandizing. Still there is something about her that is irresistible.

Mirabelle captures the attention of Ray Porter, a wealthy businessman almost twice her age. As they tentatively embark on a relationship, they both struggle to decipher the language of love - with consequences that are both comic and heartbreaking. Filled with the kind of witty, discerning observations that have brought Martin critical success, Shopgirl is a work of disarming tenderness.

Don't miss Steve Martin, Christopher Buckley, and other humorists discussing their craft at the New Yorker Festival.

©2000 Steve Martin, All Rights Reserved (P)2000 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All Rights Reserved, AUDIOWORKS Is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Grammy Nominee for Best Spoken Word Album

"Martin's elegant, bleak, desolatingly sad first novella is in every sense his most serious work to date." (The New York Times Book Review)

nice story

Was nice to hear the book version after having seen the Steve Martin movie version.

When you put the two together the story is more interesting with more depth and a deeper perspective that doesn't come across as well in the movie version.

Watch the film, read (or hear) the book for a full experience of what I think the author intends.

Shop Girl

Loved this book I think he did a great job on it I was interested the whole time it kept me guessing the end was something i didnt expect -

Great book, Great movie

Steve Martin did a great job reading this story. Of course it was his own story, but, he was good and I loved hearing him. The movie was great also of course a little different from the real story, but good just the same.

Fantastic.. Book

.. My next book has to got be another of Steve Martin’s. His level of wittiness and lyricism is so unique and valuable.

Steve Martin has a direct line to my heart...

I am amazed at this book. Truly astounded. Still coming out of a relationship so parallel to Mirabelle's it amazes me, Steve's portrayal of Ray Porter and the insight into his mind has left me stunned, smiling and so openly understanding some of the background thoughts of my own relationship. I am refreshed! The characters and Steve's narrative are so novel and bright. I hope he continues with these characters. I will be awaiting another installment!

Steve Martin's reading made the difference

to quote LA Story: "All I could think to myself was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, more wonderful, and yet again wonderful". Mr. Martin's somewhat deadpan delivery of this beautifully subtle work lets his character's words shine through so clearly. To call this a romantic comedy undermines the insights that Martin casts onto life and personal relationships, and ignores the fascinating darker side of this tale. His descriptions of male libido both young and old, female sexuality, and the way we interact with our universe really stick with me. I have listened to this book over and over again, and every time I get to the end, I want to start over and hear it again.

Finely Observed Life

This is a character study in many ways, and I wanted to know more about Mirabelle and what happened to her. Steve Martin continues to be an astute observor of that rarified area known as Los Angeles...if you liked LA Story, you'll enjoy this.

excellent in character depth

Steve Martin gives an excellent in-depth character portrayal in a novel which keeps you laughing, snickering, smiling and raising your eyebrows. An especially good novel for the twenty-year olds begin to find their way into relationships.

I've read this book many times...

...and it's a delight to hear it read by Steve Martin.

I'm no fan of his standup, too slapstick for my tastes. But this book is a beautifully modulated character study of loneliness. I find the characters and spareness of the prose have returned to me many times in the decades since I first read it.

Highly recommended

i like Steve but???! had better hopes for this??!

i did get this book totally on the thought of it was read and written by Steve Martin ... i enjoy his movies and his humor ...but i must say that a lot of it is not funny ... it is down right sad ... depressing ... where are the "trigger warnings" ... i think we all go through a time in life where we just don't get it ... like our point in life and why we are here ... etc. etc. like we are not connecting with any one and we just are living ... trying to get or make it through our life ... thinking the people we see are better off or whatever ... we just think we are totally not getting it ... missing the point ... i wanted to say NO ... wake up silly ... connect with this dude ... "WAKE UP" ... so don't just assume that because it is written and read by Steve Martin that it is going to be down right hilarious. NOPE. it is not. sorry ...if that is what you are looking for ... back away and search some where else!! go on.