The Rif Raff Book Club met Sunday, November 24th for the book selection Shopgirl: a Novella by Steve Martin at the Corner Cafe on Lake Street in Oak Park, Illinois.

We were trying to find a cafe similar to the one in the book that Mirabelle would visit on her lunch hour. Needless to say, we went over the $6.00 that was Mirabelle's limit. The Francheesies looked rank.

Shopgirl: a Novella by Steve Martin

Yes, it was THAT Steve Martin - the wild and crazy comedian. I found the book not to be so wild though. Crazy - maybe. Basically I thought it was a self-help book for the shallow Hollywood crowd. Thumbs down.

Shopgirl was an OK read. However, the section that dealt with Mirabelle returning to her home and dealing with her parents seemed cut short. I was very curious to learn more about her fathers experience in the war, but Mr. Martin never really opened that door. This could have provided an interesting turn in the story and given the readers more insight into Mirabelles psyche, but we were left hanging. I just recently read that the story has been sold to Hollywierd and Steve Martin will play the role of the rich older man.....what a surprise. My thumb ain't up or down on this one, but somewhere in the middle. Overall, I think the author would probably be better served making movies.