The year is 1985. Brian Jackson, a working-class kid on full scholarship, has started his ?rst term at university. The usual freshman anxiety over ...
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Jun 07, 2011
Gail
rated it: 
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 rea More...
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 rea More...
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Jun 07, 2011
Greg
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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 wh
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Jun 07, 2011
Carrie
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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
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Jun 07, 2011
Kyu
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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 learni More...
The first forty pages of the book had me slightly interested in learni More...
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Jun 07, 2011
Bryony
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"'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 More...
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 More...
Jun 07, 2011
Kayla
rated it:
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
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Feb 08, 2012
Amrita
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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
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Sep 24, 2011
Laura
rated it:
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 s More...
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 s More...
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Aug 25, 2011
Paul
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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 necessa
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Jul 25, 2011
kb
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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
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Jul 06, 2011
Susan
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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; More...
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; More...
Jan 23, 2012
Sarah
rated it:
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 Al
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Nov 30, 2011
Sid
rated it:
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?
<spoiler>
1) Didn't find it that funny. I admit I laughed at some times, but a humor book? No.
2) It was all about getting the girl who was actually a cheating bitch. The other romance prospect (as I had been suspecting to be the main one in the end) was pretty much negligent. One More...
What was the result?
<spoiler>
1) Didn't find it that funny. I admit I laughed at some times, but a humor book? No.
2) It was all about getting the girl who was actually a cheating bitch. The other romance prospect (as I had been suspecting to be the main one in the end) was pretty much negligent. One More...
Oct 31, 2011
Eilidh
rated it:
Oh my word, this book is hilarious. I took it on holiday to read, and started it when I was having my breakfast cuppa and finished it that night, because I was giggling too much to put it down.
Everyone in the world has done something that at the time you've thought was super cool or super funny, and then afterwards you've cringed with the utter mortification of it all. Brian Jackson seems to spend rather alot of his time doing this, and you can't help but feel sorry for the guy, be More...
Everyone in the world has done something that at the time you've thought was super cool or super funny, and then afterwards you've cringed with the utter mortification of it all. Brian Jackson seems to spend rather alot of his time doing this, and you can't help but feel sorry for the guy, be More...
Sep 12, 2011
Paula
rated it:
Quando decidi ler "Uma questao de atração" foi porque decidi dar uma segunda oportunidade ao autor David Nicholls.
Tinha acabado de ler o livro "Um dia", que me agarrou com bastante facilidade apesar de achar a história um tanto ou quanto estranha. Por isso é que tive de tirar as dúvidas.
Neste livro conhecemos Brian, um miúdo de 18 anos acabado de entrar para a faculdade. De imediato duas coisas acontecem: decide participar no "Desafio Universitário" e a More...
Tinha acabado de ler o livro "Um dia", que me agarrou com bastante facilidade apesar de achar a história um tanto ou quanto estranha. Por isso é que tive de tirar as dúvidas.
Neste livro conhecemos Brian, um miúdo de 18 anos acabado de entrar para a faculdade. De imediato duas coisas acontecem: decide participar no "Desafio Universitário" e a More...
Aug 23, 2011
Crista
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Jan 09, 2012
Karla Mae
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Ah. David Nicholls. The Daddy of the book One Day . Personally, i have high expectations for this book since i really loved One Day. But, those expectations are not really met. I'm kinda not satisfied with this. Guess i'm expecting really something huge about it. But it turns out there is nothing huge is gonna happen. I'm not saying its not a good read but, its just different.
Starter For Ten is set on the year way way way before i was born. But i guess not much has changed since th More...
Starter For Ten is set on the year way way way before i was born. But i guess not much has changed since th More...
Sep 28, 2011
Carolyn
rated it:
Ever since I've read the book Brideshead Revisted, why does it seem to me that every English novel somehow references this book? It must be an English thing . . .
I've read David Nicholls second book, One Day, and knowing this was a movie, I wanted to read Starter for Ten first. I bought this while I was in England, so I was certainly getting the English version of this book. Which while I might not know all the jargon, I have to say I love the whit of English writing and speaking. More...
I've read David Nicholls second book, One Day, and knowing this was a movie, I wanted to read Starter for Ten first. I bought this while I was in England, so I was certainly getting the English version of this book. Which while I might not know all the jargon, I have to say I love the whit of English writing and speaking. More...
Aug 29, 2011
Cláudia
rated it:
Estava bastante curiosa relativamente a este livro, embora a compra tenho sido algo impulsiva por ter lido um comentário sobre o autor, que não conhecia. A história gira à volta de Brian, 19 anos, a entrar na universidade, o pai que morreu há 6 anos, sem experiência nenhuma com raparigas e com poucos amigos verdadeiros em casa, cujo grande objectivo é ir ao concurso "Desafio Universitário", e se apaixona logo por Alice.
A imagem inicial de Brian é de ser bastante parvinho, e parec More...
A imagem inicial de Brian é de ser bastante parvinho, e parec More...
Feb 02, 2012
Huw
rated it:
I fell off the treadmill in the gym laughing at one of the passages in this book.
It bought the whole gym to a halt. Having gathered my thoughts, and my book, I got back on to the treadmill. No sooner had I reached a speed, and it happened again.
There are some incredibly funny moments in this book, along with some real human truisms around making the transition from childhood into adulthood. Unfortunately, there are too many bland, pointless and meandering bits in between More...
It bought the whole gym to a halt. Having gathered my thoughts, and my book, I got back on to the treadmill. No sooner had I reached a speed, and it happened again.
There are some incredibly funny moments in this book, along with some real human truisms around making the transition from childhood into adulthood. Unfortunately, there are too many bland, pointless and meandering bits in between More...
Jul 19, 2011
Sami Jo
rated it:
I bought this in London immediately after finishing One Day, because I...needed...more. David has such a unique talent of writing so genuine and real from his character's perspectives, as well as capturing the views/perspectives a boy of 19 would have. I found myself becoming fastly fond of Brian Jackson and the story evolving around this very questionable time in his life. I am officially signing up for the David Nicholls fan club - and although I've had a third book of his - The Understud -
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Jun 07, 2011
Autumn
rated it:
In 'Starter for 10', David Nicholls takes a risk that not many writers of popular fiction care to take: he creates in his lead character a young man that is not always admirable. Brian is not terribly attractive, he's moody, he often has a terribly timed sense of off the wall humor, and he's overly concerned with 'what people think'. Even Nick Hornby (to whose books this story is often compared) doesn't risk creating a lead that the reader doesn't always like.
That, however, is the gen More...
That, however, is the gen More...
Jan 04, 2012
Lisa
rated it:
When I approach the table, Alice stands up, and amazingly puts her arm round me and hugs me really tightly, her cheek pressed tight against mine. I don't know what to do, so I put my arms around her too, leaning forward slightly to allow for the volume of her puffball skirt, one hand on the grey satin, and one on her back, her beautiful back, just where the flesh swells out over the top of the satin, and she whispers in my ear-'you are such a lovely man'- and I think I'm going to cry again, notMore...
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Aug 23, 2011
Shui
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I picked this up because I really enjoyed One Day. In a way this could be it's precursor (and maybe it is - I haven't checked publication dates) because One Day starts on graduation day, but Starter for Ten starts the summer before Brian starts university. As a Brit who went to a British university I recognised a lot of the freshers week antics immediately, I do believe I cringed it was so very much like my own experience. All the references to Eng. Lit, to Ruperts, to quiteangryactuallys, well
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Sep 25, 2011
Paul
rated it:
I know the point is that the geeky Uni kid is meant to go through a series of hilarious and cringeworthy mishaps whilst pining after the beautiful and unattainable girl, but Brian Jackson crosses the line from loveable idiot to utter dick. Why do most of the women in the book fancy him? Why does the stereotypical wise and unconventional cool friend hang around with him? Why does he get a happy ending?
The book lacked credibility and so lost all humour and any potential sympathy went t More...
The book lacked credibility and so lost all humour and any potential sympathy went t More...
Jan 20, 2012
Helen
rated it:
This is a great book for anyone to read. It's just as good as One Day, so if you liked that you'll love Starter For 10.
It's about a guy called Brian Jackson who's going to study Eng Lit at university in 1985 and all he wants to do is get on University Challenge and impress the girl he loves called Alice.
This book had me laughing out loud in the train station, and my heart pounding at the critical climax at the end.
I felt sorry, annoyed, angry, happy and glad for Bri More...
It's about a guy called Brian Jackson who's going to study Eng Lit at university in 1985 and all he wants to do is get on University Challenge and impress the girl he loves called Alice.
This book had me laughing out loud in the train station, and my heart pounding at the critical climax at the end.
I felt sorry, annoyed, angry, happy and glad for Bri More...
Oct 18, 2011
Marisa
rated it:
Era chegada a altura de Brian Jackson deixar a casa da mãe e os dias de diversão com os amigos e começar uma nova etapa na sua tão jovem vida: viver a experiência universitária. Mais do que aquilo que as salas de aula podem ensiná-lo, é a possibilidade de ganhar o Desafio Universitário, concurso que sempre assistiu com pai agora morto, que mais motiva e entusiasma Brian.
No entanto, as prioridades do jovem são postas em causa quando conhece e envolve-se com uma bonita e sedutora jovem More...
Jun 20, 2011
Emily
rated it:
I could not finish this. Maybe if I had kept reading I would have grown to like the main character but I didn't and ended up skipping to the end from about 1/3 of the way through the book to see if it improved. Was not impressed by the ending.
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Jul 30, 2011
Jayne
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This story of an undergraduate and his ambition of appearing on University Challenge was a joy from start to finish. The narrative voice – all gauche bravado – was absolutely spot on, and as an undergraduate myself during the 1980s when the book was set, I enjoyed the many cultural references.
At one point the story heads off into the sort of tired protagonist-lets-down-friend scenario I recognised from several other books, notably The Devil Wears Prada, and I thought ‘oh no’, but actua More...
At one point the story heads off into the sort of tired protagonist-lets-down-friend scenario I recognised from several other books, notably The Devil Wears Prada, and I thought ‘oh no’, but actua More...
Jan 10, 2012
Emily
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I absolutely loved this book. It’s very witty and funny, and now I’m sure that David Nicholls is one of my new favorite authors. I loved One Day and wanted to read more by him, and was really excited to find that Starter for Ten was a book (I’d seen the movie a few times and liked it a lot, though now I realize it’s not quite like the book). I think his books really resonate with me, because they have a lot to do with people who are in college (Starter for Ten) or just finishing college and figu
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