Rating: 
Summary: Amusing, Amazing, Uplifting Short Novel
Review: Daniel Pecan Cambridge is a young man who is totally incapacitated by OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). He is unable to hold a job or have friends, he is barely able to make it to the neighborhood pharmacy because he cannot navigate curbs. His love life is limited to looking (from afar). And yet, there is more to Daniel than his illness. For one, he is a mathematical genius who can tell you what day of the week your birthday will fall on in twenty years. More importantly, he has a heart for people, a discovery which will surprise Daniel himself as much as the reader of this book.The Pleasure of My Company is a short novel, beautifully written, easy to read, funny, insightful, delightful and redemptive. It explores in depth (and with humor) the suffering of Daniel's self-imposed limitations, and it shows the way to his healing. How does it happen? You will just have to read the book to find out. Author Steve Martin is well known for his comic films, but he is also an extremely good writer. He has a deep understanding of people and their sufferings, undoubtedly drawn from life experience. In this book he has done it again, and I recommend it highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.
Rating:
Summary: The Pleasure of Steve Martin's Company
Review: I really enjoyed Shopgirl, but fell in love with the Pleasure of My Company. I often hestiate to buy a novel in hard cover (one might call me budget conscious? ) that is this short--however, it worth it. I read the book in just a few hours, but it will stay with me for a long time. Daniel is a wonderful, warm, and slightly sad character. I loved the first person narration. Daniel is obsessive-complusive and Martin nails down his inner life. His hilarious attempts at romance, his nutty essay, his road trips are all spiced with humor and a twinge of realism. Martin's writing is warm and honest. The ending is so wonderful, it might move you to tears (I will say no more so as not to ruin it). I was quite impressed by a modern man who works to solve his own problems instead of blaming others (his attempts at therapy are also humorous). Martin dispels, intentionally or not, so much of our addiction based culture. Daniel learns strength and tries to conquer the world on his own terms--with a quiet heart. A beautiful little story. Martin is fantastic.
Rating:
Summary: Exquisite!
Review: I had such an unexpectedly strong reaction to this novel. Martin's prose is simple yet eloquent; its beauty sneaks up on you. I fell in love with the main character--his quirks, his fears, his gentle heart. There is a genuine sweetness to this novel, but it never feels forced or overdone. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys unconventional characters and skillful writing.
Rating: 
Summary: A superbly crafted character study
Review: Steve Martin's, 'The Please of My Own Company," reads like an exquisitely crafted character study that a top-notch actor would create while prepping for a role. Readers are treated with colorfully fleshed out character portrayal, smidges of interesting backstory and a skeleton of a story that manages to keep things just interesting enough without bogging down the light, effervescent flow of Martin's prose. Martin also proves that he's quite adept at culling the inner-voice of his characters as he meticulously brings to life everey bit of minutiae involved in the thought process of an OCD riddled character attempting to overcome obstacle after obstacle (in this case figuring out how to cross the street, the right amount of light bulb wattage to keep lit, etc.). The end of the tale might come across as a bit too Hollywood in its payoff but nonetheless it satisfied and made for a great read on a 2 1/2 hour flight across 4 states.
Rating:
Summary: Hopefully, the next one will be longer!!
Review: First of all, I really enjoyed Shopgirl, but it ended too quickly. I did have the same result with The Pleasure of my Company, but it was still an enjoyable ride. There are some people who do not find this book funny, and I guess that's understandable. Some people would not find someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder humorous. But, since some people have a little of it in us (making sure that nothing touches electrical outlets, not stepping on cracks, etc) there is a subtlety of humor that gets to you. It does feel, very obviously, Steve Martin but there are not tons of laugh out loud moments. There are chuckles, and it was fun to read, starting at the beginning, where the main character thinks that Mensa had a clerical error in his IQ score, when leaving the 1 off of the 90. This is obviously someone who thinks a bit much of himself. Daniel Cambridge lives in Santa Monica, right across from the beach. He would probably enjoy going there, if he was able to step off of the 8 inch curbs. Instead, he makes treks to Rite Aid, to pick up his prescriptions and stare at the pharmacist Zandy, while he enters an essay contest of why he is average, sponsored by Tepperton's Frozen Apple Pies. "I am average because... I stand on the seashore here in Santa Monica and let the Pacific Ocean touch my toes, and I know I am at the most western edge of our nation, and that I am a descendant of the settlers who came to California as pioneers. And is not every American a pioneer?" he writes. He doesn't do MUCH else except get visits from the student therapist Clarissa, staring at Elizabeth the realtor across the street, and slipping Quaalude into drinks for his upstairs neighbor, because, he believes that, when she gets drugged, her relationship with her boyfriend is better. Explain that logic. When I read the paragraph about his walking by Elizabeth the realtor, trying to impress her, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"When I hit the street, I encountered a problem. I had forgotten to wear sunglasses. So, as I walked by her, facing west into the sun, while I may have been an aloof figure, I was an aloof figure who squinted. One half of my face was shut like a salted snail, while the other half was held open in attempt to see. ...Elizabeth looked over (I intentionally scuffled my foot, an impetuous betrayal of my own plan to let her notice me on her own), I was half puckered and probably dangerous-looking." To me, this man seemed a very strange individual, and these are the best people to read about, because there was unpredictability at every turn.
Rating:
Summary: Steve Martin Keeps Getting Better
Review: A charming, funny, mature (if I can say that without being too corny) little book. A thousand times better than Shopgirl. Way to go, Steve.
Rating:
Summary: Quite a Character
Review: All seems to be going well for Steve Martin these days. His movie career continues apace with the occasional hit and he continues to develop as an author. The Pleasure of My Company is a distinct improvement over his debut story, Shopgirl. Though not noticeably longer, The Pleasure of My Company gets tagged "a novel" whereas Shopgirl was "a novella;" still, I'm willing to forgive since this book has the depth. Martin has made a wise move by focusing on a single character, Daniel, this time around. Martin's main talent lies in characterization and wry commentary and Daniel gives him an opportunity to do both. This streamlines the story and makes it much more interesting. Daniel is a mentally disturbed young man whose ability to leave his apartment is very limited because of his obsessions and phobias--his inability to step off of curbs, for instance, or his obsession with thinking of things in terms of magic squares. Still, he attempts to reach out to the world around him: entering essay contests, joining MENSA, trying to meet the realtor across the street or the pharmacist at the Rite-Aid. Eventually, as his obsessions shift and he gets a little luck, his world begins to open up. Admittedly, I'm a little tired of the mentally disturbed protagonist but Daniel is an engaging character mainly because he is basically a nice guy and he struggles to overcome his problems instead of giving into them. And the observations of the unbalanced often hold more truth than the lives of the "normal." Though there is nothing mind-bendingly fantastic here, this brief read is a good one.
Rating:
Summary: A truly wonderful book
Review: I have been a huge Steve Martin fan ever since I saw Father of the Bride as a little girl. When I discovered that Mr. Martin was also an author, I raced to the book store and picked up copies of Shopgirl and The Pleasure of My Company. This book in particular (The Pleasure of My Company) absolutely blew me away. It is clever, sensitive, touching...just absolutely brilliant. Steve Martin really showcases his talent in this book by telling the story of a man living with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), using just enough humor to keep the story lighthearted and fun, but enough candor to provide a very insightful look into the lives of people living with OCD. Once I started reading, I simply could not put the book down. When I finished the book, I gave it to my mom and she couldn't stop talking about how much she loved it too!! I definitely recommend this book as an enjoyable read for anyone.
Rating:
Summary: book review.
Review: Daniel Pecan lives in an average apartment building in Santa Monica, California, where out of the ordinary is completely normal. From his fear of the six inch curbs outside his home, to his complete inability to approach women, to his obsession with on sale ear plugs at the rite aid down the street, Daniel is perfectly fit for the setting in which he lives and the novel takes place. He not only has huge insecurities and problems with low confidence about himself, but problems with exaggeration and lying to the public to make himself someone he's not. "The challenge was not how to present myself as average, but how to make myself likeable without lying." (Martin, 9). As new characters are introduced throughout the story, Daniel continues to face the challenge of complete honesty with people, and with himself. The novel "The Pleasure of my Company" written by Steve Martin consists of a great deal of humor and sarcasm, and honestly but comically confronts the ideas of people's everyday insecurities about themselves as people live their lives from day to day. "Just at the moment Elizabeth looked over, I was half puckered (from the sun) and probably dangerous looking." (Martin, 16). The main character Daniel Pecan, thirty-three of Santa Monica, California has trouble not only making any kind of contact with women, but simply walking by one without feeling the need to deeply analyze it after. His humor and insecurities about and with women are what make the story what is it because without the comedy, the plot would not move well along throughout the book. I Strongly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good laugh, excessive sarcasm, and an extremely twisted story line that will keep you wondering throughout the book. Steve Martin's way of developing the character Daniel is hilarious and makes it nearly impossible to put the book down once you begin reading. More than usual, the main character in this story is difficult to figure out, but easy to get to know at the same time, which keeps it constantly interesting and comical. Overall, the story is well worth reading due to the clever and sarcastic humor, and interesting setting and plo
Rating:
Summary: Quite Nice
Review: This book was enjoyable and could be read in many different ways - as the story of a flawed man, a neurotic, or even a love story. By the end I had actually come to the conclusion it was a love story of sorts - how the pursuit of love, the affection for others, and social contact in general, helped Daniel to start to overcome his issues. The story is of Daniel, a man who is troubled by his social maladies and psychological ones as well. He exists in his own world that plays out mainly in his head and every human contact or outing requires significant pre-planning. Some of his neuroticisms are quite funny (ie the Rite Aid outings) and kept the book light. It was an emotional book because at times you will be laughing at Daniel, feel sadness for him, feel sorry for him, and experience happiness too. This was a fine little read with many strong points. I missed having 'chapters' in the book, but something about not having them made this read more like a stream of consciousness by Daniel more than an actual book.
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