David Nicholls - Starter For Ten

STARTER FOR TEN BY DAVID NICHOLLS
WHEN I REVIEWED “THE UNDERSTUDY” BY THIS AUTHOR RECENTLY, OUR LOVELY PHARMACIST HELEN PEARCE WHIZZED AROUND TO THE RADIO STATION WITH “STARTER FOR TEN” AS I HAD
MENTIONED I WOULD LIKE TO READ IT. IT WAS AS FUNNY AND ENTERTAINING AS MY
PREVIOUS READ.
STARTER FOR TEN IS OF COURSE WHAT BAMBER GASCOIGNE WOULD SAY WHEN HE PRESENTED
“UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE”. WHEN OUR HERO WAS LIVING AT HOME WITH HIS MOTHER AND FATHER AND STUDYING FOR HIS GCSES AND A LEVELS THEY WOULD WATCH THIS PROGRAMME AND IF, AS WE CAN ALL DO SOME TIMES, THE BOY ANSWERED A QUESTION CORRECTLY HIS DAD WOULD SAY PROUDLY” WELL DONE, WE’LL BE SEEING YOU UP THERE ONE DAY”,
SO WHEN HE MADE IT TO UNIVERSITY HE DID HIS BEST TO GET ON THEIR TEAM, WAS ONLY FIRST
RESERVE UNTIL FINALLY HE TAKES PART. AT UNIVERSITY HE FALLS INLOVE WITH ALICE A
SORT OF GOLDEN GIRL BEAUTIFUL AND INTELLIGENT WITH A MUCH HIGHER STANDARD OF
LIFESTYLE, AS HE FINDS WHEN HE SPENDS A WEEKEND WITH HER, MAKING FOOLISH MISTAKES
AND EMBARASSING BOTH HER AND HIMSELF LOTS OF TIMES.
SO FAR PAR FOR THE COURSE, THE AUTHOR SEEMS TO SPECIALISE IN NERDS BOTH MALE AND
FEMALE, BUT HIS IN DEPTH LOOK AT THE LOVE HE HAS FOR HIS DAD, WHO DIES PREMATURELY WORN OUT IN A JOB HE HATED, REALLY SHOWS WAT A GOOD WRITER HE IS, AND HIS DESCRIPTION OF UNIVERSITY LIFE SHOWS AN IN DEPTH KNOWLEDGE. ALSO IN HIS LIFE IS A GIRL WHO IS THE EPITOME OF THE ARCHETYPICAL ANARCHIST, SHE SORT OF HATES EVERYTHING!!! BUT THEY HAVE A FAR MORE REWARDING FRIENDSHIP THAN THE ONE HE HAS WITH ALICE!!
AGIN A REAL CHUCKLE BUT REAL ENJOYMENT IN A WELL WRITTEN AND INTELLIGENT BOOK.
RECOMMENDED!!!

REVIEW BY MAGS