REVIEW: 'Us' by David Nicholls

Picking up this book in a busy St Pancras station to kill time while waiting for my boyfriend to arrive so that we could plot our future holiday together, it is no wonder that a romantic piece by a well appreciated author in this genre caught my eye. One Day, Nicholls' claim to fame after a film starring none other than Anne Hathaway was made, has been a long time favorite piece of writing and feel-good movie.

So I went into this read with high hopes, and it did not disappoint. A classic underdog tale of a sensible man vs. Wild child woman was refreshing and easy to read. Frequently unnerving-ly human in the way he writes, I believe I would find myself left unsurprised if a close informant of his that let slip that Nicholls alternated between  people watching and reading minds in his spare time.

We follow a man, beaten up by life and slightly beta, review his marriage and relationship with his son, attempting to find when and how but ultimately why his wife wishes to leave him. He feels that organizing the perfect holiday will remind them why they keep him around and  is somewhat pitifully obsessed with  sticking to this plan.

There are areas of the dialogue that are fast paced and exciting but, much like family life itself, a lot of the novel seems like it could have been said in fewer words, and you are left wondering if Nicholls' talents are not better in a more complex story line. Regardless, the way the tale is written so smoothly, with the words quietly strolling through your brain as you read, leaving only footprints of memory behind, is a skill that I can only admire and look forward to more of in future.

audio // paperback