This book is at its best when Steve Martin's particular brand of comedy shines through. His style of writing is unique and literary, and you can almost sort of hear it in his voice. The best thing about it is undoubtedly the commentary it carries on the (late 90's early 2000's) culture of LA. The cruelty of the city and the desperation of Mirabelle in particular is felt in descriptions only a celebrity of Steve Martin's magnitude and longevity could craft. The characters are suitably complex and their relationships are messy, which is most certainly the point; however, a little bit of "show, don't tell" might have been constructive with some aspects of characterization. Given that it was his first novella, however, I'm somewhat impressed. Will watch the movie and report back.