Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
36 used & new from £0.01
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Pleasure of my Company
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside another edition of this book

The Pleasure of my Company (Hardcover)

by Steve Martin (Author) "This all started because of a clerical error ..." (more)
4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
Price: £8.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £1.00 (10%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Usually dispatched within 5 to 9 days.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

10 new from £0.01 24 used from £0.01 2 collectible from £3.25
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 75 used & new from £0.01
Paperback (New edition) £6.99 £5.49 79 used & new from £0.01
Library Binding (Reprint) 6 used & new from £23.06
Hardcover (Large Print) 11 used & new from £1.66
Audio CD (Audiobook) £40.19 £40.19 2 used & new from £36.17
Audio Cassette (Audiobook) £25.95 £25.95 Order it used

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin

The Pleasure of my Company + Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life
Price For Both: £14.98

One of these items ships sooner than the other. Show details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

by Steve Martin
4.3 out of 5 stars (12)  £5.99
Shopgirl

Shopgirl

by Steve Martin
3.8 out of 5 stars (8) 
Pure Drivel

Pure Drivel

by Steve Martin
3.6 out of 5 stars (57) 
Shopgirl (Film Tie-In)

Shopgirl (Film Tie-In)

by Steve Martin
4.5 out of 5 stars (2)  £5.49
A Wild and Crazy Guy

A Wild and Crazy Guy

~ Steve Martin
5.0 out of 5 stars (2)  £4.98
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson (11 Sep 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0297829696
  • ISBN-13: 978-0297829690
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 13.6 x 2.4 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 333,724 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #5 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > M > Martin, Steve

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Of all the celebrities who've tackled novels in recent years, one of the most conspicuously successful in the field is comic actor Steve Martin. In books such as Picasso at the Lapin Agile and Shopgirl, Martin showed the same dazzling wordplay that marks his film and TV work, and his new novel, The Pleasure of My Company, builds on the earlier work to produce a book that is both effortlessly entertaining and beautifully wrought.

Martin's protagonist is Daniel Pecan Cambridge, a thirtyish loser whose life is wrecked by a whole slew of neurotic compulsions and tics. The small, irrational fears that plague most of us are the bane of Daniel's life, but he resolves to shed these straitjackets and move into something like normality. One of his aims is a normal relationship with a woman and there are several potential targets in sight: his therapist Clarissa, struggling to relieve him of his demons, Zandy, the beguiling assistant in the chemist's shop, and Elizabeth, selling apartments in his street.

But his compulsions are only one of his problems; his neighbour Bob has been murdered and Daniel is in the frame for the crime. The attention of the media seems set to keep him living an abnormal life for quite some time, which might undercut his hopes of winning the "Most Average American" competition.

Novels by comedians can often collapse into a series of one-liners, and while there are some zingers here, Martin is a real novelist--this quirky black comedy has both a solidly realised structure and a sharply etched cast. Daniel is a wonderfully characterised anti-hero--a natural, perhaps, for Martin himself to play when the inevitable movie is made. --Barry Forshaw

SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY
'Many comedians try to write novels: Martin's consummate and kindly work proves he can.'


See all Product Description

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
This all started because of a clerical error. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Pleasure of my Company
90% buy the item featured on this page:
The Pleasure of my Company 4.9 out of 5 stars (14)
£8.99
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life
10% buy
Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life 4.3 out of 5 stars (12)
£5.99
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

14 Reviews
5 star:
 (12)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing, touching and hilarious..., 16 Aug 2004
This review is from: The Pleasure of my Company (Paperback)
A couple of days ago, I was sat on a train from Edinburgh to London for 5 hours. It was hot and cramped, and there were so many screaming children on board it sounded more like a zoo. But I didn't much care or even notice, because I had this book! It absorbed me from page 1. The characters are fabulous and the vivid, cringe-worthy descriptions of surprisingly believable situations had me suppressing snorts of laughter and drawing alarmed looks from the fellow passengers of Coach D. It manages to be a touching description of a man with a potentially life-altering mental illness at the same time as being a love story, a slapstick comedy and a self-effacing look at American culture. Maybe it's just because the words of Steve Martin are so distinctive, but I think this would make a wonderful film.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Just brilliant, 9 Oct 2003
This is the kind of book that you can read all in one go. Preferably on a Sunday afternoon when it's raining. It's brilliantly written, but although some have said it to be laugh out loud funny, I think the true strength of this novel is Martin's ability to make you fall in love with a crazy, and probably very annoying, man. You can't help but be captured by Daniel. I finished this with a little sob, glad for the character and Martin but kind of disappointed that my time with them was over.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Far More Moving Than I Expected, 28 Sep 2004
By Paul Johnson - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Pleasure of my Company (Paperback)
Now this is a book that you will read through non-stop and you will be happy to have spent the time on it. When I finished, I was left with one overriding thought. 'That was a nice book'.

The main character, Daniel, is a 31 year old who is suffering from some form of mental problems, which as someone who knows little of these things, I would regard as something akin to obsessive compulsive disorder. Psychologists who have read the book should feel free to correct me on that! Anyway, for the bulk of the book this chap goes about his life without much outside influence, with his life being extremely routine mostly due to his obsessions.

What little interaction he does have with others is between distant and non-existant, though in his mind, and especially with his thoughts towards women (which would be sinister if the author had chosen to write it that way), they play a more important role. During the couse of the book we watch as these develop, seeing how Daniel copes with situations and relationships as they change.

The book is extremely well written and all of the main characters have a warmth that you can't help being attracted to. I felt it has some similarities to The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time by Mark Hines and I imagine that anyone who enjoyed that, will enjoy this.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Good reading, even better with the audiobook
I first listened to this book buying the audiobook, it was great so i decided to read the book myself and enjoyed it aswell as I did with the audiobook.
Published 4 months ago by siennavskate

4.0 out of 5 stars Really funny book, surprised me!
I finally read this book after a friend recommended it to me as one of her favourites. Three years later, I agree - it's really sweet, funny but not in a 'knock knock' kind of... Read more
Published 7 months ago by A girl

5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing short of brilliant
I must confess I read this book over a year ago and always meant to sit down and write a review but life got in the way somehow. Read more
Published on 9 Mar 2007 by Bunny Rogers

5.0 out of 5 stars Completely Sublime
Once again our know-nothing publishers, terrified that no one will buy a book unless it's got "laugh-out-loud funny" plastered on the cover, have done us a tremendous disservice... Read more
Published on 17 Sep 2006 by Jonathan Posner

5.0 out of 5 stars A funny read also very knowledgable about anxiety .
It tells the story of an introverted man who worries wbout almost everything in his life however it is written in a humourous way . Read more
Published on 10 Jan 2005 by Teabag

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly fabulous book!
I thought this was a fabulous book. I read it on a long flight from Australia to London and it took my mind off the cramped economy seat! Read more
Published on 14 Oct 2004 by S. Horton

5.0 out of 5 stars even if you aren't a Steve Martin fan, you should love this
I wondered what to expect. I'm not a fan of all of his movies, but knew hecould be funny when interviewed on talk shows, being himself as opposed toreading some screenwriter's... Read more
Published on 28 April 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars "This all started because of a clerical error"
These the words printed on the reverse of quite simply the best book I've ever read.

Being a student I don’t have much time to read, or more
realistically, don’t... Read more

Published on 22 Feb 2004 by mickyjw

5.0 out of 5 stars my first Steve Martin
This is the first Steve Martin novel I have read and I have to say it will not be the last. Whilst it is not laugh out loud funny you feel warm inside when you finish this book... Read more
Published on 21 Oct 2003 by Mrs. V. Best

5.0 out of 5 stars Steve Martin at his Magnificent Best!
This long awaited novel certainly doesn't disappoint. Steve Martin's thoughtful portrait of a young neurotic man is often laugh-out-loud funny and always beautifully... Read more
Published on 2 Oct 2003 by helenbass

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

The Body Shop

The Body Shop - Vitamin C Skin Boost
Protect and boost your glow with The Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Boost.

›Shop The Body Shop

  

More From Steve Martin

Shopgirl

Shopgirl by Steve Martin

Shopgirl is comedian Steve Martin's first foray into fiction, and... Read more

 

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

›Shop now

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates