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| The Understudy | 
 enlarge | Author: David Nicholls
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: £6.99
Buy Used: £0.01
You Save: £6.98 (100%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 37016
Media: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Pages: 416
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5 x 1.1
ISBN: 0340935219
EAN: 9780340935217
ASIN: 0340935219
Publication Date: September 21, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 If you liked "Starter For Ten" you'll like this January 26, 2008
If you enjoyed "Starter For Ten", like I did, then you'll enjoy this. Although the main characters are all in their late 20s and early 30s, unlike "Starter For Ten"'s university students, they still behave the same way and have the same problems with drink, relationships and lying to get out of difficult situations only to find themselves with worse. So there's more emphasis on bringing up children, on divorce and re-marriage, but with the added unrealism of beckoning fame and fortune to spice things up a bit.
I find David Nicholls' books an easy and fun read, he uses great comedy set-ups and uses the right number of twists to keep things interesting. Also, and I don't think this is a spoiler, neither this nor "Starter For Ten" ends the way you're probably expecting it too.
 Reading 'The Understudy' was like pulling teeth. September 10, 2007
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I was not impressed with even the slightest attempt of wit that was emphasised. Had no sympathy for the protagonist and the ending just angered me and was contradictory to the character of Stephen McQueen. His character is of one who has major paranoia and thinks far too much (esp. for a man) and so for it end with Nora: 'Let's just...wait and see what happens' only increases and adds to the instability. Instead of a warm fuzzy reminiscent feeling one would experience from reading a book that 'raves' FUNNIEST BOOK OF THE YEAR...and 'IRRESISTIBLE' I was left feeling like I'd just wasted my time.
 A piece of fluff September 1, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you liked Nicholls's previous book, Starter for Ten, then... you probably won't like this very much. If, on the other hand, you're a fan of chick lit and films in the Love Actually vein, this half-baked rom com will be right up your alley. In a nutshell, the story follows a Z-list actor whose main employment is understudying the part of Lord Byron in a West End show. The running `joke' is that this actor is called Stephen McQueen, which is obviously all very humiliating for the poor chap because quite clearly he's not of the same calibre as his legendary namesake. Hmm. I've got two words for you - stage name. I suppose if it was up to Nicholls then John Wayne would have lived and died as Marion Morrison?
With the book's main gag already dead in the water, there's worse to come. Starter for Ten was high on cringe factor, and this follow-up begins promisingly enough with our amiable loser ruminating on his failed marriage and squalid living conditions. But the next thing you know, he's romancing the sour-sweet American wife of bona fide film star, Josh Harper, with dialogue and scenarios straight out of the worst kind of chick lit drivel. (And the fact that I almost typed Josh Hartnett just then gives you some idea how long Nicholls probably spent coming up with his characters' names...)
Nora's an acid-tongued failed musician presumably intended as a kind of cross between Lauren Bacall and Debbie Harry with a side-helping of Katherine Hepburn. Nicholls goes way too far, though. She's more like the lovechild of Joan Rivers and Vera Duckworth - constantly slagging off her superstar husband with the sort of bile that seems okay from a surgically-altered septuagenarian but doesn't sit well at all with a leading lady. Meanwhile, Stephen loves Nora utterly, but isn't averse to making a play for the ex-wife he's never got over. Young love, eh. But what worked well in Starter for Ten with a self-serving teenaged protagonist is not quite so likeable in a thirty-something father of one. Not only that but the moral crux of the story, the Faustian pact that Stephen makes to Nora's expense, ends up... having exactly no repercussions whatsoever! Brilliant! This book is empty to the core.
It's just such a let-down. If Nicholls hadn't won me over with Starter for Ten, then undoubtedly I wouldn't have given this book such a kicking. Oh well, no doubt he'll make plenty of cash from the inevitable film adaptation.
Lacking the magic of SFT April 20, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I brought this book after reading SFT because I was looking for another fix of David Nicholls high quality writing. Unfortunately in this case the story just didn't grab me and I really struggled to maintain interest to the end.
I found the lead character of Stephen C McQueen (who I'm guessing was named with the intention of adding a humorous edge to the story) a bit dull. He was certainly not someone whom I was able to sympathise with about his lack of success or rally behind to win the day and get the girl. In some ways it looked to me that when creating his lead character Mr Nicholls had simply tried to reincarnate Brian Jackson, only as a failing actor a good twenty years older, and not half as amusing or endearing.
The books redeeming feature was the amount of detail that had gone into portraying the reality behind the showbiz life that the audience, flocking to the theatre every night to see the latest acting sensation setting the boards alight, don't get to see. But that alone was not enough to keep me gripped, so I can only assume that if you were in the business you might find this book a better read than I did.
 My review on The Understudy February 19, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
The Understudy by David Nicholls is an enjoyable and fascinating novel to read. What really appeals to me about this particular novel?
Firstly, the show business theme is meticulously tackled in the novel, with the principal focus on West End musical plays.
Secondly, the novel has a well executed plot and well represented characters. An accurate portrayal is provided of typical characters you would expect encounter in show business arena. The fortunes are mixed as the central characters case illustrate as in the example of Josh being a high profile actor and Stephen an understudy who acts as a substitute for Josh's absence.
The Understudy is an enjoyable and fascinating novel to read. Within the
space of few days, I read this book. It tells you this novel capture my full interest. Let's hope it does the same for you.
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