The Understudy: A Novel

I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I have downloaded to my Kindle every other book this author has written. Written with a great sense of humor (laugh-out-loud many times) the main character is one that "every man" (or woman) can identify with. Basically a good guy, who just can't seem to catch a break. You cannot help but love this guy, and root for him to get what he wants out of life. Does he finally get it? No spoiler here. You will have to read this wonderful, engaging book to find out.

Loved it! I laughed so hard and so often while reading this book that I thought my internal organs might suffer permanent damage. I had to put the book down to recover. In this book the author, to my mind, reaches levels comparable to the great writers of English humor, like Nick Hornby, P.G Wodehouse. In some ways this book is purer than "one day" -- it is really just humor, comedy of manners, with some romance thrown in on the side.

David Nicholls is a fine writer but I was rather disappointed in this book. I recently read "Us" by the same author which I really liked but I am afraid I lost interest in this book and stopped reading it halfway through, something I rarely do. Having said that, the book is okay and has a few amusing moments but I just could not relate to the main character who plays the part of an understudy and although one wants him to succeed as an actor he just irritated me too much!

With his second novel, David Nicholls attempted to tell a story about an understudy to a superstar in a theater production in London. With his two other books under my belt (Starter for 10 or A Question of Attraction in the US, his first novel, and One Day, his third novel), I found The Understudy a bit underwhelming in comparison. Make no mistake, it is still a good read, but some of characters in this novel are just not believable. A divorced actor making a deal with the superstar to cover his indiscretions and then falling in love with his wife are just too abstract to be reliable. Overall though i think the novel is still very entertaining but if you have to choose to read one of Nicholl's three novels, skip this one and go for One Day instead.

i can't say enough about this terrific book. funny? yes, hilarious... the character of josh is so funny, i roared... but. then again stephen mc queen is the best. it's impossible not to root for him... author of starter for 10, a wonderful movie, by the way, is an excellent writer. he also wrote one day, which is also a good movie. i hope he's made himself a fortune! he deserves it! lynne from sellersville

Nicholls excels at hilarious, snappy dialogue between main characters. It's a sweet story with, like Emma Morley, a lovable and good hearted protagonist that you root for. It did not reach the emotional highs that One Day achieved, but was engrossing and enjoyable.

It was like a chick lit for males. I kept reading cos thought something was going to happen but it didint.

This is not great literature, but it is an enjoyable read with a very likable main character. It is a bit of a romantic drama/comedy taking place in London that could easily be a plot for a movie. A nice way to spend a few hours.