Vous voulez voir cette page en français ? Cliquez ici.


or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Pure Drivel [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Steve Martin
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (141 customer reviews)
Price: CDN$ 28.00 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Usually ships within 1 to 4 weeks.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.ca. Gift-wrap available.

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Hardcover --  
Paperback CDN $12.64  
Audio, CD, Audiobook, Unabridged CDN $12.99  
Audio, CD, Audiobook, Unabridged CDN $28.00  

Book Description

Oct 1 1998
Steve Martin's talent has always defied definition: an actor who's kept us riveted for over 25 years, a razor-sharp screenwriter, an acclaimed playwright. In this ingeniously funny collection of humorous riffs, those who thought Martin's gifts were confined to the screen will discover what readers of The New Yorker magazine already know: that Martin is a master of the written word.

Hilariously funny and intelligent in their skewering of the topic at hand, the audiobook's pieces, some of which first appeared in The New Yorker, feature Martin at his finest.

With a playwright's ear for dialogue, a sense of irony only Steve Martin could muster, and a first-class comic ability to perfectly time the punch line, Pure Drivel will have listeners crying with laughter, and marveling at the fact that in addition to all of his many talents, Steve Martin is also a superb writer.


Product Details


Product Description

From Amazon

Don't listen to Steve Martin read this hysterical compilation of his most absurdly funny writings if you're recovering from abdominal surgery or have taken a vow of silence. Martin's brilliant, juxtaposed wordplay, sly commentary, and hilarious observations are delivered with such a droll wit that only a dead person will avoid unabashed laughter. Genius is in the ear of the beholder and Martin's metronomic timing allows each sentence to unravel perfectly. His deadpan delivery is often clever enough to make you laugh twice at the same line and makes it clear why he has enjoyed such remarkable success as an actor, screenwriter, playwright, and author. (Running time: two hours, two cassettes) --George Laney --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Like Woody Allen, Martin expresses his intelligent, innovative, and self-conscious humor in many forms, including the written word. The short essays, conversations, and proclamations collected here are relayed in a slyly deadpan Valley voice that belies the coiled craziness of their content. Martin also brings his gift for comedic timing to these creations, setting a quirky beat that perfectly sets off their ironic wiles. The laugh-out-loud funniest pieces have a vivid physicality to them, such as "Side Effects," a hilarious takeoff on the precautions accompanying prescription drugs, while the most complex works offer witty commentary on the esotericism of science, the pretension of art, and the act of writing itself. The last gave rise to the delectable "Times Roman Font Announces Shortage of Periods," in which even the typography is amusing. Martin gets in some quick jabs at the absurdities of Washington, D.C., tells a tale from a dog's perspective, and pokes fun at Mensa, always crafting prose as notable for its meticulousness as for its drollery. And then he turns all but poetic in a piece about a "New York writer . . . forced to visit Los Angeles," a story that turns into a bittersweet and unexpectedly moving defense of his almost-beautiful, ever-hopeful city against its harshest critics. Donna Seaman --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
Looking out over the East River from my jail cell and still running for public office, I realize that I have taken several actions in my life for which I owe public apologies. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars pure shnivel Dec 1 2007
Format:Paperback
Great stuff that'll get a laugh even out of the painfully serious. The 50-year-old Lolita even thinks it's funny. A few quotes. "But this guy was no ordinary guy, he was a red guy." "Think what you think, and stultify what you perambulate." "48. Windows for Dummies. 49. Windows for Idiots. 50. Windows for the Subhuman." This is hilarious stuff that just about everyone will get a kick out of...er, this? Author of Adjust Your Brain: A Practical Theory for Maximizing Mental Health.
Was this review helpful to you?
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely gorgeous book May 17 2004
Format:Paperback
Annotation: In this ingeniously funny book of humorous skits, Martin shows he is master of the written word. The book is hilariously funny and intelligent in his skewering of the topic at hand. The book features Martin at his finest. The book is incredibly witty as Martin shows off his superb writing ability. This is the funniest book I have ever read.
Author Bio: Born in Waco, Texas and raised in Southern California, Martin became a television writer in the late 1960s, winning an Emmy Award for his work on the hit series "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour". By the end of the decade he was performing his material in clubs and on television and went on to host several episodes of "Saturday Night Live". Martin continued to use his stand-up skills as host of the 73rd and 75th Annual Academy Awards, for which he was nominated for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program. Martin has stared in many movies which include The Jerk, The Man with Two Brains, and All of Me in which he was nominated for an academy award. His latest film was Cheaper by the Dozen.
Evaluation: This was one of the best books I have ever read. It was so funny I found myself being stared at by my parents. They must have thought "What Is he reading?". Anyway I was inspired by the book to try a hand at writing comedy. I hope I can use and master the English language the way Martin has. He is beyond description.
Was this review helpful to you?
4.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly bizarre Jan 26 2004
Format:Paperback
Steve Martin is a funny guy. Almost always. Even when he's in a bad movie (and he's made his share), the man himself is usually funny. This book is a fantastic little piece in which he pretty much emptied his mind of all the screwy, random thoughts that had been rattling around and turned them into strange essays about... well... anything. Politics, a day in the garden... my personal favorite was a great piece about a sudden shortage of a certain punctuation mark. The synapses in this man's brain make quantum leaps to connect the oddest things and turn them into something utterly histerical.

Drivel? Perhaps. But it's among the best drivel I've ever read.

Was this review helpful to you?
Want to see more reviews on this item?
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Proof positive
If, for some (wild and) crazy reason you need more proof of the unadulterated comedic genious that IS Steve Martin, here it is. Read more
Published on Dec 2 2003 by P. Smy
4.0 out of 5 stars Very, Very Strange....
Not in a bizzarre way, more like an *interesting* way. This book is completely non-linear, and nothing makes sense if you try too hard to understand it. Read more
Published on Nov 6 2003 by godhatesacoward
4.0 out of 5 stars I just giggled and giggled.
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. Read more
Published on Sep 18 2003 by N. Pierre
4.0 out of 5 stars Not all drivel
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... Read more
Published on Aug 24 2003 by JMack
5.0 out of 5 stars A witty and inventive collection
"Pure Drivel" is a collection of more than 20 humorous short pieces by the multitalented Steve Martin. Read more
Published on July 28 2003 by Michael J. Mazza
5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Genius
Steve Martin is one of the most original comics around, and as far as I'm concerned, he just keeps getting better. Read more
Published on Jun 20 2003 by Franz Kiekeben
4.0 out of 5 stars great read
Great if you like Steve Martin and you get his unique sense of humor. If you liked the movies LA Story and Roxanne you'll love this off-beat collection of short stories. Read more
Published on May 18 2003 by J. Staley
3.0 out of 5 stars Take it or leave it
I've always considered Steve Martin a genius. His stand-up comedy, while full of slapstick, is also quite intellectual at times. Read more
Published on Mar 12 2003 by Joe Lee
4.0 out of 5 stars Pure silliness
It strikes me that this book provided Jack Handey (of Saturday Night Live's "Deep Thoughts" fame) with a great deal of inspiration.

This book is very cute. Read more

Published on Jan 8 2003 by Robert Sacks
5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Fun
For those few people who do not know that Steve Martin is truly a multi-talented comic genius, Pure Drivel will be a book that will convince you. Read more
Published on Sep 4 2002 by J. C. Payne
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category


Feedback


Amazon.ca Privacy Statement Amazon.ca Shipping Information Amazon.ca Returns & Exchanges