'Shopgirl,' published in 2000, is the first of Steve Martin's two published novellas, the other one being 'The Pleasure of My Company' in 2003. This his first attempt at writing in such a form, having already starred in and written a number of movies and several plays - the most notable of which, 'Picasso at the Lapin Agile,' is currently being adapted for film by Martin and Fred Schepisi. Two collections of humorous essays, 'Cruel Shoes' and 'Pure Drivel' were also published prior to 'Shopgirl.' Shopgirl has also been adapted for film, Martin has taken the role of director for the adaptation, it should be released in 2005.
The book can be classified in a number of ways, the most obvious one being a romance. Mirabelle, the shopgirl of the title, is a young woman who works at Neiman Marcus in the glove department "selling things that nobody buys anymore..." Mirabelle suffers from depression, and her character is a timid, unglamorous person with "something about her that is irresistible." Having read the book I am still uncertain as to exactly why the author of the blurb feels she is irresistable. She and Ray Porter, a self-made millionaire who is many years her senior, first meet in the glove department where she works. Their first, uneventful encounter spells the first step of a relationship where, as the blurb puts it, "they struggle to decipher the language of love." The results of this relationship is described to be "both comic and heartbreaking."
If one considered this only in the context of being Martin's first attempt at a novella, one could say that he had done a reasonable job. However, given his previous accomplishments, I feel it would not have been unreasonable to expect more from him. The storyline is hardly groundbreaking, and the language used throughout the book is tedious and colorless. The descriptions of rather mundane aspects of the character's lives are lengthy and uninteresting, and the dialog is practically non-existent - I expected more in that regard from such an accomplished comedian, and the use of passive voice throughout the entire novel certainly does nothing to help. To try and illustrate my point, a small excerpt chosen at random:
At eight minutes after seven, she hits the Bentley Gallery on Robertson where she is to meet Loki and Del Rey. The joint is not jumping but at least it has enough people in it so everyone is forced to raise his voice, giving the impression of an event. Mirabelle wears her tight maroon knee-length skirt over low heels and a smart white sweater that sets off her blunt-cut nut brown hair. Loki and Del Rey aren't there yet, and Mirabelle has the annoying thought that they might not show.
- Steve Martin, 'Shopgirl,' 2000
Perhaps my expectations for this piece were a little too high, but I find the novel to be written in a fashion that leaves much to be desired, and it has already been stated that the story itself is hardly original. However, being only 130 pages long, it is hardly a lengthy read and anyone interested in Martin's work should take it up. I would not, however, recommend it for any other reason.
Official Information:
Title..............Shopgirl: a novella
Author...........Steve Martin
Publisher.......Hyperion, New York, 2000
Official Classification
- "Beverly Hills (Calif.)- Fiction."
- "Clerks (Retail trade)- Fiction."
- "Departmental stores- Fiction."
- "Medication abuse- Fiction."
- "Young women- Fiction."