The Pleasure of My Company

By: Steve Martin

Narrated by: Steve Martin

Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins

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)

A Sweet Story

This book started a bit slowly, and it was hard to identify initially with Daniel and all of his quirks and issues. But it built into such a heartwarming story, and it was wrapped up in a bow at the end. Happy endings, especially when the setup seems somewhat bleak, are to be treasured.

Don't be turned off by how much time is spent enumerating Daniel's challenges in dealing with "real life", stick with it and you will be rewarded. More satisfying ending than Shop Girl, I can't wait for his next novel.

Martin at His Best

No, this isn't arrow-through-the-head or wild-and-craaazy-guy stuff. Martin here inhabits the mind of an OCD man whose obsessions merely exaggerate our own (well, men's anyway). It's a funny, moving story that Martin reads in his own inimitable way of spitting consonants and odd inflections. Highly recommended.

Takers for the Quiet Heart

This novella is infinitely endearing--the character of Daniel is intelligent enough to witness his own neuroses, which lends reliability to a narrator who could have been written as totally unreliable. This is a charming read and re-read (and as a book to listen to, Steve Martin's narration is flawless and enjoyable). I revisit this one on paper or audiobook yearly, and always wish I had written it!

Amazing

This book was unbelievably fabulous. It is so on point with a very challenging disorder. Steve Martin at his best.

Different than I expected

This book was very different than I thought it would be. Although it ended up to be a pretty good book, it was very weird starting out. I kept expecting it to be a autobiographical work which it is not. Funny, subtle and warm. It was an ok book but not great.

A delight!

A perfect bridge book between two intense books. You get lost in Steve Martin’s narration and are transformed into Daniel’s universe. The character, humor and quirks made it pure enjoyment.

If Steve Martin was Crazy(ier)

Martin captures the thoughts and motivation of one with so many fractures that rings with truth, though proliferated with lies. Like An Object of Beauty, the book is the narrative of journey. A journey that leads no where, but where characters have time to grow, as does your affection towards them.

Steve Marin: You either love him or hate him, and I cherish him as a genius.

quirky

I found this story to be fun, quirky, and lovely. the characters are lived in and comfortable to follow.

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.

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.