Come and meet bestselling author DAVID NICHOLLS to talk about his new novel US, his previous books and his stellar writing career on Thurs 6 November, 9-10pm.

[TillyBookClub]

David Nicholls has an exceptional talent for observational comedy, and it is present on every page of his Booker Prize long-listed new novel, US. Just like his previous novels Starter for Ten and the phenomenally successful One Day, US is brilliantly detailed and beautifully structured. After 21 years, Douglas and Connie are at the end of their marriage. It was always an unlikely match: the biochemist with his Billy Joel records and the East End-dwelling artist. They embark on a European Grand Tour along with their teenage son Albie, in a last ditch attempt to be together as a family. As they criss-cross from Paris to Amsterdam, Munich to Venice, Douglas desperately hopes to win back the love of his wife and the respect of his son, whilst ruminating on art, science and the years gone by.

You can find out more on our book of the month page, where you can also apply for a signed free copy.

If you’re not lucky enough to bag one of the free books, you can always get your hardback or Kindle version here.

You can also find a full biography and a list of David’s favourite books and films at his website.

We are delighted that David will be joining us live to discuss US, his previous novels and his writing life on Thursday 6 November, 9-10pm. So please feel free to discuss the book here throughout the month, pop up any advance questions and we will see you all here, Thurs 6 November.

@JoanCallamezzo

Thanks so much for the book, which was a really lovely surprise. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it although I found aspects of it rather painful and ultimately felt very sorry for Douglas. I also couldn't really understand Connie's motivation.

The parts I liked best were the comic set pieces - like Douglas's time in Siena with his ridiculous sunburn, and his encounter with the bikers in Amsterdam - which I think David Nicholls excels at (I remember parts of Starter For Ten making me weak with laughter - the bit when he was running with the dumbbells). I also loved the sense of place in each city and have to admit that it did make me wonder about doing a Grand Tour with my family - it can't be any more disastrous than Douglas and Connie's, surely..?

Hi Joan, and thank you. I love the idea of readers following in the characters' footsteps. I guarantee you'd have a nicer time than they do. After the first draft I thought I'd go back and retrace their steps too, but couldn't quite find the time...

@MrsRedWhite214

Douglas is the storyteller throughout and I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He does his best to fit in but never quite gets there. Douglas has a strained relationship with Albie and this obviously causes conflict with Connie.

The journey through Europe takes on a different feel for each country they visit, and this is interspersed with tales from earlier on in their relationship; From meeting each other, to travelling and on to the unfortunate loss of their daughter Nicholls keeps it funny and heartwarming with a touch of sensitivity.

"...it occurred to me that perhaps grief is as much regret for what we never had as sorrow for what we have lost."

This book is wonderfully heartwarming but also terribly sad. It's been one great journey through Europe but also through family life from all perspectives

Thank you. That's very much appreciated.

@AbbyLou42

Why do David Nicholls's characters not have any friends? They have lots of peripheral acquaintances, flat-mates, work colleagues but no real friends, i.e. people who are kind or at least well-meaning, who try to show love and support. It is surprising, for instance, in the chapter about Jane that no friend appears at that dreadful time for Connie and Douglas. There are no friends in 'One Day' either and at one point, Emma wonders why she hasn't got a bunch of friends who all arrive with beanbags to sit on her floor and keep her company and have a laugh and natter the night away. No-one loves and supports David Nicholls' heroes/heroines apart from their 'Other Half'. Why? Is it deliberate, because the presence of friends might take the edge off our sympathy for the protagonists? Is it because Nicholls's focus is so intensely on 'the couple'? Is it because his real subject is loneliness (which is why Douglas is so desperate to save his broken marriage)?

It's an extremely good point, and something that's come up before. The lack of a circle of friends - there are a few reasons I think. 1) In the broadest sense they're romantic comedies, so yes, the focus is on the couple 2) point of view plays a part. Connie in 'Us' has a huge number of friends, especially when Douglas first meets her, but because he never gets close to them himself, because it's his point of view, they're necessarily vague. Similarly, in One Day, Emma has a social life, especially at teaching college, but because I'm controlling the story, the 'one day's that I choose to show tend not to focus on those friend-filled events 3) friendship is such a huge subject, worthy of a novel in itself, and so kept off to the side. Until this last novel, the same could be said about family/parents - Emma's mum and dad are pretty much walk-on parts. Similarly, I've never really focussed on siblings. Perhaps next time. 4) Technically, it's very, very tricky. Look at friendship in the world; networks are massive, real or virtual, and it's very hard for the reader to keep track of who knows who, and from where, and what they all look like. It's hard in scripts too. We did it in Cold Feet, but that was six people. Imagine keeping track, on the page, of eight or twelve or twenty. A novel about the modern world of friendship would be like walking into a party with 500 strange faces and trying to take in all the names. Not impossible but tricky, and worth trying too 5) But I think perhaps it's part of the nature of the novel form. Where is Elizabeth Bennett's circle of friends? Or Charles Ryder's? Or Bathsheba Everdene's or Alexander Portnoy's? I think the form tends to focus on the individual and their relationship with an unnaturally limited world 6) Yes, loneliness is a recurring theme and plays a part too. Also I think, both in One Day and, say, Starter for Ten, the overlap between love and friendship is quite strong - Emma and Dexter are friends for far longer than they're lovers. 7) But like I said, it is a valid point. A novel about the nature of modern friendship sounds like a good idea though. Maybe next time...

I loved the small section near the end explaining how the others characters experienced it. It left me wondering throughout the book how the other characters were really feeling as Douglas was never quite going to tell the whole story.
Did you consider telling the story from different viewpoints throughout the book or was it always the intention to be Douglas' viewpoint all along?

@SkaterGrrrrl

Just finished and loved Us.

Douglas isn't perfect but he loves Connie so much - I was moved by the scenes where they get together... he is so grateful that he is going to have a happy life instead of a lonely existence.

I loved the writing describing the travelling scenes - so accurate how you start off all clean and optimistic and end up dishevelled and knackered.

Thanks, SkaterGrrrl. Yes, I know that dishevelled feeling well. I've been travelling around and promoting the book, and always start with the best intentions. Coffee stains on my jacket and sweat down my back within minutes...

@nadauld

I've just finished this, really enjoyed it. He is great at exploring the characters and I liked how the chapters jumped between the grand tour and the background to Connie and Douglas' story. Also found Douglas' 'science' take on everything funny and poignant as he desperately tries to navigate a path forward with his son.

Thanks, nadauld. I was a little wary of stereotyping the 'science' take on life. It's a danger, isn't it? The scientists who've read it say it rings a bell, so far at least...

[quote helenahalme]I loved Us and posted a review on my blog, tagging David on FB to it, and guess what? He sent me a personal message of thanks! Not just a brilliant writer but also such a nice man. helenahalme.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/us-by-david-nicholls-review.html[/quote]

And Helena, thank you once again for the blog...

Hi David, I'm a massive fan and have been waiting in anticipation for your next novel as I absolutely loved One Day. Without wanting to sound rude, it was rather a long wait! Were you surprised by the incredible response to One Day or was it anticipated by your publishers? And was this the reason that it took you so long to write the next book? Guess it must have been pretty hard to follow. I was lucky enough to get a signed copy from mumsnet (THANKS MUMSNET) and read it in 2 days - really loved it. I will follow up with a couple of questions about Us if that's okay?

@toothlessoldhag

For me this was a thoroughly absorbing read. David Nicholls does a superb job of explaining an ostensibly unattractive character. The scientist Douglas' obvious difficulty in human interaction is perhaps something of a cliche, but rings very true, especially when the wider context of the (very realistically portrayed) unstable nature of university science careers is painted in. His drive to provide for his family despite this is his ostensible reason for being distracted from making enough effort on the home front. It's a very clever twist to have us compare parenting styles, where he is evidently lacking on so many fronts, as somehow forgivable, though one wonders how Connie would describe it!

I found Connie a more difficult character to grasp. One doesn't get a clear sense of her motivations. Her move from artist to art administrator, which obviously would have been a disappointment for her, is only dealt with in passing (though I appreciate this is probably part of portraying Douglas as lacking in empathy, as we only hear things as filtered through his viewpoint). I wonder whether she enjoys being the constant, cozy, easygoing parent, or is this a forced counterbalance to D's manner. I enjoyed the way that despite the stark contrast between the two, that you didn't get Douglas ever blaming Connie (justifiably or otherwise) for supposedly only driving in Albie's artistic direction.

So, a question for David Nicholls: Is Connie only with Douglas because he provides her with stability, or does she genuinely love him?

And a second, if I may: do you mind that I never read this as comic? It was too squirmingly realistic to do so and indeed, it's so insightful of human relationships that to summarise it as a comic novel seems to do it a disservice.

P.s. the scenes in Barcelona were wonderful. In fact, I felt you captured that sense of gaining familiarity in a foreign, new place beautifully.

Dear Toothless, thank you for the comments. Re. Connie's disappointment. It's fascinating to me how a novel can be transformed depending on p.o.v. Writing in the third person would require much more than swapping 'he' for 'I', and Connie's disappointment, her frustration, her resentment at Douglas' insensitivity would be far more apparent. But I like the challenge of letting the truth 'leak out' if you like, despite only seeing things through D's eyes. He has, after all, no idea that she's thinking of going until she says so. How do you let the reader see a bigger truth without breaking p.o.v.?

But that doesn't really answer your question. Yes, I do think Connie loves him. I think at times it's quite passionate too - Douglas rather awkward revelations about their love-life are true, and he's actually more attractive than he lets on. And yes, a desire for stability is part of it, though she doesn't think of this as a compromise or a let down. An attractive, kind, reliable man who is passionate about his work and potentially a wonderful father - what's not to like? as they say. Of course it turns out that his fathering skills leave something to be desired, and certainly he doesn't pay attention to what she wants and needs, but there is definitely love there, a mutable kind of love that comes and goes.

As to your second point, I'm very happy for it to be thought of as a comedy, a tragedy, a tragi-comedy, a drama, any of those things. I suspect it is the most uncomfortable book that I've written, probably the most emotionally frank, and because it takes place 'after the wedding' so to speak, it's the least conventional 'romantic comedy' that I've written. I hope it makes people laugh at times, but I hope that it's tough and painful too.

@queenoftheschoolrun

Thanks for my free copy. I enjoyed the book, although it did seem highly unlikely that the trip would have gone ahead and that Connie would have waited so long to leave and this did spoil it a little for me.

I found both Douglas and Albie very believable (and cringeworthy!) characters but Connie was much harder to read, perhaps deliberately. Did she genuinely love Douglas all those years? And I was disappointed when she and her ex got together again, not because I wanted her to stay with Douglas but it just seemed a bit of a lame ending for her.

An enjoyable read though, I'd definitely recommend it. In fact I've just lent it to my Mum!

Hi queen, and thank you for passing it on. You're not the first to be sceptical about whether the trip would go ahead. I'm not sure I'd go, but then I'm not Douglas. He clings to hope, I think, and imagines that time spent with Connie is still a better choice than a wretched summer alone. Also - less appealingly - I don' t think he'd sacrifice all the deposits.
But when a note comes up more than once, I tend to take it on board. Even though they do discuss cancelling, I think if I were writing it again I'd have one more scene, one more discussion, clarifying why they go ahead.
Sadly, that's the kind of rewrite you don't get to do as a novelist.

I read your HuffPost interview where you mentioned that Tender is the Night is one of your favourite novels (mine too). Do you think you would like to write something as melancholic and tragic as that? Or would a natural humour always resurface?

@BettyMoody

I can't imagine most divorcing couples speaking. He's wet. She's highly irritating. The story of them meeting is dull.

I read about two hundred pages then realised the dread with which I approached the book.

Dear Betty, I'm sorry you feel this way. My response, I suppose, is that there are many different types of separation, and the response of a man who loves and reveres his wife, and who fears life alone (no matter how wet) might be rather different. Certainly a number of people have told me that this scenario - the last holiday before a divorce - has happened to them. So I think it's true, and plausible, just not for you. I hope you go back to the last two hundred pages some day. It does take an unexpected direction...

@HazelDormouse

Thank you for the signed copy of Us . I really enjoyed it. Douglas's emotional journey from being told that his relationship has probably ended, to letting go of Connie is easy to relate to and understandable. Whilst reading the novel, I felt empathy for Douglas and irritated by Connie and her apparent selfishness. She seemed to be a two dimensional character, we only really find out the bare minimum of how she feels throughout their relationship. Everything we know is from Douglas' perspective. I felt like I was being manipulated to side with Douglas in the breakup with Connie.

Initially, Albie seems to be a stereotypical, rebellious teenager. However, he is really just following the values of Connie, the dominant parent, who seems to be always undermining her husband's parenting efforts. Connie seems to stand for spontaneity, whilst Douglas is ordered discipline and self control. Surely, there needs to be a balance between the two in order to bring up a well adjusted individual? The traditional Grand tour was a rite of passage; the journey in this instance exposes Douglas to new experiences and people and thus alters his way of being. It seems like he is the one being 'educated' and 'Us' relates more to father and son, than husband and wife.

Do you think you have a balanced parenting style? Or do you lean towards being more like Douglas or Connie?
Do you worry about the time when your children will inevitably use you as a foil to identify themselves?
Do you think you need a certain belief in a parent's love in order to rebel properly like Albie does?

Hi Hazel, thanks for the observations. In reference to those questions, I worry about ALL of those things. My children are quite small, and so I have all that teenage angst to come, but of course at the moment I can't quite believe that my kids will rebel against me - what on earth is there to object to? No doubt I'll find out. As to parenting styles, hm...I don't want to get too personal on here, or too autobiographical, except to say I suspect I veer between Connie's attitude ('as long as they're happy and cool') and Douglas's ('it's a scary world out there, they need to be prepared, they need to work') depending on the day of the week. As a father, I find myself thinking a lot about Danny The Champion of the World - a great, great book - and the last lines; 'What a child wants and deserves is a parent who is SPARKY'. That seems like fine advice to me but hard to pull off on a wet Tuesday after school.
As to your last question, I'm not sure I know the answer. I suspect the rebellion happens no matter how certain you feel of a parent's love.

SundayGirl79, delighted that you love your signed copy, and do feel free to ask another question - we can't promise but hopefully we'll have time to get round to everyone.

I think the holiday is completely believable. I love my husband so much, and if I thought there was any chance of reconciliation after he wanted to leave me I would travel the world to try and make it work. We're happily married now but I would hope if I was in that situation I would give it a go. Especially as Connie isn't sure!

@MrsRedWhite214

I loved the small section near the end explaining how the others characters experienced it. It left me wondering throughout the book how the other characters were really feeling as Douglas was never quite going to tell the whole story. Did you consider telling the story from different viewpoints throughout the book or was it always the intention to be Douglas' viewpoint all along?

Hi there, and thank you for the question. I could answer this for a LONG time, but will try to be brief.
I did write a version of the story, a tour of Europe with just the father and son, told in the third person but with alternating points of view. I worked on it for ages, alternating between a dissolute, absent, immature dad and a rather nervy, awkward son. It was fine, perfectly fine, but a little cold and dry and the theme of marriage/long relationships was absent.
Anyway, for various reasons I threw it away, all 35,000 words. Writing it from the dads point of view was the breakthrough - the idea of unexpressed love, an inner life that's invisible to anyone else.
So yes, you could write the same novel three times, and it would be different each time. But this was the p.o.v that interested me the most.

Thanks so much for the detailed response.

I wanted to add that as someone who works in a research lab, I don't think you stereotype scientists at all. Rather, you capture the rather over analytic approach they (we) can be guilty of in their day-to-day lives.

Though I do trust that most are more empathetic towards their children than Douglas!

@Wordsmith

Just finished the book. It will make a great film (just like One Day and Starter for 10 did) Also love your screenplays (esp the 7.39 - brilliant). I'd like to know if you have the film in your head while you're writing the book? Do you think about how the characters and story would play out on the big screen? It seems that way with 'Us' (that's not a criticism by any means).

Hi Wordsmith, and thank you. A good question, and I can honestly say that I never, ever think of the movie potential when I start a book. When I have a story, I nearly always know what medium will suit it best. The 7.39, for instance, seemed a natural TV play - it was about routine, repetition, and how that can be disrupted, an idea and situation that sustains for 120 mins but would have paled over the five-six hours it takes to read a book. With 'Us' there are all kinds of reasons why it wouldnt' have worked as an original screenplay - budget (nine cities, six countries), point of view (first person - very hard to adapt as you lose the inner voice and hence all the best jokes, all the irony), time period (twenty five years and three weeks, frequently intercut, in 120 minutes), casting (who can plausibly age from 29 to 54 and how do you show Albie growing older?) , genre (is it a rom-com? A drama? a comedy?), structure (very episodic) etc. etc.
BUT! While I never think of the books as screenplays in disguise, I've always absorbed and loved the two mediums side by side, and I think there is a filmic quality to the books - in terms of structure, pacing, dialogue, 'performance', that sense of characters confronting a dilemma - that's not intentional but is there none the less. So perhaps it will happen. I'm not in any rush, and also won't adapt it myself. I'll let some other screenwriter deal with all of the concerns above....

@SundayGirl79

Hi David, I'm a massive fan and have been waiting in anticipation for your next novel as I absolutely loved One Day. Without wanting to sound rude, it was rather a long wait! Were you surprised by the incredible response to One Day or was it anticipated by your publishers? And was this the reason that it took you so long to write the next book? Guess it must have been pretty hard to follow. I was lucky enough to get a signed copy from mumsnet (THANKS MUMSNET) and read it in 2 days - really loved it. I will follow up with a couple of questions about Us if that's okay?

Thanks, Sunday Girl! Very nice to hear. In fact I wrote this one pretty quickly - 14 months or so. But the shadow cast by One Day was so long, and I found it impossible to talk about Emma and Dexter at night and write something new during the day. Also I got tangled up in a couple of scripts - The 7.39 and Great Expectations and Far From The Madding Crowd. So I was...distracted. Also, I wanted to get it right and so threw away a large chunk of mediocre stuff (see previous post).
But thank you for your patience. The next one will be quicker, I swear.

@toothlessoldhag

Thanks so much for the detailed response.

I wanted to add that as someone who works in a research lab, I don't think you stereotype scientists at all. Rather, you capture the rather over analytic approach they (we) can be guilty of in their day-to-day lives.

Though I do trust that most are more empathetic towards their children than Douglas!

Phew. That's good to hear. I spent some time in labs, and found it absolutely fascinating. Until I was sixteen, that's exactly what I wanted to do, and I found myself quite nostalgic for it.

But I'm sure you're right about empathy.

@TillyBookClub

I read your HuffPost interview where you mentioned that Tender is the Night is one of your favourite novels (mine too). Do you think you would like to write something as melancholic and tragic as that? Or would a natural humour always resurface?

Goodness, I love that book. It's heartbreaking, isn't it? And very underrated I think. I love that melancholic tone and would love to write something a quarter as beautiful and, well, tender as that novel. Sadly I have a knee-jerk tendency to make stupid jokes. But the idea of writing a 'straight' book - no gags, no faux pas or slapstick - does appeal. Not sure waht my publisher would say though...

Thanks Tilly. I still can't quite understand why I loved Douglas so much when reading the book, when in everyday life I'd find him intensely irritating. I think one thing was that whilst reading the book I found myself remembering things I'd done to my dad as a teenager and was gripped with guilt! Particularly during a family holiday in Europe with another family when I spent the whole time dissing/bitching about him. It's interesting that you say you haven't reached the teenage years yet with your kids -did you draw on experience of your own childhood and relationship with your parents?

@MrsRedWhite214

I think the holiday is completely believable. I love my husband so much, and if I thought there was any chance of reconciliation after he wanted to leave me I would travel the world to try and make it work. We're happily married now but I would hope if I was in that situation I would give it a go. Especially as Connie isn't sure!

Yes, I really do think he believes he can change her mind, especially if he can save Albie. But that's a lovely comment. I hope he knows!

Ooh, and one more (if I may) I wonder what you thought of the film of One Day? I was really disappointed but then didn't really expect it to live up to the book. That said my daughter (teenager) absolutely loved it. I much preferred The 7:39.

@hackmum

I can't be here on the 6th (a school thing) but I guess one question I would ask is: did you intend for people's sympathies to switch between the characters, as I did? And also did you base Douglas a bit on you or are you a completely different sort of person?

Hi Hackmum. I realised I answered the first bit and dodged the second. I'm not Douglas, but I have....Douglas tendencies. I worry a great deal, about the near and far future, and small things make me stupidly anxious - running taps, waiting taxis. I think that, like Douglas, I sometimes worry so much about people enjoying themselves that I become completely unbearable. Also, like Douglas, I hate the beach.

But apart from that...