Shopgirl: A Novella
by Steve Martin
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Book Reviews of Shopgirl: A Novella
Book Review: On second thought...
Summary: 3 Stars
After a space of six or seven years since I first read Shopgirl, I have just completed my second reading. One might ask why I would read it again since the plot (what there is of it) is both predictable and lackluster. At best, Shopgirl is little more than a character study.
I only read it again because my wife, after having read the book, kept clucking about it - the imagery, the descriptions, the depth of feeling. Convinced I must have missed something in my first reading, I took it up again...and I did miss some things the first time. The plot didn't improve with age but this time, the descriptions became real to me. The clarity of writing, interspersed with a chuckle here and there, is superb, although at times it is more journalistic ("just the facts, ma'am") than literary.
By already knowing the story, I could concentrate this time on the emotions and the scenes. These people are so different from the people I know that the characters were fascinating to me, especially the California gold digger Lisa. In her character, I'm not sure whether Martin was being sarcastic or describing people he knows.
For me, probably the most interesting part was when Ray Porter was trying to inform Mirabelle that his intentions were for a casual relationship and Mirabelle was hearing his words as him wanting to get things squared so they could have a serious relationship. I guess this is Life - I say what I mean and you hear what you want to hear. Seldom is it so well spelled out as in Shopgirl.
If you read this book once, wait a little while and read it again. In a way, it's like the half of the dessert that you take home from a restaurant. Miraculously, it tastes better when you eat it at midnight!
Book Review: a book to read between good books...
Summary: 2 Stars
I picked up this title on a whim after not being able to find Born Standing Up. This is the first of Martin's books I have read, and honestly I was not impressed. Although the story is not engaging enough to carry itself from start to finish on its own, it works if you need a break between complex and interesting reads.
Mirabelle's story is promising at the start, a lonely girl working at the deserted glove dept. at Neimens in Beverly Hills there is alot of promise in this young artist. However, the plot unravels in fits and starts, often meandering on details which are not important while introducing then glossing over life changing moments in the character's lives. Time passes in a cyclic fashion, speeding up and slowing down in predictable intervals thus taking the mystery out of the coming details.
The ending is no surprise as I figured the conclusion within the first few details revealed about the inner workings of the main characters. To its credit it is written quite well for a first time author, and the prose is presented so anyone (even a child) can follow each and every moment which passes.
Being a Steve Martin fan, I questioned if it was the same prop-comic, SNL clown who made us laugh, laugh hard, on TV and his numerous movies and standup. This book is not funny, it will not engage the reader to read on and has little in the way of understanding human relationships.
This said, the story is simple and requires little attention to stay in tune with the events. Between reading War and Peace and Dracula, the mind needs a little break, and this provides the entertainment one will need when resting.
Book Review: A Good Beginning
Summary: 3 Stars
I am a big fan of Steve Martin and consider him an intelligent writer of much merit, his stories and articles are scintillating and original, and he is nothing if not entertaining. Although I enjoyed Shop Girl, and was never inclined to stop reading, I couldn't help but feel that Martin stopped short of any real real breakthroughs here. It was as if he were on the verge of some real discoveries about his characters, their motivations, perhaps even about the complexities of love itself and I was poised for a revelation that never materialized, leaving me somehow disappointed.
This criticism aside, Martin is capable of pure prose and in that regard Shop Girl doesn't disappoint. His handling of language is masterful, his writing style is elegant and sophisticated, and he is can express an idea on many levels, seamlessly transitioning from detailed minutia to broad philosophical ideas. He is a very smart writer.
I felt that Martin did take some risks here, particularly his exploration of his characters' sexuality, venturing into areas that he is not commonly known for. Although this did not add quite the depth to his characters I was seeking (they still remain somewhat superficial throughout the book) it did add depth to the author, reflecting a man who is a sexual person and not just a neutered intellectual (and this really upped his attractiveness quotient).
Overall, this was a worthwhile story that entertained me and, as all Martin's work will do, gave me ample food for thought and comment.
Book Review: The delicate nature of love...
Summary: 4 Stars
Mirabelle is a salesgirl at the glove counter in Neiman Marcus. Her life is uneventful, until she is whisked away by an older man who provides her with money, new clothes, and some excitement. Jeremy is interested in her too, he is closer to her age, yet cannot provide her with the same interesting conversations or caring nature. Though she feels that Ray must love her, he views their relationship as a 180 degree change from Mirabelle's view. He sees her as a resting point, until he finds "someone special." It reminded me of the way people communicate, and how someone can say one thing, yet mean another. Or, they can say exactly what they mean, and the person receiving the conversation will turn it around in their own favor.
Most of the novella is devoid of conversation. There is a lot of detail, but mostly about what the characters think about, or describing the surroundings. This doesn't take away from the story, but instead, adds to it, because you are able to be in all of the characters heads.
This is the second time that I have read this book. I have loved both of the Steve Martin fiction books that I have read, my only complaint is that they are too short. I read it in one sitting, not only because the story was brief, but also because you become engrossed, and before you know it, you are finished.
I hope that he writes more novellas. I will be first in line to buy them.
Book Review: Fascinating and disturbing
Summary: 3 Stars
I received this book as a gift from a family member who knows I've been a Steve Martin fan for my entire adult life (I remember listening to his first LP, "Let's Get Small," as a college student). Based on the cover description, I expected "Shopgirl" to be a sweet, light, romantic story. Boy, was I wrong.
"Shopgirl" is a dark and unsettling story of the relationship between several damaged, dysfunctional inhabitants of Los Angeles. Mirabelle, the main character, is a lonely, enigmatic woman with few friends. She is romanced by an emotionally-distant millionaire named Ray Porter; though seemingly generous and well-intentioned, Porter is using Mirabelle rather heartlessly and brutally. It is impossible to ignore the similarities between Porter and Martin himself. This book makes an interesting companion to Martin's autobiography, "Born Standing Up," in which he comes off as a very sad, lonely man.
There are some moments of genuine humor (mostly involving a third character, the socially-inept Jeremy) and Martin's descriptions of the L.A.'s wealthy upper class and their rarefied world are spot-on. He is clearly a talented writer and every page contains some striking turn of phrase or fascinating social observation. Nevertheless, the whole mood of the story is grim and disturbing, and portends a writing career for Martin that will likely disappoint fans of his zany comedy.