Shopgirl by Steve Martin

I just finished reading Shopgirl, the novel, surprisingly written by Steve Martin. I have to say first, that if Martin had been writing for a creative writing class in a traditional college setting, his work would be rejected because of the severe voice of the narrator; however, I am so glad that he was not redirected with this book.

When one first opens the book, it is impossible to look at the words without hearing Steve Martin read them, which does add to the appeal of the book, at least for me. I had to read several pages before I lost his voice and could fully immerse myself into the story. The narrator never leaves the story, but it ends up working well for the story that is told. The three main characters - Mirabelle, Ray Porter, and Jeremy (Kraft) - are elusive. The reader is told so much about them, yet fails to really know them, which leaves the reader outside of the relationships - the way it almost seems it should be.

The writing in the book is sometimes so beautiful and insightful, one really wonders about what Martin reads in his spare time or what his previous education was. I am including one of my favorite passages, that I hope you will enjoy as much as I enjoyed the entire book. I highly encourage you to go out and buy or run to the library and read this book immediately.

"Ray, not understanding that what he is taking from her is torn from her, believes that the arrangement is fair. He treats her beautifully. He has begun to buy her small gifts. He is always thoughtful toward her, and never presses her if she isn't in the mood. He mistakes his actions for kindness. Mirabelle is not sophisticated enough to understand what is happening to her, and Ray Porter is not sophisticated enough to know what he is doing to her. She is falling in love, and she fully expects her love to be returned once Mr. Porter comes to his senses. But right now, he is using the hours with her as a portal to his own need for propinquity."