From the pen of Steve Martin, better known for his success as an actor and comedian, comes his first novel set in familiar L.A.
territory. The main character, Mirabelle, is the generic "shopgirl" who works behind the glove counter in a remote corner of a large department store. She rarely sees any customers and even more rarely does she sell any gloves. Her job prospects are nil, her spare time is spent wallowing in loneliness and she drifts through the book in a Prozac-induced haze. The two men who make brief and inconsequential appearances in her life are dull and nondescript, failing to lift Mirabelle - or the hollow narrative-out of its predictable mire. Who knows, if this was a movie starring Steve Martin it might manage to raise a laugh, but as it is this novel is disappointing.