The Understudy
Written by David Nicholls
Narrated by Paul Thornley
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
For Josh Harper, being in show business means money, fame, a beautiful wife and a lead role on the London stage. For Stephen C McQueen it means a disastrous career playing passers-by and dead people. Stephen's stuck with an unfortunate name, a hopeless agent, a daughter he barely knows and a job as an understudy to Josh Harper, officially the 12th sexiest man in the world. And when Stephen falls in love with Josh's clever, funny wife Nora, things get even more difficult. But might there yet be a way for Stephen to get his big break….
David Nicholls
David Nicholls is the bestselling author of Starter for Ten; The Understudy; One Day; Us, which was longlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction; Sweet Sorrow; and You Are Here. He is also a screenwriter who has also written adaptations of Far from the Madding Crowd, When Did You Last See Your Father? and Great Expectations, as well as his own novels, Starter for Ten, One Day, and Us. His adaptation of Edward St Aubyn's Patrick Melrose, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, was nominated for an Emmy and won him a BAFTA for best writer. Nicholls is also the Executive Producer and a contributing screenwriter on a new Netflix adaptation of One Day.
More audiobooks from David Nicholls
Us: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sweet Sorrow: The long-awaited new novel from the best-selling author of ONE DAY Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Understudy Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
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Reviews for The Understudy
140 ratings6 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I loved his book 'One Day.' It is one of my all-time favorite books. So I thought I might read another one of his books. Well, this one didn't quite live up to my expectations. While it wasn't a bad book, I just didn't love it. One Day was so unique and amazing. This book just didn't have the same individuality.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5I thought this was funny, but not funny enough for me to care about what happens to these characters. I wonder whether I have up on them too soon. The main protagonist is a bit of a loser, although we know he shouldn't be, his daughter is disappointed in him, and he is the understudy to the 12th most beautiful man in the world, who never seems to have to try to get acting jobs, as well as being married to the beautiful and scarred Nora. I loved One Day so I wished that this was the same.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was a great read - laugh out loud funny from the word go. It has just the right blend of humour and tragedy, with the hint of a major catastrophe coming down the tracks. Anyone who has read his first novel, 'Starter for Ten' will have an idea of the sort of thing to expect. Side splitting, toe curling, it kept me turning the pages at a furious pace.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I actually won this book on Goodreads.com. Its about a wannabe actor and the struggles he goes through. The main character has a case of the "poor me" syndrome. I probably wouldn't have picked it up if it wasn't for winning the book. I thought the book was okay but not on of my favorite. The writing just didn't draw me in.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Having thoroughly enjoyed Starter for Ten and One Day, I was slightly surprised at how disappointing this novel was but we all have our bad days, I suppose. The self-deprecation and delusion that is ordinarily charming in many of Nicholls' characters is rather pathetic in Stephen. Nicholls should be congratulated in succeeding in creating some truly cringeworthy moments, but again I often felt more like rolling my eyes and shaking Stephen than patting his shoulder and assuring him we all have moments like that. Although this is relatively lacklustre compared to his other efforts, I remain a fan of Nicholls' work and still number him amongst my favourite contemporary British comic writers.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The understudy is about an actor named Stephen McQueen who is always the runner-up. He's the actor who gets invited to the birthday party of the star of his play and it's to bartend. He meets the stars lonely wife, befriends her and falls in love with her. The most interesting aspect of this book was his relationship with his 7 yr old daughter by his ex-wife.