or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
47 used & new from £0.01
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
The Understudy
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.

The Understudy (Paperback)

by David Nicholls (Author)
3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £5.46 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.53 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Thursday, February 11? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
22 new from £0.99 25 used from £0.01
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover Order it used
Paperback (New edition) 171 used & new from £0.01
Hardcover (Large Print) 8 used & new from £2.90
Audio CD (Audiobook) £25.64 £25.38 4 used & new from £5.65
Preloaded Digital Audio Player (Unabridged) £34.33 £32.60 Order it used

Frequently Bought Together

The Understudy + Starter for Ten + One Day
Total RRP: £23.97
Price For All Three: £14.24

Show availability and delivery details

  • This item: The Understudy by David Nicholls

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • Starter for Ten by David Nicholls

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

  • One Day by David Nicholls

    In stock.
    Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
    This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Starter for Ten

Starter for Ten

by David Nicholls
4.3 out of 5 stars (63)  £4.92
One Day

One Day

by David Nicholls
4.5 out of 5 stars (111)  £3.86
Staying Alive

Staying Alive

by Matt Beaumont
4.5 out of 5 stars (11)  £5.49
Starter For 10 [DVD] [2006]

Starter For 10 [DVD] [2006]

DVD ~ James McAvoy
3.7 out of 5 stars (33)  £3.68
Small World

Small World

by Matt Beaumont
4.2 out of 5 stars (5)  £5.49
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks; New Ed edition (21 Sep 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0340935219
  • ISBN-13: 978-0340935217
  • Product Dimensions: 19.6 x 12.8 x 2.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 13,635 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Product Description

Review

'A zippy comedy with laugh-out-loud lines, grounded on a solid plot and first-rate dialogue...irresistible' -- Daily Mail 20050408 'Bitterly funny' -- Observer 20050508 'A comic genius' -- Maria Beaumont on David Nicholls 20050211 'Darkly funny and oddly romantic.' -- More 20050501 'An unusual mix of cynicism and romance - no slush, just lots of laughs!' -- Company 20050505 'A brilliantly funny book.' -- Marie Claire 20050505 'Hugely entertaining with a high ratio of chuckles and snorts per chapter.' -- Good Book Guide 20050405 'I adored THE UNDERSTUDY. It's a fantastic comedy ... delightfully written.' -- New Woman 20050401 'A funky, less-fluffy-than-funny rom com.' -- Metro 20050414 'Deeply funny, with brilliant dialogue.' -- Good Housekeeping 20050401 'Sweet and funny.' -- Eve 20050505 Book of the Month -- Red 20050501 'Highly enjoyable ... both knowing and charming.' -- Mirror Ticket 20050325 'Both hilarious and heartbreaking.' -- Hannah Stephenson, various regional papers inc 20050329 'I laughed a lot' -- Jeremy Paxman on STARTER FOR TEN 20050329 'Moving, wickedly observed, warm, uplifting and above all blindingly funny, STARTER FOR TEN hits the spot time after time. Read this book' -- Jack on STARTER FOR TEN 20050329 'Brilliant... we would recommend it to anyone' -- Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan on STARTER FOR T 20050329 'Funniest book of the year' -- Marie Claire 20060101 'Romantic comedy with a charming British accent...plenty of material for screwball hilarity... His prose is laugh-out-loud funny... This jaunty, big-hearted novel is chick lit with a Y-chromosome.' -- Kirk US Reviews 20050815 'Brilliantly written and very funny' -- Closer, 4 stars 20050815 'Sharply funny...wonderfully chaotic' -- The Times 20050815 'The set pieces of social embarrassment are neatly threaded together, and there are some well-crafted tender moments too... It could hold its own against a Richard Curtis script' -- Independent on Sunday 20050815 'An entertaining follow-up to Nicholls' brilliant debut' -- Heat, top ten books for March 20050815

Independent

'Nicholls' portrayal of student affectations is accurate and funny ... clever and well-written' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
See all Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(2)
(2)
(1)
Agree with these tags?

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Understudy
61% buy the item featured on this page:
The Understudy 3.5 out of 5 stars (21)
£5.46
One Day
21% buy
One Day 4.5 out of 5 stars (111)
£3.86
Starter for Ten
14% buy
Starter for Ten 4.3 out of 5 stars (63)
£4.92
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2% buy
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 4.1 out of 5 stars (367)
£3.48
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

21 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.5 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars This man is a comic writer to treasure, 11 Jun 2005
This review is from: The Understudy (Hardcover)
I am a sucker for a good modern, intelligent, well-written comedy. And I use the word 'sucker' advisedly because I have been let down by so many blurbs on the back of books which promise all of the above as well as the ubiquitous 'laugh out loud' lie. Well I can genuinely say David Nicholls is in danger of making the phrase 'laugh out loud' credible again.
I loved his first book - Starter for Ten - about one student's burning quest to get on University Challenge and I feared he could not match that with this, his second novel. But he has - big style.
This is another excellent, stylish modern day comedy which 'stars' a young, desperate-for-success jobbing actor whose only real claim to fame is his name - Steve McQueen. That, however, seems the only way he will ever sees 'his' name in lights as he spends his days as an understudy for a God-like West End actor and fills in with excruciating bit-parts in children's videos and even as a 'what's my motivation' dead person in a TV murder plot.
This is a lovely book which seems very knowing about the 'luvvy' acting world without ever patronising it and is full of great characters and genuinely funny set-pieces. And for once this is a comedy book that does exactly what it says on the tin - it is witty, warm and very, very readable. David Nicholls is a writer to cherish. Already.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Three and a half stars is probably about right..., 21 July 2006
This review is from: The Understudy (Paperback)
...but I'll be generous, as this is a very likeable book which both I and my wife enjoyed - indeed, I stayed up late last night to finish it, which must be a good sign.

And yet, I can see why people have been a bit grudging in their praise. It doesn't quite fully satisfy somehow - possibly it could do with editing down a little, and the ending isn't as clear-cut as you might like. The whole thing feels a little out of focus, and doesn't make the most of the situations and characters that are created.

But there is a lot more good stuff than bad, and it's very well-written. I think what chiefly drew me back each night is the central character and the pleasant, sincere, knowing authorial voice that Mr Nicholls creates for him... and a sneaking empathy for the fear of never quite "making it" that all of us late thirty-something males have.

Buy it, because it's still better than 90% of the other "light entertainment" books out there.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


 
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, 24 Jun 2005
By KateP (Devon, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Understudy (Hardcover)
This is my first Amazon review - I just had to write it as this book is just so brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed Starter for Ten, Nicholls' previous book, but this was even better.
The original plot is a page turner, and it is genuinely laugh out loud funny. I have never read a book described as "laugh out loud funny" and actually laughed out loud - until this one. Some of his descriptions of the characters are wonderful. He mentions little mannerisms which just sum them up so completely.
This is a wonderful light read. Buy it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing. Lacking in sparkle or depth
The main character of "The Understudy" constantly compares real life to movies. If I were to do the same then if "One Day" (also by the author) is an epic powerhouse of a film,... Read more
Published 5 months ago by P. Whelerton

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic Read!
This is a fantastic book. The third one I have read by David Nicholls now, and everyone of them was brilliant. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr. N. R. Meadows

1.0 out of 5 stars Sorry.....but, awful!!
I bought this book shortly after publication and after being very impressed with 'Starter For Ten'. In my opinion, this book is the opposite end of the universe to SFT. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Dr. Mabuse

5.0 out of 5 stars Mad, Bad and Cracking to read
It's always difficult reviewing a book which lists all of the critics positive reviews on the jacket, but here goes. Read more
Published 9 months ago by TheGerbilTamer

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
As a big fan of the film Starter for 10, I then decided to read the book which I also loved. After reading that I decided to move on to David nicholls and stumbled across this... Read more
Published 14 months ago by T. Perry

4.0 out of 5 stars If you liked "Starter For Ten" you'll like this
If you enjoyed "Starter For Ten", like I did, then you'll enjoy this. Although the main characters are all in their late 20s and early 30s, unlike "Starter For Ten"'s university... Read more
Published on 26 Jan 2008 by Mr. Stuart Bruce

1.0 out of 5 stars Reading 'The Understudy' was like pulling teeth.
I was not impressed with even the slightest attempt of wit that was emphasised. Had no sympathy for the protagonist and the ending just angered me and was contradictory to the... Read more
Published on 10 Sep 2007 by Tweetflex

2.0 out of 5 stars A piece of fluff
If you liked Nicholls's previous book, Starter for Ten, then... you probably won't like this very much. Read more
Published on 1 Sep 2007 by International Cowgirl

2.0 out of 5 stars Lacking the magic of SFT
I brought this book after reading SFT because I was looking for another fix of David Nicholls high quality writing. Read more
Published on 20 April 2007 by princess_giggles

5.0 out of 5 stars My review on The Understudy
The Understudy by David Nicholls is an enjoyable and fascinating novel to read. What really appeals to me about this particular novel? Read more
Published on 18 Feb 2007 by P. DATTA

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject









i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.