The Understudy

The Understudy

David Nicholls

Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

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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  • ahvahv
    Feb 02, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

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  • hamletsalterego
    Mar 09, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

    "Life seemed to be at its best, its truest and most intense when it most resembled life as simulated on screen: full of jump cuts and slow motion, snappy exit lines and gentle fades to black."

    One of the things I appreciated most about this book, as someone who has been acting since they were three, a former film student and now a screenwriting student; was how true to life the book felt. I'm aware the author is himself an actor and I adore the screen adaptation of his other novels Starter for Ten and One Day which makes this novel feel much more authentic.

    In saying that, the last 85 odd pages felt a little bit rushed to me, with short chapters and it felt like we were gaining towards a bigger revelation than we got. Then again, that could've been the authors intention and if so, kudos; it made it even more realistic.

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