THE PLEASURE OF MY COMPANY

Steve Martin--mature, established author Steve Martin--seems to revisit THE JERK in this work, running his early hit movie through a Kafkaesque filter. Martin's protagonist, Daniel Pecan Cambridge, redefines the pitiful antihero--and we're not sure if we shouldn't fear him a little. An obsessive-compulsive loner with an eye for multifarious detail and nuance, Daniel evolves through absurdist misadventure into a healthier species of neurotic. Martin's read is spot-on; he never pushes too hard or reveals too much, allowing his story to be the star. This is a wise choice, for we actually do enjoy Daniel's company eventually, after seeing him through a lot of strangeness and ugliness. D.J.B.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 04]