Steve Martin's novel The Pleasure of My Company is an entertaining and poignant story about a California man living with a mental disorder. The book is enjoyable and demonstrates Martin's ability as a writer. If you're looking for a light and enjoyable novel, The Pleasure of My Company is a perfect way to spend an afternoon.
The book follows its neurotic protagonist, Daniel Pecan Cambridge, in his regimented and secluded life. Daniel has a long list of rules and prohibitions that restrict his behavior. He fears walking over a curb, sleeping in a room with less than 1125 watts of lighting, and wrinkles on his clothes. He survives jobless in California on occasional checks from his grandmother in Texas, which pay for his rent, food, and earplugs from Rite Aid that a such a bargain he can't pass them up.
Daniel is single and vaguely in love with several women: Clarissa, his therapist; Zandy, his pharmacist; and Monica, the realtor who shows properties in his neighborhood. Owing to his neuroses, Daniel makes little effort to pursue his romantic inclinations, choosing instead to distract himself with compulsive endeavors like the organization of things in his home, ironing, and the creation of magic squares.
Martin deftly conveys the inner mental life of a non-neurotypical individual, managing to do so humorously and respectfully. The reader never feels that they are laughing at Daniel, but rather with him. Daniel is well-aware how peculiar some of his habits are and does crack the occasional joke at his own expense.
While the plot of this book is ripped right from the regular programming of the Hallmark Channel, Martin does at least produce a better version of that sort of item. When reading the book, the reader is constantly waiting for the inevitable moment when Daniel will do something that to him seems completely rational but that seems dangerous or wrong to another character. The plot of Rain Man and the hot bath water comes to mind. However, that moment never materializes because Martin seems to be aware that it's a tired trope and best avoided. Daniel never makes a huge error that requires a tear-jerking apology in which he explains that he isn't normal and just doesn't understand. Rather, the book shows Daniel leading a happy life even in spite of his abnormalities. He is perfectly capable of taking care of Clarissa's infant son, and indeed relishes it and takes it as a sacred duty.
All in all, The Pleasure of My Company isn't the next Crime and Punishment, but it is an enjoyable novel that Martin put some thought and effort into. It isn't just a vanity project by an actor with no literary skill. Martin has also written a novella, Shopgirl, that sounds worthwhile to read. If you're interested in reading good literature by famous actors, another good book in that vein is The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie.