• The Pleasure of My Company

  • By: Steve Martin
  • Narrated by: Steve Martin
  • Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (950 ratings)

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The Pleasure of My Company  By  cover art

The Pleasure of My Company

By: Steve Martin
Narrated by: Steve Martin
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Publisher's summary

Daniel Pecan Cambridge, 30, 35, 38 or 27, depending on how he feels that day, is a young man whose life is rich and full, provided he never leaves his Santa Monica apartment. After all, outside there are 8-inch-high curbs and there's always the horrible chance he might see a gas station attendant wearing a blue hat. So, except for the occasional trip to the Rite Aid to admire the California girl Zandy and to buy earplugs because they're on sale, he stays home a lot. And good thing too, or he would have never been falsely implicated in a murder, never almost seduced by Philipa, never done the impossible task of jogging around the block with Brian, never ironed his pillows, and might never have won the Most Average American essay contest.

In The Pleasure of My Company, Steve Martin's second novel, all of the enjoyments of the critically acclaimed best seller Shopgirl are present: the tender portrayal of loneliness and love; a character's quest to reach out and engage the world; as well as laugh-out-loud humor and language that is brilliantly inventive. But in the story of Daniel Pecan Cambridge and the people who inhabit the insular universe he is seeking to expand (if only one small square at a time) Steve Martin has achieved something extraordinary: the chronicle of a modern-day neurotic yearning to break free.

Don't miss Steve Martin, Christopher Buckley, and other humorists discussing their craft at the New Yorker Festival.
©2003 40 Share Productions, Inc. (P)2003 Hyperion

Critic reviews

"This novella is a delight....A complex mix of wit, poignancy, and Martin's clear, great affection for his characters." (Publishers Weekly)
"A genuinely funny and surprisingly touching tale. As compassionate as it is funny." (Kirkus Reviews)
"A few of the episodes build to moments of hilarity, and Martin's gift for comedic metaphor is uniquely his own." (The New York Times Book Review)

What listeners say about The Pleasure of My Company

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

An Odd, Compelling Story

Listening to Steve Martin read his own work on this audiobook brings a depth to it that it might lack on the written page. Don't listen to this for it's tight, intricate plot or you will be disappointed. Instead, listen to it for the way it draws you into the main character's mind. There is a rhythm and logic to the way he reasons things out that is compelling. You grow to genuinely like this man and care what happens to him. I laughed aloud on at least three occasions while I was listening to this book - something I rarely do when I am alone.

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34 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A Walk in a Strange World

I can't put my finger on it, but Martins style reminds me a lot of Douglas Copeland (GenX, Shampoo Planet, Microserfs). I read the reviews before purchasing it and had more than a few misgivings, but decided to purchase it anyway.

It's better than Shopgirl. He's managed to put in more (perhaps predictable) plot twists to speed up the book. It isn't the Steve Martin that we watched in The Jerk or SNL, but it's different and it's good. Martin has ripened, matured and cut down on drugs since his older books (Cruel Shoes) where he waxed on about the Indian Giftgiving Magi and is standing at a different place with deeper characters(but if you like the old stuff try to find a copy of Cruel Shoes and you won't be dissapointed). Martin can build a great neurotic character you can't help but love. Daniel Pecan Cambridge swirling in his over controlled world that is sliding into a happy chaos is one such character. If you liked As Good As It Gets, Shopgirl or Woody Allen you'll probably love this. Try it, you'll like it.

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Really bad

This book is really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really really bad. If you've stayed with this review this long, then you probably have the tolerance to put up with this inane dribble. This book is like one of these 1980's Saturday Night Live skits that had no point and no puchline and just served to separate commercial breaks. At least SNL only lasted an hour. This book is not funny. Just sad.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Just how do troubled minds work?

Not being a fan of Steve Martin, I decided to give this book a try based purely on the description; and was more than pleasantly surprised. The book manages to be funny, heartbreaking and remarkably illumintating all at once.

The story is deliberately slow to start, but manages to draw you in to such an extent I found myself sitting in the parking lot for half-an-hour just to get to the end.

Daniel Pecan Cambidge is a seriously troubled individual, with several harmless but disconcerting disorders. How he finds both himself and the power to change his life is both charming and entertaining.

Telling the story from Daniel's own point of view gives you an understanding of the way his mind works and just why his bizarre habits seem so perfectly normal to him. Having the author read his own work was a stroke of genius as he displays a warmth and character that makes the book all the better.

I have found myself reassessing Steve and will look out for more of his books, particularly those he narrates himself. Do not be put off if you are not a fan of Steve's, but be a little wary if you think the height of his comedy is a little slapstick and stupidity: this book is not just for laughs.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

human inclinations

Martin takes a self-absorbed neurotic into his first halting human relationships, past romantic disappointments, into responsibility for a helpless human being. The humor carries the listener through the guy's ridiculously boring daily existence into genuine appreciation for his condition. This story is excellent and Martin uses real genius in his choice and development of characters and story-line. I was well-gratified by listening, wondering about my own neurotic tendencies, without being pushed to do so.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Surprising and moving

I decided to try this selection after loving Steve Martin's Shopgirl. Even though Shopgirl sets the bar pretty high, The Pleasure of My Company didn't disappoint. It is a sweet and surprisingly moving story. The main character isn't instantly likeable, but he worms his way into your heart slowly. His peculiar world view eventually seems like it's just fine, an improvement on normal.

Steve Martin's very parsimonious prose really shines when read aloud.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Why you should never step off the sidewalk !

If you enjoy Steve Martin's films then you will love this. Its quirky, unusual, oddball - a little like Steve himself.

The story revolves around the main character who has some personal issues ! Financed by a rich aunt he spends his days filling the hours watching the local neighbourhood and obsessing about the woman upstairs, the real estate woman across the road, his female shrink, the female in the local shop !!!

Very funny and narrated by Steve himself who has a wonderful voice that takes you with him to his apartment and his endless days filling time and working out new routes to the shop without stepping off the kerb.......


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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Mixed review

Steve Martin is definitely funny and brilliant, but this book wavers between that and being a bit boring. I expected him to be a better reader, but on the other hand, I can't really imagine anyone I would have rather read this, since it is "so Him". The story did get a little slow towards the 2nd half, but I must say, I really liked the ending. And there were definitely moments of great poignancy (sp?) along with the humor. But I also felt like there are a lot of much more interesting books out there to read/listen to. How's that for a mixed review?

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

The Pleasure of My Company (Unabridged)

Very well written. If you are a fan of Steve Martin's comedy and expect this book to be funny, don't bother. This is a little adventure in the life of a nuerotic character who finds love, eventually. I downloaded it after hearing an interview on NPR and enjoyed it. Just a light little book for an hour or two of enjoyment.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Incredibly disappointing

I really enjoyed _Shopgirl_, and I was looking forward to _The Pleasure of My Company_. Unfortunately, it is the first book on tape upon which I've ever simply given up. It really is that bad. Essentially, the humor in the story boils down to "hey, this guy has OCD, isn't that funny? It's funny, right? Laugh, it's funny!" Frankly, it's just tiresome.

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2 people found this helpful