You only have to look as far as the mock testimonials on the back of this book to know that Steve Martin's
Pure Drivel is going to be a loopy read. This 100-page gem contains a mixture of essays (if you can call them that), stories and humorous tidbits on many strange subjects that happen to inhabit Martin's creative mind. In his own words, he describes the book's offerings as:
after-dinner mints to the big meal of literature.
Martin is simultaneously brilliant and ridiculous. Truth be told, much of that comedy is lost on me. He tends to fluctuate between low brow humor and intellectual musings that fly over your head, but he writes with a poetic flair and his mastery of the absurd is indisputable.
Fortunately, for every joke that seems to plummet like young Icarus, there are three or four jokes that drill their way into your mouth and prop open a smile, or, at least, a profound giggle.
Because Martin is incredibly smart, his deliberately doesn't let his writing bow down to the reader. In fact, he seems to challenge the reader with every word. At one point, he parodies the scientific theory of Schrodinger?s Cat by offering examples of various other phenomena. Using
scientific jargon, he breaks down the inner workings of Elvis?s Charcoal Briquette, George Hamilton?s Sun Lamp, and other mysteries in the universe.There are some refreshing and amazing comic ideas in this book, even if some require a bit of work on the part of the reader.
In a chapter that offers writing tips for struggling writers, he warns the reader to steer clear of using the word
dagnabbit. He also suggests
Naked Belligerent Panties as a good sexy title. So, the pearls of wisdome are helpful, as well as hilarious.
My personal favorite part of the book is the scientific discourse on the faux discovery of kittens on Mars. Martin writes in a deadpan style about examining the complex intricacies of felines. Anybody who has ever owned a cat or been around one will find his observations priceless.
Another interesting chapter is the final one in the book where the actual words from the book gather together and write their own message directly to the reader. It is a surreal and mind-bending idea and proves to be very effective in the humor department. The word
underpants is
chosen to speak for the whole gang, and if you have a perplexed look on your face at this moment, I strongly urge you not to buy or read this book.
Other chapters discuss the philosophical musings of dogs (they are really desperately sad creatures that are constantly putting on a happy face to please their Master); conversations with friends that have been audio recorded; a Dave Barry-esque look at what happens to the memory when you get past 50; and a chapter that playfully paints a world where actors such as Martin, Sylvester Stallone and Tom Cruise are really intense scientific types that prefer to discuss Nobel prizes over Oscars.
This book is probably mostly for Steve Martin fans. I can't imagine people who dislike him enjoying it quite as much. Still, it is somewhat of a departure from his days of singing
King Tut and
being a poor black child in
The Jerk. Here is a sample of him as more of a cerebral humorist. Of course, he certainly continues to cling to his wild, willy-nilly roots, as well.
Not only is Martin an extremely talented conductor of words, but he has an uncanny knack of producing astounding, nonsensical leaps of logic, as well as analogies that are both awful and poignant, all at the same time. This is a great book for people who are looking to add a little off-the-wall, original humor in their lives.
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