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The Understudy by David Nicholls

 

 

Papperback Edition

Recently divorced actor Stephen C. McQueen (no relation, unfortunately) seems to have a knack for bad luck. But a failed marriage, a stalled career, a judgmental ex-wife, a distant daughter, a horrid little studio apartment in the far reaches of the London suburbs–all these pathetic elements seem to pale in the chiseled face of his newest tormentor: the Twelfth Sexiest Man in the World, Josh Harper.

Josh is the star of Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know, a biographical play about Lord Byron–and Stephen is his understudy. Not only is Josh fantastically, infuriatingly good-looking, internationally renowned, and remarkably talented, he’s also frustratingly healthy. No matter how many all-night booze-and-coke benders Josh goes on, he always shows up at the stage door for his call like clockwork. Stephen doubts he’ll ever get his chance to slip on the puffy shirt and tight breeches of Byron and tread the boards in the role that would certainly be the break he’s always waited for.

And just when Stephen’s sure he couldn’t resent Josh more, he meets Josh’s witty, restless American wife, Nora . . . and discovers he likes her a little too much. Another man might curse his luck at finding that his potential dream woman is a rival’s wife, but at this point, Stephen would expect nothing else. Caught between his stirring feelings for Nora, the demands of an insistent and secretive Josh, and his lifelong desire for a real career in show business, Stephen must make a terrible decision: Will it be the girl or the fame?

 ***

The Understudy

Author : David Nicholls 

Published year : 2006

Pages : 406 

Genre : Romantic, Comedy, Fiction

 

The name of David Nicholls is echoing the witty-romantic-and abundant detail of POV. After the success of One Day, people's expectation is high. Luckily, Understudy is his second book, right before One Day. So let's just some expectations.


No, there is nothing wrong with this book. Just the review on the cover, promise a lot that makes a reader like me, adjust the expectation, again.  


So this book is about the unfortunate (or realistic) life of a mediocre actor. We heard a lot about this theme from the Hollywood side, but since the author is British, we read from the British actor's POV.
Steve Mc. Queen is in his thirty, but he never made an extraordinary acting job. But he loves acting job very much, no matter how many times people said otherwise about his talent or appearance. He lost his wife to an affair with her boss and his daughter. His life is a mess. Living in a studio without a refrigerator. 


One day, he receives an invitation to a private party from the famous actor, Josh. Currently, Steve is Josh's understudy. But no matter what happens, Josh is never absent from the show. 


Turned out, that's not an invitation Steve hoped. He was hired as a bartender at the party, not as a guest.
Loathing Josh, mad and humiliated, Steve has an inner battle to leave the party or stay. The salary was okay, most of all he needed money. Then he met with Nora. The smart, witty, broken, and free-spirited Nora, in fact, Josh's wife.


They have a good talk. Nora is different from the other person at the party, especially Josh. Then, they become a good friend. Even Josh started to treat him as someone who exists. 


Steve was enjoying his friendship with Nora and how Josh started to treat him differently. Until one day, Steve is in between to save his friendship with Nora or protect Josh. He has the upper hand, and his life seems better. Which one he should choose? Because most of all, Steve is a good man. Too good man.


Just like any other David's book, the plot is evolved quite slowly. The plot is progressive, but since it is slow, the reader didn't mind put the book and forget it until several days later. The characterization is brilliant. We, readers, understand well the battle in Steve's mind. I understand Steve's frustration in his life and later turn out to be unrealized jealousy. Life pushes him so hard that maybe it is okay for him to be a bad guy, for once. Yet, he's a bit push over, maybe that's the nature of a good person. 


Aside from Steve's inner battle, the storyline is just okay. It is predictable, the romance is not much (yet, this is Steve's story to find love). Maybe this is because written by a male author, no heart beating scene, but never mind. 


There are many chances that Steve asked by person, why does he love acting so much? Steve watches a lot of movies, so many movies that he remember well the plot. He used to be a promising actor in his youngster but that's not enough. Movie biz is about connection and talent. Talent is not enough. Probably appearance outweighs talent in many cases. Even you love movies very much, not everyone can be an actor. I think this point of view is very personal, and maybe experienced by the Author. And yes, the author used to be an actor. Maybe that's why he understood it.


Well, it is a good book, written by a brilliant author. It is just not the one that extraordinary. Maybe this book is like Steve Mc. Queen. Good Actor, just not a great actor yet.


"He would be a better person from now on. He didn't know quite what he'd do for a living yet, but he would try to be a better person, and live a life from all that envy and bitterness, spite and regret."-p390
 

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