Starter for Ten: A Novel (Paperback)

by David Nicholls (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
'Brilliant... we would recommend it to anyone' -- Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan 'Trust us, you'll love it' -- Arena 20030801 'Moving, wickedly observed, warm, uplifting and above all blindingly funny... Read this book' -- Jack 20030801 'Toe-curlingly embarrassing and cleverly observed... it'll have you wincing and laughing simultaneously. Fabulous' -- Company 20030901 'A bittersweet coming-of-age tale ... A fine, funny book' -- Heat 20030906 'Nicholls' portrayal of student affectations is accurate and funny ... clever and well-written' -- Independent 20030905 'Spry, affecting debut ... If it's possible to wince with your whole body, that broadly equates to my experience of reading it' -- Time Out 20030901 'A funny, touching novel reminiscent of the classic film Gregory's Girl with an authentic 1980s backdrop' -- Sunday Mirror 20030907 'Hilarious ... you won't be able to put it down' -- OK 20030913 'Painfully funny' -- Elle 20030901 'Warm and funny ... Hilarious' -- Daily Mirror 20030901 'Hugely (and deservedly) hyped ... Achingly funny' -- She 20030901 'I laughed out loud, I cringed in recognition, and more than once I paused in admiration at an observation so wry, so on the money, I wondered why it had never occurred to me before. There have been many pretenders to the throne of Hornby; David Nicholls is his legitimate heir' -- Mike Bullen, creator of 'Cold Feet' 20030901 'For conjuring up all those cringeworthy moments of youth, this read is unrivalled' -- Glamour 20031001 'Relentlessly delightful' -- Mil Millington 20030901 'Absolutely fabulous ... brilliantly funny' -- Jenny Colgan, author of Amanda's Wedding 20030901 'Wonderfully written ... This is a lovely look back at a time when you were young enough to think that anything could happen' -- The Word 20031001 'What a delight... David Nicholls is enormously talented, he has an exquisite eye for details, humour and the ridiculous and he deserves every ounce of the huge success he will undoubtedly have with this pleasure of a book' -- Anna Maxted, author of Getting Over It 20031001 'I absolutely loved Starter for Ten' -- Emily Barr, author of Backpack 20031001 'I adored "The Understudy". It's a fantastic comedy ... delightfully written and makes you realise that even though some people are always cast as second best, that doesn't mean they're never winners.' -- New Woman 20050401 'A comic genius' -- Maria Beaumont on David Nicholls 20050401 'I laughed a lot' -- Jeremy Paxman on STARTER FOR TEN 20050401 'Moving, wickedly observed, warm, uplifting and above all blindingly funny, Starter for Ten hits the spot time after time. Read this book' -- Jack on STARTER FOR TEN 20050401 'A zippy comedy with laugh-out-loud lines, grounded on a solid plot and first-rate dialogue...irresistible' -- Daily Mail 20050408 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description
Now a major motion picture

“Utterly charming . . . a big-hearted, flawless coming-of-age tale, as scary and funny as your yearbook picture.”
–People (****/Critic’s Choice)

The year is 1985. Brian Jackson, a working-class kid on full scholarship, has started his first term at university. He has a dark secret–a long-held, burning ambition to appear on the wildly popular British TV quiz show University Challenge–and now, finally, it seems the dream is about to become reality. He’s made the school team, and they’ve completed the qualifying rounds and are limbering up for their first televised match. (And, what’s more, he’s fallen head over heels for one of his teammates, the beautiful, brainy, and intimidatingly posh Alice Harbinson.) Life seems perfect and triumph inevitable–but as his world opens up, Brian learns that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

“Fresh, edgy and very funny . . . [Nicholls] has a talent for droll dialogue and a wonderful sense of the ridiculous.”
–USA Today

“Starter for Ten has that elusive Hornby-factor. . . . It’s wincingly funny . . . a prospect to savour.”
–Arena

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Villard; Mti edition (January 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345498127
• ISBN-13: 978-0345498120
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #116,778 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much More Than '80's Retro, July 13, 2007

By	Penny Dreadful (Under Your Skin) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

When I first found this novel while cruising a bookstore, I nearly passed it by without taking it off the shelf. I also nearly put it back on the shelf once I had it down. Why? Well, from the cover description, Mr. Nicholls' work sounds like yet another self-indulging shuffle back in time to when the author was young. Let's face it, too many writers go back to their youth and create a pseudo-memoir of how they wish it had been. I expected that's what this was.

But guess what? I was WAY off the mark and am so glad I didn't go with my first impression. Starter for Ten is an engrossing, funny, witty (NOT the same thing as funny) tale of Brian Jackson, a likable and problem-prone young Englishman from the year 1985. We tag along as he wades through the standard agonies of late adolescent growing pains and look on at his adjustments to an inundation of rapid changes to his life. His working-class past has not always been happy, but Brian emerges from it a relatively optimistic, if self-deprecating, figure and we quickly root for this charming underdog as he starts university with two major goals. Brian's first goal is to be a contestant on a collegiate quiz show favored by his late father; his second and more all-consuming hope, is he wants to gain the love of Alice Harbinson, a leftist, petite-bourgeoisie princess who is also a first-year student at Brian's college. Even while we want things to work out for Brian Jackson, we cringe on his behalf as he pursues the beautiful, flighty Alice, a girl surely he, like we, know is unattainable for a young man of his status (read social class) and personal aptitude.

That's the backbone of the novel's plot, but in among its 300-odd pages, we trek along on some endearing misadventures and cheer for Brian Jackson, wince for him, and want to console him more than a few times, even as we laugh for--or is it AT--him and his sincere efforts to make it on his very uphill climb.

I highly recommend Starter for Ten to anyone who wants to be touched by a fun, light read about beginning college life, while taking a trip back to the era of Thatcher's Britain of the mid-1980's.

Cheers!

4.0 out of 5 stars Knowing James Mcvoy , October 24, 2008

By	S. N. Hidalgo Valdez "movie fan" (Mexico, DF MEXICO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I liked it very much, it was a great opportunity to watch more about James Mcvoy work, he is an excelent actor, plays a university guy who is falling in love with the beautiful girl but not exactly the perfect girl, and he discovers real love just beside him, in his best friend, that was a nice story to watch. It brings good memories from your school years. I had a good time with it.

4.0 out of 5 stars David Nicholls knows his coming-of-age angst, April 19, 2007

By	Andy Orrock (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

David Nicholls' 'Starter for Ten' was originally released in the US as 'A Question of Attraction.' With BBC Films' cinematic release under the 'Starter...' title (starring James McAvoy of 'Last King of Scotland' fame), Villard is now re-releasing the book Stateside under its original title in order to capture some 'oomph' from the film tie-in.

Anyway, it's a nicely written and enjoyable tale by Nicholls, who surely knows his coming-of-age angst. One observation about the movie vs. book: Nicholls' book version of Rebecca Epstein is a lot more sharper-edged and grow-on-you pretty than Rebecca Hall's on-screen portrayal. Ms. Hall, by contrast, will have you at 'hello.'