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The Pleasure of My Company

steve martin

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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 a good thing too, or he would have never been falsely implicated in a murder, never almost seduced Philipa, never done the impossible task of jogging around the block with Brian, never ironed his pillows, and he might never have won the Most Average American essay contest. The Pleasure of My Company is the chronicle of a modern-day neurotic yearning to break free.

177 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,2003
Literary awards
grammy award, 

This edition

Format
177 pages, Paperback
Published
October 6, 2004 by Grand Central Publishing
ISBN
9780786888016
ASIN
0786888016
Language
English

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About the author

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steve martin

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Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician, and composer. He was raised in Southern California in a Baptist family, where his early influences were working at Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm and working magic and comedy acts at these and other smaller venues in the area. His ascent to fame picked up when he became a writer for the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and later became a frequent guest on the Tonight Show.

In the 1970s, Martin performed his offbeat, absurdist comedy routines before packed houses on national tours. In the 1980s, having branched away from stand-up comedy, he became a successful actor, playwright, and juggler, and eventually earned Emmy, Grammy, and American Comedy awards.

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Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
29(29%)
4 stars
32(32%)
3 stars
39(39%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
100 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Lenora
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
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Don't bother.

I literally skipped half the book and read the last few pages.

It seems that I just couldn't get into the story in the middle. Maybe it was too slow-paced or the plot didn't grip me as tightly as I had hoped.

However, by reading the last few pages, I was able to get a sense of how the story ended and what the main characters' fates were.

Although I didn't read the entire book, I still feel like I got something out of it.

Sometimes, it's okay to skip parts of a book if it's not holding your interest.

You can always come back to it later if you change your mind.

But for now, I'm satisfied with just knowing the ending.

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ssj4maiko
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
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I have perused numerous novellas penned by Steve Martin, and also delved into his previous novel, Shopgirl, and derived great pleasure from them.

However, without a doubt, The Pleasure of My Company stands as my absolute favorite. The cadence of the story, the vividly drawn characters, the delightful humor, and the idiosyncrasies of the main protagonist all conspired to draw me in and hold my attention captive. It is a relatively short book, easily consumable in a single sitting. Yet, I discovered that I couldn't resist returning to it time and again, eager to once more view life through the eyes of Daniel.

I have no penchant for dissecting books in search of profound life meanings. Instead, I relish reading as a means of escape and a source of inspiration from the thoughts and ideas of others. The Pleasure of My Company is宛如 a spiritual mini-retreat for me. It prompts me to ponder upon life, human interactions, and what might lie beneath someone's expressions and actions. Every time I finish reading this book, I always feel a sense of relaxation and a slightly more benevolent attitude towards the world. I earnestly hope that others will savor it as much as I have.
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MonkeMan1000
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
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The Pleasure of My Company
By Steve Martin

I have been a huge fan of Steve Martin ever since he first emerged on the scene with his remarkable comedic wit and hilarious physical comedy. I have devoured several of his books and thoroughly relished them. However, this particular work, "The Pleasure of My Company," was a complete departure and a major letdown.

It was excruciatingly boring from start to finish. There was not a single ounce of the comedy that I have come to expect and love from Steve Martin. I simply could not establish any connection with the main character, which made it difficult to engage with the story on any level.

To make matters worse, the ending was so rushed that it felt like a slap in the face. It was as if the author had simply given up and decided to wrap things up as quickly as possible. I am only glad that I managed to get this book on sale. I would not recommend this book to anyone, not even die-hard Steve Martin fans. It is a waste of time and money.

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Kaiko
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
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I must have been living under a rock because I didn't know Steve Martin wrote fiction. I mean, I am pretty indifferent about him in movies. I'm not a fan but I don't dislike him either. However, I was curious to see how his books were. So, the one that looked most popular was "The Pleasure of My Company".

Well, I got it for Christmas and off it went with me to Starbucks to give it a go. 75 pages later, I was still in Starbucks, still nursing my cold venti or grande or whatever-the-hell weird ass sizes Starbucks has. And I was still enthralled! Although it isn't a masterpiece, it was still a very good book. The reason it is 4 stars and isn't 5 is that I felt it was a tad too short and some of the storyline was rushed. I feel like it could have maintained its entertainment value for at least 100 more pages!

I really fell in love with Daniel Pecan Cambridge, our loveable OCD hero. The reader really gets a great feel of who Daniel is, what his "rules" are, and you wish you could just become his friend. I love that he knows his life is outrageous, and yet he doesn't see himself as crazy (but is well aware that he appears to be). I love the flow of the story and I love that sometimes the book drifts off topic, but that is totally Daniel, so it works.

Ok, so I might as well explain the plot, which is actually quite simple. Daniel is a loveable neurotic who lives by his constant daily rules. But soon, his shrink-in-training begins to change his life (and totally by accident I may add) and he sees the world in a slightly different way.

Kudos to Mr. Martin for penning a very quick and entertaining read. I've already recommended it to co-workers. Will I read him again? Maybe, maybe not. The reviews for "Shopgirl" looked horrible, and I think I'd rather stay happy knowing I read one of his good ones! Haha!
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Zoneling
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
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Not always the most comfortable read,

but by the end, I was completely smitten with Martin's main character.

I spent a great deal of the time I was reading being consumed with worry that he would allow his OCD and other issues to ruin his life.

Thankfully, he didn't.

He needed love, and he received it.

When I finished the last sentence, I was smiling and knew I would miss Daniel Pecan Cambridge.

I also knew that even the most damaged of people have more to them than the sum of their past hurts.

Martin's portrayal of this character was so vivid and real that it made me think deeply about the nature of human beings and our ability to overcome our difficulties.

Despite all the challenges that Daniel faced, he was able to find hope and love in the end.

This is a powerful message that I will carry with me for a long time.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a thought-provoking and engaging read.
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Clairvoyancex
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
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This was truly fantastic.

Daniel's compulsions, although often presented in a comical way, do not hide the real human beneath. It was not possible to simply roll my eyes at him and say, "Oh my gosh, that's so weird." Instead, I really felt for the guy!

Considering the brevity of this piece, I was extremely impressed by how well-developed he was as a character. It became evident very early on that the last thing anyone should do with Daniel Pecan Cambridge is to dismiss him as a weirdo. He is just a truly nice guy with a whole host of quirks.

Perhaps it was unrealistic that everyone in his life is so open, accepting, and tolerant of his quirks, but it was lovely to feel that sense of community and how much it aided his growth.

This book had an abundance of humor and a great deal of heart. Based on the synopsis on the dust jacket, I was expecting this to be some offbeat, goofy novel without much depth. It really took me by surprise. It was hilarious, as I had anticipated, but I was not expecting my heart to ache as much as it did. What a delightfully sweet ending, too!

This one will probably be reread at some point.
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The_Game_123
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
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I was initially introduced to Martin's written creation through Picasso at the Lapin Agile, rather than Shopgirl. Consequently, my expectations for this book were significantly different.

However, to my surprise, the humorous narrative of boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and boy ultimately gains a great deal more in return managed to curiously warm the cold recesses of my heart.

Perhaps it is reasonable to assert that Martin is not the most outstanding novelist in the literary world. Nevertheless, he is truly intelligent and humorous for a large part of the time, which is more than what most writers can claim.

If this book had been penned by anyone else, I likely would not have given it a second thought. Fortunately, I decided to take a chance, and I'm glad I did.
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PersonaSOLO
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
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Funny and endearing, this story truly captured my heart. The main character is filled with charming quirks that make him both relatable and unique. As I followed his journey, I was delighted to see him grow and develop as he navigated new relationships. It was a joy to witness his transformation and the lessons he learned along the way. Despite being a short read, it was filled with so much warmth and goodness that it left me with a smile on my face. I highly recommend this feel-good story to anyone in need of a pick-me-up or a lighthearted escape.

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