Customer Reviews

Pure Drivel

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(43)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(29)

 

 

from my jail cell and still running for public office, I realize I have taken several actions in my life for which I owe public apologies.

And so begins the Author's "A Public Apology" in "Pure Drivel". I thought this little collection of wit to be not only funny, but also extremely well penned. If the thought of Steve Martin conjures the image of him clad in Egyptian Regalia singing "King Tut", you will find there is much more to this actor, comedian, playwright, writer of short stories a forthcoming book, and musician.

Mr. Martin not only has an extremely unique view of life, he has the ability to deliver it through all of the methods listed above. I agree this was short, I also believe were it much longer, its impact would have been lessened. Timing is what this man does so well, and knowing when enough means finished, is a rare talent indeed.

I would like to warn anybody who is considering taking this book on a plane to read. I did this, as it is a short, humorous read--airplane fare. But ohhh, what a mistake. I had to stash it in my bag after ten minutes and multiple glances from the passengers around me. For you see, a plane is a very quiet, packed-in environment--not very conducive to rolling-on-the-floor, eyes-reddening-with-tears laughter--which was the case when I first tried to read _Pure_Drivel._ All in all, Steve Martin is the comic genius everyone claims him to be, and this book is a fine example of his propensity to write incredibly funny essays. Yes, you SHOULD buy it.

I knew this book would be funny, as Steve Martin never disappoints. Well, it's true. The little 'stories' are nice and short, so it's perfect to read before bed. Recently I came across my copy again, so I started to page through it and ended up reading the entire thing again. Also, this is probably the only book in our entire house that my husband hasn't suggested that we donate or sell. That says it all. :p

Steve Martin. My favorite comedian. I must admit that when I bought this book, I was looking for straight-up comedic laughs as only Steve Martin can deliver. What I got was not what I expected, but still was very intriguing. This book is a short read, true, suited for maybe a book to read while travelling (just not while you're driving) or just trying to pass time.

First off, it might not be what you expect. For those of you who have read Steve's 1979 book "Cruel Shoes," this is the same type of humor. Mainly quirky little things that might make you say, "hmm?" Some of it is rather bizarre, as some people have complained, but I don't think that merits a complaint at all. The book is a pleasant read, especially for those with more complex minds who enjoy a more "mature" laugh rather than low-class, low-brow bathroom humor. If you are this kind of person, or if you are a fan of Steve Martin's work, I recommend you buy it.

This book of humorous pieces by one of our most famous, irreplacable comic minds, was very tricky for me to review. Especially because I was reviewing it while making animals out of balloons, playing the banjo, and writing a screenplay for my next film....while hanging upside down.

Yes, folks, this is not an easy book to review.

And it's not easy humor to "get" all the time.

If you are dumb, don't buy this book. Oops, sorry.

If you are pretentious, consider buying this book, but don't read it. Whoops.

If you like to pass out laughing at certain things and you are willing to let other things go that are not totally "perfect" for your tastes in humor, BUY THIS BOOK.

Steve Martin has an amazing, remarkable BRAIN and he is trying many things with these pieces in this book. It is not meant to be a cohesive whole, written in a single style. Do not expect to love all of it.

But the parts that get you..are really really worth it.

Good Father's Day book.

I love Steve Martin. And this little book is diverse, far ranging, and worth typing upside down for.

Steve Martin's collection of "New Yorker" short pieces is so intellectually inspired, that one is tempted to analyze it and perhaps alienate potential readers. So, I will restrain from doing that. Nor will I try to imitate his inimitable style (uh oh, too late!). On with the review:

This is a hilarious, smarmily profound (in the manner that Martin seems to have invented), clever, wise, stimulating, and yes, laugh-out-loud (Martin could do a whole essay on that overused phrase) funny book. As a slim volume (115 pages) it's a bit pricey, but the material is so dense, so rich with humor, that even the least of these is worth reading several times over. Martin absolutely skewers the trendy in such pieces as "Closure" and "On Writing":

"Because topics are in such short supply, I have provided a few...

'Naked Belligerent Panties': This is a good sexy title with a lot of promise...
Something about how waves at the beach just keep coming and coming and how amazing it is (I smell a best-seller here).
'Visions of Melancholy from a Fast-Moving Train': Some foreign writer is right now rushing to his keyboard, ready to pound on it like Horowitz."

Like Bill Murray, Martin can both inhabit and distance himself from his targets, and he is a master of light-hearted mockery: In "Dear Amanda," as Joey, he writes "It was a lucky coincidence that my cat leapt on your speed-dial button last night, as it gave us a chance to talk again. Afterwards, I was wondering what you meant when you said, `It's over, Joey, get it into your head.'"

Martin's own topics are mostly about the arts in general, and writing in particular. He has a knack for the throwaway line (from "Times Roman Font..."): "Bobby Brainard, a writer living in an isolated cabin in Montana, who is in fact the only writer living in an isolated cabin in Montana who is not insane..."), as well as the pithy observation (from Hissy Fit: "He fails to see that Los Angeles is a city of abundant and compelling almosts."). He writes movingly and with great subtlety in a tribute to Walter Matthau that doesn't read like a tribute ("Michael Jackson's Old Face"). And there's his extraordinary tale of irony (the clash, I suppose, of text and subtext) in the very funny "Drivel": "She had painted a tabletop still life that was a conceptual work in that it had no concept. Thus the viewer became a `viewer,' who looked at a painting, which became a `painting...' Dolly could take the infinitesimal pause to imply the quotations around a word (she could also indicate italics with just a twist of her voice)." She breaks up with him when he actually likes one of her paintings "without any irony whatsoever."

Every once in a while, in the midst of the non-sequiturs and wise observations, there is a phrase or sentence (only once, a story, "Bad Dog") that sounds off, or a bit lazy, or just sophomoric. For example, after this wonderful exchange (from "Lolita at Fifty"): "'Name?' `Lo-lee-tah.' She spoke her name like a steam radiator with consonants," Martin follows with "'Last name?' `Lolita Rooney-Burton-Winn-Fortensky-Guccioni,' she said, omitting a few names and adding a few to jazz it up." Or in "Side Effects," in the middle of a string of increasingly outrageous patter (like his early "What I Believe" performance), he writes " If this (i.e., secondary sexual side effects) happens, women should write a detailed description of their last three sexual encounters and mail to me, Bob, trailer 6, Fancyland Trailer Park, Encino, CA. OR e-mail me at `hotguy.com.'" Too easy.

But this is a wonderfully funny book by the master himself, one of the few comic geniuses of the last 100 years. In his writing and performance, he balances the intellectual and the plain silly, pomposity and minimalism, and finds the grain of truth at the heart of humor. When he received the first "Jack Benny Award" from UCLA many years ago, he accepted it with great solemnity, and then (after a perfectly timed pause), he bounded gleefully up and down the stage like a small child. Highly recommended writing which satisfies more with each reading.

Mr. Martin has not necessarily always been the Barron of High Brow Humor (I.E. Three Amigos, The Jerk, Comedy is not Pretty!, etc.). Now don't get me wrong, I love most anything Mr. Martin has ever put his fingerprints on... But this book is different. Special. He uses words (and punctuation) (and font, for that matter) in a way I haven't seen before by any other author. Pure Drivel is witty, enjoyable and readable by most anyone willing to take an hour out of their day to laugh so hard they pee a little...

Honestly, a special treasure in my library.

Enjoy.

This book consists of 23 small pieces. Each piece is generally only a few pages long. The book as a whole covers some very diverse and bizarre ideas.

Parts of the book are laugh out loud funny while other parts just don't quite hit the mark. But the thing I like about this book is that it seems like Steve Martin wasn't trying to be funny. I almost got the impression that he was just writing down a number of very strange thoughts that were interesting to him, many of which happened to be funny. The result is a good, amusing, and in my opinion absolutely unique read.

Overall, some of it is funny and some just isn't. But, with such short pieces, if you don't like one just skip it. There's bound to be something in Pure Drivel that will make you laugh.

In his book Pure Drivel, Steve Martin has some very humorous moments. While some parts of the book fall a little flat because they lack a little direction, I enjoyed most of the book.

Some of the chapters which are about writing in itself are humorous to anybody who can see how badly some people write. These chapters include "Writing is Easy!", "Times Roman Announces Shortage of Periods", and a favorite of mine " A Word from the Words." "Side Effects" and "The Hundred Greatest Books I've Read" are also among my favorites. While the stories are short in length, most of them have some sense of closure. Other stories, such as "The Paparazzi of Plato" and "Mars Probe Finds Kittens" show Martin trying too hard to demonstrate intelligent humor. As a result, the joke is more cute than laugh out loud funny.

As a whole, I did enjoy this book. Amazon.com lists Jon Stewart's Naked Pictures ... as a book also enjoyed by readers of this book. However, I think this book is significantly better than Stewart's book.

There can be no disputing the fact that Steve Martin is a comic genius. He also happens to be an exceptionally bright human being with a love for writing - but also what appears to be a visible craving for people to consider him an exceptionally bright human being. Sometimes this seems to get in the way of what is ordinarily solid, but not especially overwhelming art. In the case of his plays (Picasso at the Lapin Agile) and his novellas (Shopgirl), I would argue that Steve is a far better writer when he loses himself, and captures the subtleties of normal, daily life (rather than the punchlines of his amazing comedy acts) with its poignant moments and quiet instances of futility and despair.

But thankfully for you - who probably doesn't look to Steve Martin for instances of futility and despair - this collection of shorts taken primarily from the back page of The New Yorker is an absolute laugh riot - for some. I have found that those who are Steve Martin fans from his stand-up days tend to like this book better than those who only know him from his recent films. For those in the former category, I think it helps to read this book as Steve might have spoken the words. Of his three books, I most highly suggest this one. It's what you want from Steve Martin.

Yet, there is no substitute for the man himself, even though sometimes, I wonder if comedy isn't more of an obstacle for Steve than a cure.