Us: A Novel
Now a PBS Masterpiece television miniseries starring Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves
"I loved this book. Funny, sad, tender: for anyone who wants to know what happens after the Happy Ever After." -- Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You
David Nicholls brings the wit and intelligence that graced his New York Times bestseller, One Day, to a compellingly human, deftly funny novel about what holds marriages and families together--and what happens, and what we learn about ourselves, when everything threatens to fall apart.
Douglas Petersen may be mild-mannered, but behind his reserve lies a sense of humor that, against all odds, seduces beautiful Connie into a second date . . . and eventually into marriage. Now, almost three decades after their relationship first blossomed in London, they live more or less happily in the suburbs with their moody seventeen year-old son, Albie. Then Connie tells him she thinks she wants a divorce.
The timing couldn't be worse. Hoping to encourage her son's artistic interests, Connie has planned a month-long tour of European capitals, a chance to experience the world's greatest works of art as a family, and she can't bring herself to cancel. And maybe going ahead with the original plan is for the best anyway? Douglas is privately convinced that this landmark trip will rekindle the romance in the marriage, and might even help him to bond with Albie.
Narrated from Douglas's endearingly honest, slyly witty, and at times achingly optimistic point of view, Us is the story of a man trying to rescue his relationship with the woman he loves, and learning how to get closer to a son who's always felt like a stranger. It is a moving meditation on the demands of marriage and parenthood, the regrets of abandoning youth for middle age, and the intricate relationship between the heart and the head.
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Community Reviews
Overall: 3
This book reminded me of what would happen if you combined a novel by Nick Hornby and Richard Russo. There's the quirky characters (mostly unlikable - Russo), English humor (Hornby), silly situations (Hornby and Russo), and slightly depressing subject (Russo and Hornby). I found myself wanting to find out what happened, and Nicholls does a decent job of making the trip interesting.
Story: 3.5
I thought that the premise of the book was unique and novel, even if not believable. Count me as one of the readers who didn't buy that this couple would go on a 3 week European vacation after the wife has confessed that she wants to leave the marriage. If you get over that hurdle, then the rest of the story pushes some boundaries, but Nicholls does a good job at camouflaging them with look back chapters and travel-log like entries.
Writing: 3.5
As mentioned above, the story is told by one character, Douglas, and he jumps from the present to the past - telling the story of how the couple met, courted, married, etc. all while jumping back to the present travels (assumed - it's actually being told after the fact, so really the past also). Nicholls adds some interesting points about art and classic paintings in a guide-book way. I found Douglas's inner thoughts and descriptions to be insightful, but sometimes cringe worthy. The way this story is written, I kept expecting some dark twist - there were parts that reminded me of "The Dinner" in that way where the father was describing what he thought was just perfectly normal behavior and reactions - I thought the reader would learn of some bizarre secret or that Douglas wasn't Albie's biological father. In that respect, the writing lead to a dead end. At some points, I also felt as if the story was being written in order to lend itself to a good screenplay. I didn't like the shenanigans that Douglas got into, but I could see how it would play out as scenes in a movie.
Characters: 3
I didn't really like the main characters in the story. Douglas - I think we are meant to feel some sympathy for his situation, and certainly it is sad, but he describes some of the things that he has said and done, and it makes him sound like a complete jerk. His wife, Connie, is even worse. The reader is left to believe that she used up the best of Douglas, but thinking him a food for the last ~5 years or so, and now is done with him. Albie is given a lot of slack (in the book) for being 17, but he seems to have turned his back on his father when he was quite young. I give them a 3 because I felt that Nicholls did a good job of keeping each of them in character, and the interplay between the three rang true.
Learning: 2
The descriptions of art work and museums warrants a 2.
Ending: 3
The ending was eventful and maybe somewhat predictable - I thought it was a little depressing, but that it made sense.
Entertainment: 3
Overall, this book was written well and held my interest. I found the topic a bit sad and depressing, but that's probably because I was on a family vacation - and of course you are generally much more conscious of your loved one's bad habit and annoyances. I'd probably wouldn't recommend this book, but I wouldn't discourage someone from reading it either.
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