Shopgirl by Steve Martin

Steve Martin, yes, the same Steve Martin from Roxanne, the Jerk, and many other hilarious and touching films. Steve Martin the comedian and actor extraordinaire. Steve Martin the now accomplished and recognized writer, with a brilliant sense of prose as well as a searing insight into the human mind and heart.

Shopgirl is a short story or novelette (I honestly am not sure which one, as it was much, much shorten than the modern novel but a little lengthy for a short story). It has been turned into a movie (with Steve Martin in it, ironically enough), although I have not seen it yet. I have a strict book-first-then-the-movie policy. Okay, it's kind of strict most of the time.

The book was beautiful, and despite the small size of the volume it really packed a punch in terms of emotional impact and memorability. I really felt the characters, for lack of a better expression (hell, I'm still a young writer, cut me some slack). I was surprised by the book in many places, by the twists and turns it took, but it was not a disappointment. In the end I was supremely content with the way the book ended, even though I could not have predicted it. That made it all the more enjoyable and delightful a story. A great read, and a book I'm sure I will reread over the years. Steve Martin has hit it out of the park.