Us (Nicholls)

Us 
David Nicholls, 2014
HarperCollins
416 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780062365583


Summary
David Nicholls brings the wit and intelligence that graced his New York Time bestseller one day to a compellingly human, deftly humorous new novel about what holds marriages and families together—and what happens when everything threatens to fall apart.

Douglas Petersen may be mild mannered, but behind his reserve lies a sense of humor that, against all odds, seduces beautiful Connie into a second date... and eventually into marriage. Now, almost three decades after their relationship first blossomed in London, they live more or less happily in the suburbs with their moody seventeen-year-old son, Albie. Then Connie tells Douglas that she thinks she wants a divorce.

The timing couldn’t be worse. Hoping to encourage her son’s artistic interests, Connie has planned a month-long tour of European capitals, a chance to experience the world’s greatest works of art as a family, and she can’t bring herself to cancel. And maybe going ahead with the original plan is for the best, anyway? Douglas is privately convinced that this landmark trip will rekindle the romance in the marriage, and may even help him to bond with Albie.

Narrated from Douglas’s endearingly honest, slyly witty, and at times achingly optimistic point of view, Us is the story of a man trying to rescue his relationship with the woman he loves and learning how to get closer to a son who’s always felt like a stranger. Us is a moving meditation on the demands of marriage and parenthood and the intricate relationship between the heart and the head.

And in David Nicholls’s gifted hands, Douglas’s odyssey brings Europe—from the streets of Amsterdam to the famed museums of Paris, from the cafes of Venice to the beaches of Barcelona—to vivid life just as he experiences a powerful awakening of his own. Will this summer be his last as a husband, or the moment when he turns his marriage, and maybe even his whole life, around? (From the publisher.)

Author Bio
• Birth—November 30, 1966
• Where—Hampshire, England, UK
• Education—B.A., Bristol University; American Musical and Dramatic Academy
• Currently—lives in London, England

David Nicholls is an English novelist and screenwriter. His novels include Starter for Ten (2003), The Understudy (2005), One Day (2009), and Us (2014).

Early years
He attended Barton Peveril sixth-form college at Eastleigh, Hampshire, from 1983 to 1985 (taking A-levels in drama and theatre studies—like his elder and younger siblings—English, physics and biology), and playing a wide range of roles in college drama productions.

He then attended Bristol University in the 1980s (graduating with a BA in Drama and English in 1988) before training as an actor at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. Throughout his twenties, he worked as a professional actor, using the stage name David Holdaway. He played small roles at various theatres, including the West Yorkshire Playhouse and, for a three year period, at the Royal National Theatre.

Screenwriter
As a screenwriter, he co-wrote the adapted screenplay of Simpatico and contributed four scripts to the third series of Cold Feet (both 2000). For the latter, he was nominated for a British Academy Television Craft Award for Best New Writer (Fiction). He created the Granada Television pilot and miniseries I Saw You (2000, 2002) and the Tiger Aspect six-part series Rescue Me (2002). Rescue Me lasted for only one series before being cancelled. Nicholls had written four episodes for the second series before being told of the cancellation. His anger over this led to him taking a break from screenwriting to concentrate on writing his first novel, Starter for Ten. When he returned to screenwriting, he adapted Much Ado About Nothing into a one-hour segment of the BBC's 2005 ShakespeaRe-Told season.

In 2006, his film adaptation Starter for 10 was released in cinemas. The following year, he wrote And When Did You Last See Your Father?, an adaptation of the memoir by Blake Morrison. He penned an adaptation of Tess of the D'Urbervilles for the BBC, which aired in 2008, and an adaptation of Far From the Madding Crowd for BBC Films. He has also adapted Great Expectations; the screenplay has been listed on the 2009 Brit List, an annual industry poll of the best unmade scripts outside of the United States.

In 2005 he wrote Aftersun for the Old Vic's 24-Hour Play festival and later developed it into a one-off comedy for BBC One, broadcast in 2006. (From Wikipedia.)

Book Reviews
Liked One Day? Then you’ll find this absolutely fabulous.… Very funny and very moving, often at the same time.
Daily Mail (UK)


The bestselling author of One Day…is back with another crowd-pleaser, this time about a man trying to save his collapsing marriage and connect with his teenage son during a family tour of Europe (Best Books of the Fall).
People


Douglas is an amiably bumbling narrator, and Nicholls convincingly infuses his protagonist's voice with the dry wit and charm that have served the author so well in his previous books. This is Nicholls's most ambitious work to date, and his realistically flawed characters are somehow endearing despite the many bruises they inflict upon each other.
Publishers Weekly


(Starred review.) Nicholls has created in Douglas a man who has always known where he was and where he was going and who now is suddenly adrift emotionally as well as physically. And all the guidebooks and online tours won't be enough to right his course. Are you thinking this is a predictable tale of family dynamics? Think again; this is Nicholls, after all. For those who loved One Day, the author's latest is another heart-grabber about discovering what makes us happy and learning to let go.  —Bette-Lee Fox
Library Journal


(Starred review.) Nicholls brings his trademark wit and wisdom to this by turns hilarious and heartbreaking examination of a long-term marriage…. This tender novel will further cement Nicholls’ reputation as a master of romantic comedy.
Booklist


(Starred review.) Nicholls is a master of the braided narrative, weaving the past and present to create an intricate whole…. A funny and moving novel.
Kirkus Reviews

Discussion Questions
1. What inspired your group to select Us by David Nicholls? Did you have any expectations?

2. Describe Douglas, Connie and Albie and their family dynamic. What do you think draws Douglas and Connie together? What drives them apart? How has their marriage evolved over the years and how does it affect their family life and their son?

3. This novel is about marriage—and not just a boy-meets-girl love story account. What does the author tell us about the Happily Ever After part? How does "real life," as David Nicholls portrays here, compare with our romanticized notions? Do husbands and wives have a responsibility to keeping the spark alive after the honeymoon stage?

4. How important it is for a person to stay true to their individuality and how do we reconcile individual needs with those of our partners and loved ones?

5. Traveling is a major component of this novel. How does being physically away from home affect the characters? What opportunities does traveling offer them? What emotional challenges does it raise?

6. Throughout the “Grand Tour” of Europe, Douglas slowly realizes that his plans aren’t working out. How does he cope with this knowledge? How does he have to change over the course of his journey?

7. The novel is also about family. The parent-child relationship can be as frustrating as it is rewarding. What are the particular sources of turmoil in the relationship between Douglas and Albie? What do you think helps them resolve their differences?

8. In a culture accustomed to instant gratification, have we lost our ability to cope with and work through tough times? Do you think people give up on relationships too easily? What about Douglas and Connie? What about Albie?

9. The meaning of love can change over the course of relationship. Describe the love that Douglas has for his wife, Connie and his son, Albie. Compare and contrast each of the characters from the novel's beginning and its end. In what ways have they changed? How have they stayed the same? What have they learned about themselves, their lives, and each other?

10. Each part of the book begins with a quote. What do the quotes add to the story and the section it precedes? Which quote struck you the most? Why?

11. Between the “Grand Tour,” Connie’s painting and Albie’s photography, art is at the very center of Us. How does seeing art affect the Douglas, Connie, and Albie? What do you think art can tell us about our lives?

12. The novel is called Us. Is there really an "Us" in the story? If yes, who is it? If no, what do you think inspired the title?
(Questions issued by publisher.)

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