Pure Drivel

Pure Drivel: In this ingeniously funny collection of humorous riffs, those who thought Steve Martin's gifts were confined to the screen will discover what readers of The New Yorker already know: that Martin is a master of the written word. Hilariously funny and intelligent in their skewering of the topic at hand, these 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 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.

• Pure Drivel - Audio CD

  Price

  $14.99 $2.99 (80% Off) Buy from Amazon.com
  (as of 2013-05-19 17:24 PDT)

  Publisher

  Simon & Schuster Audio

  Shop

  Amazon

  Format

  Audio CD

  Publish Date

  Nov 20, 2007

  Sales Rank

  235532

  ISBN

  0743571533

  ISBN-13

  9780743571531

  Creator

  Steve Martin

  Search best deal and alternate versions of "Pure Drivel" in US (United States), UK (United Kingdom) and CA (Canada)

  • Pure Drivel (Audio CD)
  • Pure Drivel (Paperback)
  • Pure Drivel (Hardcover)
  • Pure Drivel (Paperback)
  • Pure Drivel (Audio Cassette)
  • Pure Drivel (Hardcover)
  • Pure Drivel (Hardcover)
  • Pure Drivel (Paperback)
  • Pure Drivel (Paperback)
  • Pure Drivel (Paperback)
  • Pure Drivel (Hardcover)

  Product Description / Editorial Review

  PURE DRIVEL 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.
  
  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 — Source: Amazon

  

• Pure Drivel - Paperback

  Price

  $10.95 $2.98 (73% Off) Buy from Amazon.com
  (as of 2013-05-19 17:24 PDT)

  Rating

  3.5 (161 reviews)

  Publisher

  Hyperion

  Shop

  Amazon

  Format

  Paperback

  Publish Date

  Oct 6, 1999

  Sales Rank

  455409

  ISBN

  078688505X

  ISBN-13

  9780786885053

  Edition

  First Edition

  Pages

  128

  Search best deal and alternate versions of "Pure Drivel" in US (United States), UK (United Kingdom) and CA (Canada)

  • Pure Drivel (Paperback)

  Product Description / Editorial Review

  Steve Martins talent has always defied definition: a seasoned actor, a razor-sharp screenwriter, an acclaimed playwright, and, of course, the ingenious comedian who turned King Tut into a national craze. In this widely praised collection of humourous riffs, Martin shows he is also a master of the written word. From a wildly imaginative meditation on who Lolita would be at age fifty to a send-up of the warning labels on medicine bottles, these pieces, many of which first appeared in The New Yorker, hilariously and intelligently skewer the topic at hand. Pure Drivel will have readers crying with laughterand marveling that in addition to all of his many talents, Steve Martin is also a superb writer. Like the fuzzy little puff of marabou on the instep of a coquettes satin bedroom slipper... Martins book of diminutive, often hilarious essays [is]... effortless and silly even as its subtly erudite. ˜ Salon Martin is a gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonishingly ironic. He is a master at revealing the surreal poetry in pure drivel. ˜ Elle
  
  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 — Source: Amazon

  

• Pure Drivel - Paperback

  Price

  $10.95 $3.13 (71% Off) Buy from Amazon.com
  (as of 2013-05-19 17:24 PDT)

  Rating

  3.5 (161 reviews)

  Publisher

  Hyperion Books

  Shop

  Amazon

  Format

  Paperback

  Publish Date

  Oct 6, 1999

  Sales Rank

  672563

  Pages

  128

  Search best deal and alternate versions of "Pure Drivel" in US (United States), UK (United Kingdom) and CA (Canada)

  • Pure Drivel (Paperback)

  Product Description / Editorial Review

  Steve Martins talent has always defied definition: a seasoned actor, a razor-sharp screenwriter, an acclaimed playwright, and, of course, the ingenious comedian who turned King Tut into a national craze. In this widely praised collection of humourous riffs, Martin shows he is also a master of the written word. From a wildly imaginative meditation on who Lolita would be at age fifty to a send-up of the warning labels on medicine bottles, these pieces, many of which first appeared in The New Yorker, hilariously and intelligently skewer the topic at hand. Pure Drivel will have readers crying with laughterand marveling that in addition to all of his many talents, Steve Martin is also a superb writer. Like the fuzzy little puff of marabou on the instep of a coquettes satin bedroom slipper... Martins book of diminutive, often hilarious essays [is]... effortless and silly even as its subtly erudite. ˜ Salon Martin is a gorgeous writer capable of being at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonishingly ironic. He is a master at revealing the surreal poetry in pure drivel. ˜ Elle
  
  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 — Source: Amazon

  

• Pure Drivel (Unabridged) - Digital Download

  Price

  $18.00 $12.60 (30% Off) Buy from Audible.com
  (as of 2010-06-09 0:00 PDT)

  Publisher

  Simon & Schuster Audio

  Shop

  Audible

  Format

  Digital Download

  Publish Date

  Dec 16, 1999

  ISBN-13

  9780671043247

  Length

  2 hours 14 minutes

  Narrator

  Steve Martin

  Preview

  mwprealmp3

  Promotion

  Sign up AudibleListener® Gold and Download Pure Drivel (Unabridged) for Special Offer Price: $7.49

  Product Description / Editorial Review

  In this ingeniously funny collection of humorous riffs, those who thought Steve Martin's gifts were... — Source: Audible

  

• Pure Drivel - Paperback

  Price

  $10.95 $9.36 (15% Off) Buy from Barnes & Noble
  (as of 2013-05-13 11:21 PDT)

  Rating

  4.0 (9 reviews)

  Publisher

  Hyperion

  Shop

  Barnes & Noble

  Format

  Paperback

  Publish Date

  Oct 1999

  Sales Rank

  446535

  ISBN

  078688505X

  ISBN-13

  9780786885053

  Pages

  128

  Edition Description

  1 PBK ED

  Alternate Versions

  • Hardcover - $22.3
  • Compact Disc - Unabridged - $12.8
  • MP3 Book - Abridged - $9.9

  Biography

  While he rose to fame as one of America's foremost funnymen on the big and little screens, Steve Martin has taken to giving his unique, fantastical sense of humor literary life, from books like the bestselling novella Shopgirl to plays like Picasso at the Lapine Agile and The Underpants.

  Book Magazine

  The failure of this audio performance is inexplicable, really, except as part of the mystery of what makes humor humorous.
  Martin's essays, many of which first appeared in the New Yorker, simply were much funnier on the page. You'd expect that a comic's delivery would be a key part of his act, but Martin's voice just hangs there, twisting slowly, slowly in the wind. The tape virtually cries out for a laugh track.
  Most of the essays bear some relationship to media, whether the subject involves a politician's mea culpa; a writers' crisis when the Times Roman font announces a shortage of periods; a dialogue among paparrazi in ancient times; or the "pure drivel" proudly narrated by the editor/publisher of the American Drivel Review.
  Though deadpan, and at times silly, nothing here makes you want to laugh out loud.
  

  Devin L. Gordon

  When Steve Martin writes, he really writes. . . . Martin crafts . . .essays, all tweaked with his light-bulb wit. -- Newsweek

  Elle

  The finest book ever written. Steve Martin is a gorgeous writer...at once melancholy and tart, achingly innocent and astonishingly ironic...A master at revealing the surreal poetry in pure drivel. The New York Times

  Kelly

  . . .[A] worthwhile collection of spankingly inventive, though sometimes affected, farcical essays. . . .[restores] lighness to the printed page. -- New York Magazine

  Newsweek - Devin L. Gordon

  When Steve Martin writes, he really writes. . . . Martin crafts . . .essays, all tweaked with his light-bulb wit.

  Publishers Weekly

  These short humor pieces, many of which first appeared in the New Yorker, represent a mixed bag. While actor/ comedian/writer Martin consistently comes up with clever lines, his conceits soar only about as often as they peter out. His opening offer, "A Public Apology," takes the politician's mea culpa to deadpan, ridiculous heights: "I had sex with a hundred-and-two-year old male turtle. It would be hard to argue that it was consensual." But the next piece, "Writing is Easy!" contains such clunkers as "Naked Belligerent Panties" as a recommended topic for up-and-coming writers. Martin's zones of inquiry include science, language, show biz and, of course, mating. Among the stand-outs: "Dear Amanda" recounts the belles lettres of mannerly stalker; "Taping My Friends" trips into a paranoid universe; "I Love Loosely" brings Lucy & Ricky to the "oral sex isn't sex debate;" and "Artist Lost to Zoloft" laments how pharmaceuticals affect the avant-garde. But the title piece (okay, it's just called "Drivel"), which concerns a duo linked by hyper-conscious irony, shows Martin straining for laughs. (Sept.)

  Salon

  Like the fuzzy little puff of marabou on the instep of a coquette's satin bedroom slipper. . .Martin's book of diminuitive, often hilarious essays [is] . . .effortless and silly even as it's subtly erudite.

  Synopsis

  PURE DRIVEL

  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.
  

  The New York Times Book Review - Susan Shapiro

  The tone ranges from parody to irony to just plain silliness. . . .it's humor raised to the level of abstraction.

  
  — Source: Barnes & Noble

• Pure Drivel (Unabridged) - iTunes Audiobook

  Price

  $10.95 Download on iTunes
  (as of 2013-05-13 11:21 PDT)

  Publisher

  Simon & Schuster Audio

  Shop

  Apple iTunes Store

  Format

  iTunes Audiobook

  Publish Date

  Apr 13, 1999

  Sales Rank

  96

  Length

  2 hours 14 minutes

  Narrator

  Steve Martin

  Presented by

  Audible.com

  Product Description / Editorial Review

  In this ingeniously funny collection of humorous riffs, those who thought Steve Martin's gifts were confined to the screen will discover what readers of The New Yorker already know: that Martin is a master of the written word. Hilariously funny and intelligent in their skewering of the topic at hand, these 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 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.
  
  "...humor raised to the abstract." (The New York Times) — Source: Apple iTunes Store