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Starter For Ten

3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 · rating details · 5,422 ratings · 528 reviews

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 round...more

Paperback, 469 pages

Published (first published January 1st 2003)

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May 07, 2013 Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Men don't read. Or that's something of a stereotype assigned by publishers that makes finding good books somewhat difficult at times. One can always pick up airport reads about lawyers (Grisham) spies (Clancy) or scary medical stuff (Crichton) and then of course there is fare for the intellectual (Franzen). What about the non-alpha male middle class white guy, somewhat in touch with his sensitive side who wants to pick up something that doesn't assume he is without brains, but doesn't necessaril...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Gail rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, favorite-authors

Post-One Day, I wanted to have at some more of David Nicholls' work. Starter for 10 is his first novel, and well....I finished it underwhelmed.

A few reasons why this one tripped me up when One Day (for me anyway) was so lovely:

1) The protagonist, Brian Jackson: A college freshman, Brian has fancy notions of what it means to head off to university. But he's nerdy and his face is pock-marked with acne and he's awkward. So, SO awkward. Every scene becomes slightly painful to read because it's Brian...more

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Mar 07, 2009 Greg Stragnell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a very funny book about an English lad during his first year at University. He has all the usual first year mishaps and, partly as a result of "falling in love" with a beautiful undergraduate, joins the team for University Challenge, a British quiz programme based on College Bowl. He pursues his relationship with "the beautiful girl" while at the same time crossing swords with a radical but much more rounded girl. The book was made into a film starring James McAvoy which is also very amu...more

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Sep 24, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

When we were young -a long long time ago- a friend of mine and me joked about the continuous crises: the first-year-at-uni crisis, the mid-degree crisis and of course, the last-degree-year crisis. Hey, our life was so full!
This is a first-year-at-uni crisis novel, dissected by his protagonist and narrator, Brian. He presents himself as a working-class lad setting off on his big university journey, with all its appealing prospects: leaving home to live on your own -that is to say, in your shared...more When we were young -a long long time ago- a friend of mine and me joked about the continuous crises: the first-year-at-uni crisis, the mid-degree crisis and of course, the last-degree-year crisis. Hey, our life was so full!
This is a first-year-at-uni crisis novel, dissected by his protagonist and narrator, Brian. He presents himself as a working-class lad setting off on his big university journey, with all its appealing prospects: leaving home to live on your own -that is to say, in your shared accommodation-, meeting lots of attractive interesting girls, learning all sorts of important things and even becoming part of the University Challenge team!
Brian is a bit different in that he is the only one in his group of friends to have earned a grant to go to uni: the other lads are stuck in dreary underpaid jobs in the middle of a recession, as the book is set in the 1980´s. Of course, I couldn´t help comparing the situation of these funded students with today´s recession and the exhorbitant price of university fees. Being paid to study? It seems like the stuff of fairy tales now!
Predictably, as Brian tries to meet as many people as possible and to have as many experiences as possible, he neglects his mum and his friends: he doesn´t go back for weekends, doesn´t phone much and when his best friend comes to visit, he is unkind. So this is not entirely a campus-novel: it is also a novel about what is outside the campus, about the friends we have left behind and the families who are carrying on with their lives.
I gather that universities are the place where middle class and lower class undergraduates meet upper class undergraduates, the kind of students who went to public schools and have tons of cash, property and privileges. This was a topic in "One Day" too. It seems to happen for the first time, too. As I am not British, I was surprised by such a deep class division. Did they never go to the same pubs and clubs wherever they all came from? Here Brian falls for blonde posh girl Alice, and they strike up a sort of friendship that degenerates into farce at various points, notably when Brian spends a desultory Christmas holiday at Alice´s family´s country home. Well, there is a blond dream girl in every guy´s past, so we will not hold down any hard feelings against Brian. Who can blame him for trying? Not me, certainly.
I look forward to my kids enjoying university life, even if I haven´t got a clue how on earth we are going to be able to afford this. Well, my son has only just started Reception, so it may be a bit early to worry about it.(less)

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Elen Loved your review. I loved this book laughed out loud. My son had finished uni a couple of years before I read this book. Brian really came to life fo...more
Nov 07, 2011 05:42am

Laura That's a good story! I found it very funny too, I quite liked the movie too, did you know there is one? We bought it online for about three pounds. Th...more
Nov 07, 2011 09:19am

Elen Yes I do know about the film. I have the DVD.

The first time I watched it To be honest I was a bit disappointed.There were so many of my favourite part...more
Nov 07, 2011 11:45am

Feb 01, 2011 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011

Brian Jackson is a grant student entering his first year at university. Coming from blue collar family and friends, he’s always been the oddball at home, and is hoping that at university he will find his niche. As a fan of the television show University Challenge, he is excited to make the team, even if it is only as first alternate – mostly because he gets to see the posh and beautiful Alice at team meetings. As his first year of college progresses, though, Brian learns the valuable lesson that...more Brian Jackson is a grant student entering his first year at university. Coming from blue collar family and friends, he’s always been the oddball at home, and is hoping that at university he will find his niche. As a fan of the television show University Challenge, he is excited to make the team, even if it is only as first alternate – mostly because he gets to see the posh and beautiful Alice at team meetings. As his first year of college progresses, though, Brian learns the valuable lesson that knowledge does not equal wisdom – and that there is more to being smart than knowing all the answers.

Have you ever had this kind of experience: you’re reading a book, and you read a sentence-paragraph-half-a-page-chapter that is so tautly written and absolutely hysterical that you must read it aloud to someone immediately – only there isn’t anyone around?!? I had this experience while reading Starter for Ten over and over (and over and over) again. One of the cover blurbs says that this book has the “elusive Hornby-factor” and I would second that thought – this book has the same way of looking at the world slant-ways and finding the humor and stark-raving madness in the mere fact of being human – and yet Nicholls manages to find his own voice and not come across as a Hornby wannabe.

In Brian, Nicholls has captured the ultimate eighteen-year-old – he is convinced that he is now an adult, and he is READY FOR LIFE. And yet, any of us who have reached the age of 25 – or even 20 (or in my case almost 20 years older than that) – remember how little we knew about ourselves and the world at age 18. Brian is a truly lovable character – you root for him and root for him and then groan when he completely sabotages any chances of being seen as a cool – or even normal – person. He simply has the worst possible luck, in little things like picking out the restaurant for a first date or simply getting a haircut – so you can imagine how his luck runs when it comes to the big things, like finding true love, or getting an education.

I loved Nicholls’ novel One Day, but I’m glad that I read one review that stated how different it was from Starter for Ten. Because I knew that going in, I wasn’t expecting this to be the same kind of book. It isn’t. It has more humor and, in spite of Brian’s rotten luck, more hope. This doesn’t make it better or worse, as I gave both books five stars, just different. So, if you loved One Day, read this and know that it is a different book. If you didn’t like One Day, read this and know that it is a different book.

(less)

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Nov 10, 2010 Kyu rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-read

This was a First-Reads win, so I desperately wanted to like this book. It's a coming-of-age story about an awkward, nerdy main character. In fact, this character is like many a person I've known during my own coming-of-age period in my life. Unfortunately, unlike the many similar people I've known and liked and befriended, Brian Jackson lacks any redeeming quality that makes me, the reader, want to root for him.

The first forty pages of the book had me slightly interested in learning what would...more

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Aug 15, 2009 Bryony rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"'Well...' says Alice '...we had some friends round, like we always do on Boxing Day, and we were playing charades, and it was my turn, and I was trying to do 'Last Year At Marienbad' for Mummy, and she was getting so frantic and over-excited, and shouting so hard, that her cap popped out and landed right in our next-door neighbour's glass of wine!'
And everyone's laughing, even Mr Harbinson, and the atmosphere is so funny and adult and amusing and irreverent that I say, 'You mean you weren't wea...more

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May 28, 2012 Ruthy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog-ring

O antes...
"Todos os jovens se preocupam com coisas, é uma parte natural e inevitável do crescimento e, aos dezasseis anos de idade, a minha maior angústia na vida era que jamais tornasse a conseguir algo tão bom, puro, nobre, ou verdadeiro como os resultados dos exames de nível básico."

Estou curiosa para conhecer a escrita deste autor, não tenho esperanças nenhumas pois já li críticas boas e más portanto estou no meio da balança. Quando acabar de ler a balança há-de pender para algum lado...

...e...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Kayla Perry rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I had high hopes for this book after reading One Day, but they turned out to be in vain. Starter for Ten has a cast of characters that I found generally repugnant, especially the main character. He's so obsessed with a girl who plainly doesn't like him and who uses him repeatedly, yet he never seems to learn from these lessons, so the reader is forced to roll their eyes as surprise!-she screws him over again. The story focuses more on his failed courtship of her than it does on his self-professe...more

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Feb 24, 2013 La Stamberga dei Lettori rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: antonio

E' questo il primo romanzo di David Nicholls, quotato autore televisivo inglese. Il libro ha avuto grande successo in patria e da esso è stato tratto un film non circolato in Italia. Nel nostro paese Nicholls è stato apprezzato maggiormente per il suo secondo romanzo, intitolato "Un giorno". Quest'ultimo è decisamente più sentimentale e rispondente al gusto femminile. Non so se voglia anche significare che le lettrici sono in numero maggiore dei lettori.
In questo romanzo, con grande umorismo, v...more

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Feb 15, 2013 Helena R-D rated it 4 of 5 stars

I didn't want to read another book by this author after being emotionally gutted by "One Day" but I had wanted to see the movie for years and when I found this in a charity shop for 2 pounds, I picked it up.

I didn't regret it, since it was an enjoyable and somewhat honest read. Brian is basically a clueless dork who feels that going to college is going to basically turn him into a person and help him escape his past. The University Challenge is a nebulous goal that in the end, sets him free from...more

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Feb 14, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013

I love David Nichols' writing but I've been putting this one off for a long time because I love the movie so much. I know books are usually (almost always?) better than the movie but in this case I wasn't sure I'd be able to picture anything other than James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch etc. The book definitely holds up on it's own as an entertainment, but I was fascinated by the changes that were made to put this story on screen - and I do think that some of the changes actually improved the st...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Umminurhani rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So I gave this book a three star because it hadn't caught my attention so much. By that, it took me longer to finish this book than an average 400 pages novel. I read the reviews before i read this book and most people say its a funny story. It was quite inviting in the begininning as it starts to introduce the 'mysterious' plot (i love mystery) and the characters. the plot was based around a British guy and how he made friends with different kind of people. However it became a little bit too dr...more

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Jan 15, 2013 Valerie Derbyshire rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read all of David Nicholls' books now and this is undoubtedly my favourite. Like all of his books, it's well-written, full of wit and insight and very easy to read. It is a novel of over 450 pages and I read it in just over a day, in only a couple of sittings and it was read with a real sense of pleasure and enjoyment in what I was reading.

Brian is just starting out on his university career and has a real knack for saying/doing the wrong thing. Socially awkward to the end, he is, neverthele...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Suad Shamma rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, 2012

I did not like this book. At all. Perhaps I simply wasn't the intended audience for it, or I just don't understand this style of writing, but all I know is I found it to be a complete waste of my time.

Reading all the reviews, and even the synopsis of this book, I really thought I would like it. Brian falling in love with the University Challenge queen (as the synopsis says) gives us quite the false impression that Alice is some intelligent, sophisticated, savvy, smartass girl that will give Bria...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Estibaliz79 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Pues sí: me ha gustado bastante más de lo que esperaba... aunque supongo que eso tampoco era muy difícil, pues habiéndome gustado "Siempre el Mismo Dia" más bien poquito, poco era lo que esperaba de esta primer novela.

Afortunadamente, lo que me he encontrado ha sido la divertida historia de un joven en su primer año de universidad; y no un joven cualquiera, sino uno feucho (con graves problemas de acné), idealista, romántico y pseudointelectual... e inmaduro en gran medida.

Con semejantes ingred...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Karo rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I must be getting old. I'm quite sure that only a few years ago, the story of a spotty, insecure teenager with an ever-so-uncool obsession with University Challenge would have amused me no end. I would have nodded sagely at every confession of adolescent confusion and the constant feeling of one's own shortcomings. I would have pretended to know what it's like to live in a smelly student home and drink disgusting homebrew. I would have wanted in on it! But now, at the tail-end of my twenties, I...more I must be getting old. I'm quite sure that only a few years ago, the story of a spotty, insecure teenager with an ever-so-uncool obsession with University Challenge would have amused me no end. I would have nodded sagely at every confession of adolescent confusion and the constant feeling of one's own shortcomings. I would have pretended to know what it's like to live in a smelly student home and drink disgusting homebrew. I would have wanted in on it! But now, at the tail-end of my twenties, I seem to have become the humourless enemy.
Or. Maybe Starter For Ten just isn't the brilliant book I thought it would be. It's one of those books that is frequently mentioned in other reviews, until you decide you better read it yourself. The story sounds good enough: Nineteen-year-old Brian is too clever for his own good (though also a bit too naive) and decides to leave his depressing hometown and his widowed mother to dedicated his life to the study of English Literature at university. He jumps at the chance to be on the university's Challenge team, promising televised glory as well as a chance to excel at the one thing Brian has ever had in common with his late father. So far, so neatly planned. Brian, however, is an antihero, and over-the-top so. He's not pretty, not wise, not actually very good at English literature, and within half a day also hopelessly in love.
You can guess what happens next. There's a lot of disappointment, hair and skin disasters, messed-up dates, uncomfortable nakedness and things-that-every-first-year-student-can-relate-to. But it's not actually all that funny, and our hero is not actually all that likeable. It's a quick, amusing read, but it left me cold.
There are a few redeeming features. Brian's realisation that while he loves literature, he's not academically brilliant gives the whole romp the little downer it needs. Nicholls manages to pin down bits of the truth every now and then, but for every critical thought there's either a banal embarrassment (naked parents? Really?) or a very unlikely sexual encounter waiting in the wings. It's all a bit meh.
However, the most disappointing aspect for me was the lack of actual University Challenge action. I might be just the nerd Nicholls was going for, but I can't help but feel that when your big selling point is a well-known quiz show, there should actually be a few pages of quizzing in the book. But for all the romantic longing, the hero's big goal (finally making his father proud) falls by the wayside. The finale is a good one, but there is minimal build-up, and it's quite formulaic and predictable.
I guess grumpy old me is just having a hard time connecting with the young people. And liking a book without liking the hero is a difficult thing. (less)

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Aug 22, 2012 Carly Dodd rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"All young people worry about things, it's a natural and inevitable part of growing up, and at the age of sixteen my greatest anxiety in life was that I'd never again achieve anything as good, or pure, or noble, or true, as my O-level results."

A poignant and raw look into the inner workings of the eighteen year old Brian Jackson, upon his entry into University, Starter For Ten by David Nicholls is not so much a straight forward coming of age as it is an uncovering of what University life really...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Tempo de Ler rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Blogue: http://tempodler.blogspot.pt/

Acredito que quem lê Uma Questão de Atração porque leu, e gostou, de Um Dia pode acabar por se sentir desiludido, isto porque estes dois livros não têm nada a ver um com o outro. E é precisamente deste ponto que devemos avançar quando decidimos ler Uma Questão de Atração.

Até as suas estruturas são completamente diferentes. Em UmDia toda a história é colmatada no fim, enquanto que em Uma Questão de Atração o fim é negligenciável, até porque é ligeiramente dece...more Blogue: http://tempodler.blogspot.pt/

Acredito que quem lê Uma Questão de Atração porque leu, e gostou, de Um Dia pode acabar por se sentir desiludido, isto porque estes dois livros não têm nada a ver um com o outro. E é precisamente deste ponto que devemos avançar quando decidimos ler Uma Questão de Atração.

Até as suas estruturas são completamente diferentes. Em UmDia toda a história é colmatada no fim, enquanto que em Uma Questão de Atração o fim é negligenciável, até porque é ligeiramente dececionante. São os «entretantos» deste livro que cativam, especialmente pela sua comicidade.

A história, que muitas vezes parece seguir sem qualquer objetivo, baseia-se na entrada e adaptação de Brian Jackson na universidade e a sua participação num concurso de televisão. À partida: nada de mais. Não fosse Brian o indivíduo mais idiota, mais ridiculamente pretensioso e mais azarado de toda a universidade! Os seus falhanços acumulam-se página após página e as situações embaraçosas empilham-se até ao teto!

Contudo, a inocência patética de Brian leva o leitor a compadecer-se dele, a ganhar-lhe alguma afeição - mais que não seja porque todos temos um bocadinho de Brian.

Nicholls dedica-se a ridicularizar o protagonista, nas mais variadas cenas, até sentirmos pena dele (mas admitamos - o pateta faz por merecer!). As situações ultra hilariantes chegam a ser tão embaraçosas que nos sentimos mortificados por este pobre desgraçado - mas Brian, simplesmente, não aprende.

Um livro muito engraçado, divertido e original, que deve ser encarado com tom ligeiro. A escrita de David Nicholls é irrepreensível: dinâmica, simples e interessante. Contudo, discordo totalmente com a tradução portuguesa do título do livro (original: Starter for Ten).

Ideal para quem gosta de boa comédia com um toque realista. O humor britânico, pessoalmente, agrada-me imenso. E como leio regularmente gosto quando encontro livros leves e diferentes para intercalar com outros géneros, mas reconheço que para quem lê pouco (um ou outro livro por ano), gastar esses cartuchos de leitura com este livro pode ser pouco indicado e dececionante - mas claro, depende muito das preferências literárias.

Eu adorei. Acabei por me identificar com Brian e alguns dos seus companheiros. Afinal de contas são apenas adolescentes que tentam (desesperadamente) parecer melhor do que aquilo que são na realidade enquanto procuram encontrar-se a si próprios. Como disse, falta objetivo na história, mas é tão divertida que acabamos por nos esquecer disso. (less)

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May 05, 2012 Jenny Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

After reading novels about the Holocaust, slavery and attempted suicide recently, I felt it was time for a light-hearted read...and who better to turn to than One Day author, David Nicholls?

I think I related to the protagonist Brian Jackson a little bit too well- and not just because he is an English Literature student. Starter For Ten documents Brian's first term at university, and the lead up to his appearance on his favourite show, University Challenge. For my non-British readers, UC is a TV...more

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May 03, 2012 Kate ADale rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book had me crying... with laughter. It is so funny and the characters are so relatable. It is easy to relate with each and every character in the book.
Starter For Ten’ is a brilliant read however the main character is a bit of an oddball! Brian Jackson is a lanky and rather geeky boy that is unbelievably socially inept. ‘Starter For Ten’ is filled with cringe-worthy lines and moments that I even flinched at on several occasions! However, because the story is told by this adorable moron, i...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Judy Mann rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book made me glad that there are such things as libraries.Had I wasted a nickle buying this book I would've been furious.
It's not very good.
The first thing I want to say is that once you're onto David Nicholl's gimmicks - the whole book falls apart. Here it is- his gimmick: He seems to lead you to this great climax in the plot and then whammo- he lets you drop-flat on your face. All his plots have bad endings. That's how he engages you- with bad endings.
Yes One Day was fabulous- but that wa...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Blandine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: english

Fate is a great provider. As a book addict, I’m always looking for the next book to buy and read, although I have a gazillion unread books on my shelves already. A couple of months ago, I randomly came across the title Starter For Ten on some blog and looked it up on Wikipedia; I liked the plot and decided to order all three books by David Nicholls. I hardly ever buy all books by one unknown author at once but the books were cheap so I thought, what the hell?

Starter For Ten is the story of Brian...more Fate is a great provider. As a book addict, I’m always looking for the next book to buy and read, although I have a gazillion unread books on my shelves already. A couple of months ago, I randomly came across the title Starter For Ten on some blog and looked it up on Wikipedia; I liked the plot and decided to order all three books by David Nicholls. I hardly ever buy all books by one unknown author at once but the books were cheap so I thought, what the hell?

Starter For Ten is the story of Brian Jackson, a young man starting university in 1985. Brian never felt like he fitted in with the other kids at school as he liked “intellectual” things and dreamt of being on University Challenge which he used to watch with his late father as a child. University sounds like whole new world to him; a world where he’ll meet like-minded people who will want to discuss serious topics all night and use long, clever words. Of course, reality turns out to be quite different: Brian is more focused on wooing Alice Harbinson than working hard on his papers and the people he meets are either stuck-up Tory Patrick or Marxist Jew Rebecca Epstein who challenges his views and may be a bit too much for him in the first place.

Brian could be detestable if only he wasn’t so real. I remember when I was 18 and about to start university, I too was full of dreams and great expactations: I would meet fascinating people, grow intelligent and interesting and be a whole new person. Of course my days at university were nothing like that – I mean, I did meet fascinating people but when it comes to my good old self, I mainly struggled with obvious social awkwardness and constant disappointment with myself. It’s as though I were trying to reach an ideal me I deep down knew I’d never become. Brian may appear to be trying too hard – and he probably is – but at the end of the day, he’s only trying to find the right balance between who he’d like to be and who he actually is. It’s all about accepting himself while still trying to improve his faults given the opportunity.

The secondary characters should however not be forgotten for Nicholls managed to create a great circle of friends for Brian. As I was reading the book, I kept thinking that he had successfully managed to give them opinions and personalities which were far from Manichean and made them people you could actually know yourself.

Despite his dealing with more serious matters such as classes or trying to figure out who you are, David Nicholls wrote a book that is hilarious – I spent half of my reading literally laughing outloud – and full of brilliant bits which you wish you’d written and would happily quote everywhere. I believe it’s fair to say I have fallen in love with this book. It’s always a sort of “quest” to find a book that will make you feel like this, so I am more than happy Starter For Ten was on my way.

PS: While the film adaptation was good (well, it does have James McAvoy and Benedict Cumberbatch in it after all), the book is ten times better.(less)

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Feb 08, 2012 Amrita rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Starter for Ten started out to be the prose equivalent of a British John Hughes film. The year is perfect; The Breakfast Club year of 1985. Something like this book had been badly needed and I was so grateful to Mr. Nicholls for having written a deliciously long book. Like his protagonist( and himself), I read English in college. Accordingly, I developed all the pretentiousness and affectations of a literature student. I cannot remember any other reading experience that made me feel so profoundl...more Starter for Ten started out to be the prose equivalent of a British John Hughes film. The year is perfect; The Breakfast Club year of 1985. Something like this book had been badly needed and I was so grateful to Mr. Nicholls for having written a deliciously long book. Like his protagonist( and himself), I read English in college. Accordingly, I developed all the pretentiousness and affectations of a literature student. I cannot remember any other reading experience that made me feel so profoundly embarrassed and yet pleasingly forgiving towards myself. I found myself frequently closing the book out of sheer reminiscence and at the same time longing to pick it up and continue with the foibles of Brian Jackson. I have been a Brian Jackson, a Rebecca Epstein, briefly an Alice Harbinson, sometimes a Spencer Lewis, never Tone as far as I believe(but then someone may have thought otherwise), a Patrick, a Lucy Chang and maybe even a weird as hell Chris(though I am Indian and my opinions on toilet paper are strictly private). I remember 'acting' the part of an ingenious yet indifferent literary miracle in class and always getting away with it. I am doing my M.Phil now, and I still have piles of thick books that only literature students would care to know of and display, and sometimes read. Talking about books I have never read but KNOW of( and isn't that what English studies is really about?) is second nature to me, and I know it is a skill that will last me a lifetime. Dropping quotes in conversations to prove a point is also another habit. Wanting the beautiful thing that I have only read of in great literature who in real life is nice and all, but just a great big tease, is also something I have experienced. I LOVE Mr.Nicholls's 6 ages of reading and I wish that the system would be introduced in English departments, so that upper-second class idiots like me can still live without Jacques Derrida and be proper postgraduates of English. In fact, I wish that there were 4 more sequels to Starter for Ten, like a series called 'University Years' or something, so that Mr. Nicholls would help me forgive the rest of my student years too. Having dabbled in student politics and student quizzes, I have to say that everything 'studenty' that Mr.Nicholls says is the real truth. And it makes it a little more easier to live with the Alices and Patricks of the world, if only in retrospect. I especially love his views on what is 'lonely' and 'the real me' which already shows signs of that great understanding of the human nature he displays in One Day. Shakespeare speaks subliminally through Mr.Nicholls and I hope that such a comment would not inspire ironic laughter and disbelief in him though of course something this 'studenty'obviously should.
I wish that I had the genius of Mr. Nicholls to write something on what is current with me, 'the lost year' at age 23 where I find myself a postgraduate in English, hopelessly unemployed, irritatingly stupid when it comes to her M.Phil thesis, just basically going through what one critic calls "postgraduation ennui". But Mr. Nicholls has already done it. It is called One Day. (less)

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Jul 25, 2011 kb rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: euro-sure-o, 4ever-young-adult

British humour is something I really fancy so I reckon that would explain why I gave this book such rating... Okay, stopping now because I suck at pretending to be English. Now, I haven't read One Day, which is the better rated book of David Nicholls, but I thought this was a really good debut for him. It's a coming-of-age story that centers on Brian, a dermatologically challenged nerd, who left home to go to university and met Alice, the too-perfect blonde beauty (and brains), who turned his li...more

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Jul 06, 2011 Susan Mann rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Starter for Ten by David Nicholls is the first book in the STV’s Book Club; I am very excited and honoured to be part of it.
This story is done in a humorous narrative and being a child of the 80’s I found this book quite nostalgic, I think I would have found it more so if I had been a teenager in the 80’s. From the free glasses at the petrol station to University Challenge to Skol Lager to the Rubik’s cube, what more can you want from the 80‘s.
The book is based around Brian Jackson; he’s finis...more Starter for Ten by David Nicholls is the first book in the STV’s Book Club; I am very excited and honoured to be part of it.
This story is done in a humorous narrative and being a child of the 80’s I found this book quite nostalgic, I think I would have found it more so if I had been a teenager in the 80’s. From the free glasses at the petrol station to University Challenge to Skol Lager to the Rubik’s cube, what more can you want from the 80‘s.
The book is based around Brian Jackson; he’s finished his O’levels and is leaving home, where he has lived all his life with his widowed mother. He hangs around with his two best friends, whom are happy to live their lives in their home town working in a petrol station or local factory, Brian however wants to better himself, he wants the fancy clothes, visits to the theatre, reading leather bound books and a gorgeous girl on his arm. He thinks going to University and getting him a University education will give him this.
So off he sets with his suitcase and bin bags of clothes, to the train station. He shares a property with two other flat mates. Brian is acne -strewn, unsecure and easily lead teen that is ruled by his manhood than his brain. He tries out for the University Challenge team. He falls for a girl called Alice whom he will do anything to impress. If only he was cool enough to pull it off.
Starter for Ten will keep you gripped to the characters emotional rollercoaster of trying to fit in. We can all relate to Brian in some way, he’s a dreamer and some of his aspirations are unrealistic but his heart is in the right place. I loved the ending, a nice little twist, just enough to know Brian will be ok and has grown over the time you have spent with him, but not enough that he’s not the same geeky teen he was at the start.
I would recommend this book to everyone. It’s a perfect coming of age novel. There are so many laugh out loud moments, you will laugh at Brian and cringe at some of the silly things he does. It a light-hearted, funny and nostalgic read. Perfect t for holidays, long plane or train journeys or even just for something a little bit different. There is a little bit of Brian Jackson in all of us, no-one is perfect.
(less)

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Dec 05, 2012 flickr rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humor, love-romance, school-student-life, embarrasment-akwardness

Love, romance, relationships, trivia questions, games, friends, "student-life", akwardess, heart-ache, happy ending. An OK read, but more akward than funny. **2,5 stars**

Story of Brian, who moves away from home and friends to go to University and begin an independent life. In University he falls in love with a girl who seems to be "perfect", and the only way to get to know the girl is to sign up for the Quiz Team. Be prepared to read about lots of awkward situations when Brian tries to be funny...more Love, romance, relationships, trivia questions, games, friends, "student-life", akwardess, heart-ache, happy ending. An OK read, but more akward than funny. **2,5 stars**

Story of Brian, who moves away from home and friends to go to University and begin an independent life. In University he falls in love with a girl who seems to be "perfect", and the only way to get to know the girl is to sign up for the Quiz Team. Be prepared to read about lots of awkward situations when Brian tries to be funny or impress the girl (and usually fails).

I think there's something wrong with Alice, and she seems narcissistic in a bad way. (view spoiler)

Then there's the intelligent and angry girl, Rebecca, who seems like a good match for Brian, Brian's crazy friends Tone and Spencer (who go through some changes during Brian's University-life), and other characters.

One of the most interesting chapters in Brian and Alice's relationship: When Brian is invited to Alice Harbinsky's cottage during the Holidays,(view spoiler)

The trivia-questions in the beginning of each chapter were a nice addition.(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Olivia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As un-put-downable as my previous experience of David Nicholls' writing (I sped through One Day in exactly that), "Starter For Ten" took me back to my days as a Fresher at the University of Portsmouth. I was chuckling throughout at Brian Jackson's resolutions to be cool and sophisticated and not miss any of his lectures, because it reminded me so much of myself.
I really find I can relate to Nicholls' writing in a way that make his works highly addictive. I loved the character of Brian and also...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Sarah O'Toole rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenge

This was nice comic relief I guess, I was expecting more from it as I absolutely loved "One Day". As this was written first I can see where some of the aspects of "One Day" developed, but the story certainly doesn't have the same impact and the characters aren't very likeable at all, particularly the central character. I did laugh out loud at certain moments, but I got a bit tired of cringing for him all the time and I didn't find the story very plausible, that a girl like Alice, or even a girl...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Sid rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Since I saw so many reviews about how funny it was and seeing that it was a book by the bestselling "One Day" author, I thought, why not try it out.

What was the result?

(view spoiler)...more

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About David Nicholls

David Nicholls is a British author, screenwriter, and actor. A student of Toynbee Comprehensive school and Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, he Graduated from the University of Bristol having studied English Literature and Drama.

After graduation, he won a scholarship to study at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, before returning to London in 1991 and finally earning an Equity...more

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David Nicholls Collection (One Day, The Understudy, Starter For Ten)

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Quotes from Starter for Ten

“What must that be like? To be admired before you’ve even said a word, to be desired two or three hundred times a day by people who have absolutely no idea what you’re like?” — 21 people liked it

“The sad fact is that I love Dickens and Donne and Keats and Eliot and Forster and Conrad and Fitzgerald and Kafka and Wilde and Orwell and Waugh and Marvell and Greene and Sterne and Shakespeare and Webster and Swift and Yeats and Joyce and Hardy, really, really love them. It’s just that they don’t love me back.” — 21 people liked it

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