ISBN: 1587240122

Steve Martin's first foray into fiction is as assured as it is surprising. Set in Los Angeles, its fascination with the surreal body fascism of the upper classes feels like the comedian… mais…

Steve Martin's first foray into fiction is as assured as it is surprising. Set in Los Angeles, its fascination with the surreal body fascism of the upper classes feels like the comedian's familiar territory, but the shopgirl of the book's title may surprise his fans. Mirabelle works in the glove department of Neiman's, "selling things that nobody buys any more." Spending her days waiting for customers to appear, Mirabelle "looks like a puppy standing on its hind legs, and the two brown dots of her eyes, set in the china plate of her face, make her seem very cute and noticeable." Lonely and vulnerable, she passes her evenings taking prescription drugs and drawing "dead things," while pursuing an on-off relationship with the hopeless Jeremy, who possesses "a slouch so extreme that he appears to have left his skeleton at home." Then Mr. Ray Porter steps into Mirabelle's life. He is much older, rich, successful, divorced, and selfish, desiring her "without obligation." Complicating the picture is Mirabelle's voracious rival, her fellow Neiman's employee Lisa, who uses sex "for attracting and discarding men." The mutual incomprehension, psychological damage, and sheer vacuity practiced by all four of Martin's characters sees Shopgirl veer rather uncomfortably between a comedy of manners and a much darker work. There are some startling passages of description and interior monologue, but the characters are often rather hazy types. Martin tries too hard anthologies,contemporary,fantasy,literature and fiction,science fiction and fantasy Fantasy, Wheeler Publishing<

ISBN: 1587240122

One of our country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin is recognized as a gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonishi… mais…

One of our country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin is recognized as a gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonishingly ironic (Elle). Beautifully written, this novella reveals a different side of Martin, one that is unexpectedly perceptive about relationships and life and wise when it comes to the inner workings of the human heart.Mirabelle is a young woman, beautiful in a wallflower-ish kind of way, who works behind the glove counter at Neiman Marcus, selling things that nobody buys anymore. . . Slightly lost, very shy, Mirabelle charms because of all that she is not: Not glamorous, not aggressive, not self-aggrandizing. Still, there is something about her that is irresistible.Mirabelle captures the attention of Ray Porter, a wealthy, much older businessman. As they tentatively embark on a relationship, they both struggle to decipher the language of love -- with consequences that are both comic and heartbreaking. Filled with the kind of witty, discerning observations that have brought Steve Martin critical success, Shopgirl is a work of disarming tenderness. anthologies,contemporary,fantasy,fiction,literature and fiction,romance,science fiction and fantasy Fantasy, Cengage Gale<

ISBN: 9781587240126

One of our country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin is recognized as a "gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and ast… mais…

One of our country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin is recognized as a "gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonishingly ironic" (Elle). Beautifully written, this novella reveals a different side of Martin, one that is unexpectedly perceptive about relationships and life and wise when it comes to the inner workings of the human heart. Mirabelle is a young woman, beautiful in a wallflower-ish kind of way, who works behind the glove counter at Neiman Marcus, "selling things that nobody buys anymore. . ". Slightly lost, very shy, Mirabelle charms because of all that she is not: Not glamorous, not aggressive, not self-aggrandizing. Still, there is something about her that is irresistible. Mirabelle captures the attention of Ray Porter, a wealthy, much older businessman. As they tentatively embark on a relationship, they both struggle to decipher the language of love -- with consequences that are both comic and heartbreaking. Filled with the kind of witty, discerning observations that have brought Steve Martin critical success, Shopgirl is a work of disarming tenderness. Shop Girl Martin, Steve, Wheeler Publishing<

ISBN: 9781587240126

One of our country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin is recognized as a "gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonish… mais…

One of our country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin is recognized as a "gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonishingly ironic" (Elle). Beautifully written, this novella reveals a different side of Martin, one that is unexpectedly perceptive about relationships and life and wise when it comes to the inner workings of the human heart.Mirabelle is a young woman, beautiful in a wallflower-ish kind of way, who works behind the glove counter at Neiman Marcus, "selling things that nobody buys anymore. . ". Slightly lost, very shy, Mirabelle charms because of all that she is not: Not glamorous, not aggressive, not self-aggrandizing. Still, there is something about her that is irresistible.Mirabelle captures the attention of Ray Porter, a wealthy, much older businessman. As they tentatively embark on a relationship, they both struggle to decipher the language of love -- with consequences that are both comic and heartbreaking. Filled with the kind of witty, discerning observations that have brought Steve Martin critical success, Shopgirl is a work of disarming tenderness. Media > Book<

ISBN: 9781587240126

One of our country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin is recognized as a "gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonish… mais…

One of our country's most acclaimed and beloved entertainers, Steve Martin is recognized as a "gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonishingly ironic" (Elle). Beautifully written, this novella reveals a different side of Martin, one that is unexpectedly perceptive about relationships and life and wise when it comes to the inner workings of the human heart.Mirabelle is a young woman, beautiful in a wallflower-ish kind of way, who works behind the glove counter at Neiman Marcus, "selling things that nobody buys anymore. . ". Slightly lost, very shy, Mirabelle charms because of all that she is not: Not glamorous, not aggressive, not self-aggrandizing. Still, there is something about her that is irresistible.Mirabelle captures the attention of Ray Porter, a wealthy, much older businessman. As they tentatively embark on a relationship, they both struggle to decipher the language of love -- with consequences that are both comic and heartbreaking. Filled with the kind of witty, discerning observations that have brought Steve Martin critical success, Shopgirl is a work of disarming tenderness. Media ><