The Understudy: A Novel | 
 enlarge | Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
Category: EBooks
List Price: $9.95
Buy New: $7.96
You Save: $1.99 (20%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 52551
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.92
ASIN: B000NJL7Q4
Publication Date: January 30, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Recently divorced actor Stephen C. McQueen (no relation, unfortunately) seems to have a knack for bad luck. But a failed marriage, a stalled career, a judgmental ex-wife, a distant daughter, a horrid little studio apartment in the far reaches of the London suburbs–all these pathetic elements seem to pale in the chiseled face of his newest tormentor: the Twelfth Sexiest Man in the World, Josh Harper.
Josh is the star of Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know, a biographical play about Lord Byron–and Stephen is his understudy. Not only is Josh fantastically, infuriatingly good-looking, internationally renowned, and remarkably talented, he’s also frustratingly healthy. No matter how many all-night booze-and-coke benders Josh goes on, he always shows up at the stage door for his call like clockwork. Stephen doubts he’ll ever get his chance to slip on the puffy shirt and tight breeches of Byron and tread the boards in the role that would certainly be the break he’s always waited for.
And just when Stephen’s sure he couldn’t resent Josh more, he meets Josh’s witty, restless American wife, Nora . . . and discovers he likes her a little too much. Another man might curse his luck at finding that his potential dream woman is a rival’s wife, but at this point, Stephen would expect nothing else. Caught between his stirring feelings for Nora, the demands of an insistent and secretive Josh, and his lifelong desire for a real career in show business, Stephen must make a terrible decision: Will it be the girl or the fame?
A hapless, bumbling bloke in love, an arrogant megastar with a potpourri of addictions, a sexy married woman out of her element in the fast lane–David Nicholls brings them all together in this knockout romantic comedy.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 Not Quite Funny; Not Quite Romantic August 10, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I'm a fan of British humor and enjoy comic romances, so I had high hopes for this book. It comes up a little bit -- but a decisive bit -- short.
The book has a promising start, our hero, Stephen McQueen (with a ph), is a struggling actor whose specialty is playing dead bodies in television police dramas. That sounds like a funny starting point, right? Well, that's the high point. His subsequent struggles, both romantic and professional, are more pathetic than funny, and more boring than either. One after another the book sets up (admittedly with considerable skill) potentially funny or redeeming scenes--the party thrown by the star he is understudying, visits with his ex-wife, the star's wife, his daughter, his agent, acting jobs as a Squirrel, and so forth. Each time, the set up is unavailing--the humor is just short of funny and the positive change or transformative event in the hero's life so necessary to such a story falls just short of happening. The book and its ultimately unappealing hero just keep plodding along. Ultimately I felt like Charlie Brown, with the author playing Lucy--holding out the football of the conventions of a comic romance, then pulling them away at the last second. Spare yourself.
C'mon America--READ THIS GUY! January 10, 2007
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
It's too bad that Mr. Nicholls is virtually unknown on this side of the Atlantic. His first novel, "A Question of Attraction," ("Starter for Ten" in Europe) is arguably the funniest novel I've ever read. This second effort reveals that he has not broken his funny bone. "The Understudy" is the story of Stephen McQueen (don't mistake him for THE Steve McQueen), a hapless underemployed actor who dreams of his "big break" while playing second fiddle to one of England's up-and-coming stage actors. His side job as Sammy the Squirrel in children's films is hilarious, as is his bumbling attempt to maintain a presence in the life of his young daughter. Not quite the guffaws of his first novel, but certainly some robust giggles here. Bring on his next work!!
 Quite good but no "Starter for Ten" February 7, 2006
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Stephen C. McQueen is a struggling actor. On occasion, he has done TV, cinema and theatre. Currently he is the understudy of Josh Harper (THE Josh Harper, 12th sexiest Man alive) in a successful West End play. With a fairly limited repertoire, playing roles of either dead guys, ghosts or Sammy the Squirrel (huge in Eastern Europe, apparently), Stephen C. McQueen is in desperate need of a big break, his very own opportunity to shine, show the world what he's really made of, make his daughter and ex-wife proud and convince all that he really, truly is an extraordinary actor.
The book gets off to a bit of a sluggish start, drags on, then thankfully picks up about halfway through. It's quite good, generally speaking, entertaining and fun to read, but "Starter for Ten", Nicholls's first novel was absolutely brilliant, and all the books he writes are bound to be compared to that first one and unfortunately "The Understudy" is no match.
 Another 5 STAR Novel by Nicholls November 14, 2005
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Poor Stephen McQueen - he is a 30something man with dreams of becoming the next .. Steve McQueen! Although he shares his name with a famous movie star, Stephen has little else in common with the Hollywood elite. For starters, he lives in London, and is merely the understudy to the insanely popular Josh Harper. Josh epitomizes everything Stephen wants to be - he's famous, extremely good-looking, sought-after by women, directors, and fans, and is married to a beautiful woman named Nora. Stephen is, basically, an unlucky fellow; nothing seems to go his way, and he is still waiting for his 'big break' after many years of trying. He's an adequate father to his only daughter Sophie, a friend to his ex-wife Alison, and a better than average friend to Josh Harper, a man who treats him like gum beneath a shoe. There isn't a lot of dramatic tension in the novel - it is more of a character study and a glimpse into Stephen's life. David Nicholls captures the essence of a man who is a good person but just down on his luck and needing a break. Stephen is a character that you love to read about and that you want the best for. There is a lot of humor/wit in this book and I was laughing aloud many times throughout the novel. A Question of Attraction was one of the best books I have ever read, and The Understudy ranks right up there with it. Both books have a solid cast of characters that are `normal' and easy to identify with. There is a Josh Harper in all of our lives, and seeing Stephen try to triumph over one made for a very funny and engaging read.
Perfect Escapism November 13, 2005
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
One should always have a book by David Nicholls handy as the perfect escapism into some poor soul's worst social orientated faux pas nightmares all come true. If nothing else it gives one a sense of perspective regarding one's own personal hang-ups. Well this novel is a highly enjoyable read and the writing is in David Nicholls usual scintillating style with lots of laughs along the way. It also kept me up all night as it presents so many dilemmas for the protagonist that I couldn't put the book down until I got to the end to find out how and if he survives them all.
A drawback to this novel to my mind is that the misery is laid on so thick and fast for Stephen the protagonist that one craves a little light relief for him and for ourselves too who are caught up in his problems. Also, on one hand Stephen arouses sympathy but on the other his stupidity is exasperatingly annoying; and then his positive traits of character seem out of kilter with his irrationality which is confusing. However, this fault might lay with this particular reader. But the end ... Well Mr. Nicholls, you write so well that I will read anything you get into print again in the future because your writing is so very attractive, enjoyable and colorful - but that end. No, it didn't do it, for me at least. There was no hope - not even a teeny-weenie little bit of salvation. One knows that things are going to continue as before for Stephen with a ph and the reader so desperately wants an unrealistic final. You could have given us a little bit of hope in the way of some unadulterated schmaltz. But again this is personal and you still deserve 5 stars and more for a wonderful read and for making me care. Thanks!
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