| Title | : | So Many Steves: Afternoons with Steve Martin |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9798985080216 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Audiobook |
| Number of Pages | : | 3 |
| Publication | : | Published May 2, 2023 |
Steve Martin met his good friend Adam Gopnik three decades ago, and in that time, Gopnik has always marveled at Martin’s ability to flourish in a wide variety of artforms: magic, comedy, art collecting, writing, and music. In So Many Steves: Afternoons with Steve Martin, New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik creates a new type of profile: a year’s worth of conversations with Martin where Gopnik pulls back the curtain on his friend’s illustrious career.
This audio-biography places you in Martin’s apartment across from Steve and Adam, listening as their conversation flows from Steve’s first job in a magic shop to selling out stadiums as a standup comedian, starring in major motion pictures, writing his first novel, teaching himself to play the banjo, and starting a respected art collection. Through it all you’ll hear clips from Steve Martin’s iconic stand up routines and movies as well as excerpts from his writing and tv appearances, all knit together by an original banjo score created and played by Steve.
So Many Steves: Afternoons with Steve Martin Reviews
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*3.5 stars
This was a short (3 hour) audiobook. It was more of a podcast-like conversation between the author and Steve Martin. If you don’t know much about Steve Martin, you won’t learn much more about him here. This book just touches on some aspects of his creative process and revisits his early character The Great Flydini and ends with some philosophy and his art collection. It was aiiiite. -
Delightful! Wished it was longer.
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Delightful, but it’s less of a book and more of a documentary/podcast almost. Earns an extra star for the interspersed vintage clips of Martin’s comedy.
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2.5 rounded up solely because I adore Steve Martin & always have especially since Father of the Bride (1991)
The format and the concept fell flat for me which made this short audiobook feel extremely long. -
The danger of reading a book about a celebrity you really like is equal to the danger of meeting them: you might decide that you don't like them after all. Fortunately, I am happy to report Adam Gopnick's interviews with Steve Martin will only make his fans like him more. I assume this is only available as an audiobook, which is how I enjoyed it.
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Refreshing to listen to adult intellectual conversations about creating personal growth through the lens of artistic & intellectual pursuits.
The audiobook is well done. Essentially, it’s a series of conversations grown into a podcast that eventually forms a cohesive work as an audiobook.
I learned as much about Steve Martin’s artistic ambitions & intellectual life in this <3 hour audiobook as I did reading (and listening to) his memoir “Born Standing Up.”
A resonant quote (that makes me want to look for and read a biography of Carl Reiner): Steve Martine reflecting on & praising Carl Reiner, the director of his first film, "The Jerk" (and-- from the sound of it-- a great mentor to Seve Martin on how to be more gregarious in public & professional avenues):"He was not a pushover. Don't mistake him for a pushover. Carl Reiner was one of the kindest men with a backbone I've ever known."
One unexpected delight? Hearing Steve Martin's emotional investment and reaction to E.E. Cumming's poetry and lectures. Now want to listen to Cumming's in his Norton Lectures entitled “Non-Lectures.” -
So Many Steves is exactly what the title suggests. Adam Gopnik, a friend of Steve Martin strung together a series of interviews, or rather afternoon conversations, and connected them seamlessly to get to know the comedian further. In the interviews Gopnik dives into every aspect of Martins professional life, and touches base with his personal life. Together they discussed the beginnings of Martins comedy days, how he got into directing and acting, his art collections, his novels, and his music. Through this Audio book you really get to see how many versions of Steve there are and why they came to be.
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Very entertaining and insightful dive into the thoughts, motivations, philosophies, and career history of one of the entertainment industry’s modern homo universalis . . . Mr. Steve Martin.
Overall a sprawling series of personal talks and interviews, the author and Martin examine his work and success as a comedian, actor, author, playwright, musician, and art collector. Fascinating insights and several surprisingly touching moments…definitely worth seeking out and completing. -
I keep telling myself I shouldn’t meet him, because meeting your idols diminishes them. This audio book proves he is who I think he is….a renaissance man, dabbling in his interests. I feel like I’ve seen many of these Steve’s throughout my life…and have been lucky enough to glimpse in on his process.
L.A. Story is still my all time favorite movie. -
Steve Martin is interviewed about the different phases of his career. Funny & thoughtful if a bit slight. It feels more like an extended segment on This American Life than a (audio) book.
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This book caught my attention because I really enjoy Adam Gopnik's writing - both his books and his articles - and I have always enjoyed watching Steve Martin. Gopnik is a wonderful writer with insights that surprise me (one of my favorite books to recommend is "Paris to the Moon"), and Steven Martin is such an accessible comedian and artist - I never feel like he is playing down to the audience. So, of course, I would like this book!
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Somewhere between 3 and 4. This was a very pleasant listen! Not sure why it’s considered an audiobook? It felt more like a podcast. 3 hours was the perfect length.
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Audiobook was 10/10. Could have listened for 10 hours straight.
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This book is lovely. The first couple of chapters focused on his early comedy being influenced by E.E. Cummings, philosophy, and logic are pure joy. I would listen to these chapters on repeat.
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Steve Martin is magic.
(This is more of a documentary podcast than audiobook.) -
Steve Martin seems like a delightful guy—more charming and thoughtful than wild and crazy—and he's certainly had an intriguing creative life. The book's organized by his friend and conversation partner Adam Gopnik around different pursuits and passions of Martin's, and there have been many. I especially enjoyed the early chapters when Gopnik interviews his friend about his youthful days as a magician, philosophy student, banjo player, and stand-up comedian. Some of the later chapters (like the one on Martin as art collector) veer uncomfortably close to celebrity-profile territory, but I wasn't bored. A short, easy listen.
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This was a clever look into the many facets of Steve Martin's career: comedian, actor, screenwriter, playwright, novelist, musician, art collector, etc. He is a great example of a modern day polymath in the wake of fraudulent capitalists masquerading as men of the world (*ahem*Musk*ahem*). I love the conversational format of these Pushkin books. It worked really well in Miracle and Wonder with Paul Simon, and it works really well here. It is a memoir, but an investigation as well. I really enjoyed this brief listen, and I hope Pushkin continues to produce books like it.
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Slight in length, and maybe not a book in the strictest sense, this audio collection of interviews/conversations with Steve Martin is, nevertheless, plenty enjoyable. There's much here that fans will already be aware of, but I still loved the breezy tour through the various phases of Steve's life and career, from magician to stand-up comic, his acting career, his music career (and genuine love of the banjo), art collecting, and his forays into writing movies, novels, plays, and a musical. The guy's a national treasure: funny, insightful, and humble. I could listen to him talk all day long.
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Listened to the audiobook, which seems to be the original form. Entertaining and interesting biographical conversations by Steve Martin with New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik about Steve's creative life pursuits, in magic, comedy, movie acting, writing, music, and art collecting. Full of anecdotes, clips from performances, readings, etc.
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This is essentially just a series of conversations with Steve Martin recorded by his friend, but it was so interesting. I love Steve’s explanation of the similarities between philosophy and comedy and of course loved all the details on his banjo playing. There is so much examination of the creative life in this book, and I wish it were much longer.
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Audio book only. Short, basically the length of a couple of podcasts. Steve Martin is an interesting person, I enjoyed this. Interviewer a bit pretentious.
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Entertaining insights to the many facets of Steve Martin’s life and career. Listens like a long podcast.
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Really enjoyed listening to this audiobook production. Great conversation with fun clips added in. My only disappointment was that it ended too soon.
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I find Steve Martin so interesting.
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A short and very enjoyable listen. This audio-biography is similar to a podcast, and edited with recordings of Steve's past work and other fun sound bites. I even laughed out loud in a few places. The chapters are set up to take you through the life of Steve, covering a lot of things I did not already know - his college classes of philosophy and logic and how it shaped the comedy or art he created. It is presented to show the complexities of Steve Martin not just "Steve Martin the celebrity" in a way that is surprising and somehow still down to earth. If you like Steve Martin, you will like this.
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*listened to not read* my biggest gripe is that this could have been a podcast why make it a book? It’s only 2 hours and 45 minutes and it’s conversations. I liked the idea of ever evolving selfs that they explore together and it’s structured logically. I think humans are fascinating and the most interesting bit is Steve Martin talking about this painting in his collection called “Barbecue” His thoughts are clear and personal and the idea that he watches paintings like they’re television is a riot.
