Scan barcode
rosiefpb's review
4.0
It grew on me. I kind of hated all the characters initially, but less so by the end. It was a bit of a depressing story, but it was well told.
baikiebookie's review
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
God all the characters were so frustrating. I find it hard to read books where there is no character to root for. Extremely sad book not necessarily because of the story line which was sad but just like ugh why are the characters like this. Did not enjoy reading it, but had to know what happened.
lostinfrance's review
3.0
I fell for David Nicholls when I read One Day. I loved the idea...maybe because I have relationships left un...tested. All that said, I was not naive enough to think all of his books would be written around the same idea and I came to this book with an open mind.
I am not sure why I chose this one...but it fell into my lap (or my Kindle) and I grabbed it as I am far from home and eating books. I liked the idea of the book being written from a man's perspective...and that it was about him being in love. Maybe I am jaded, but lately a lot of the characters on tv are cheating on their wives...so something new. :)
This book....this book was hard for me to get through because I did not like either of the main characters or their son. The man was a whimpering fool, the woman was an arrogant "I do as I please"...and their son? He needed the world to stop revolving around him. The characters annoyed me....so after jumping into the book, I had to force myself to continue to read the book. And continue and continue....but now that I am done, and I see the reviews. I feel bad...the writing WAS good...it is just that no one was likeable. I didn't feel empathy for anyone...though I did like the writing.
Read the book if you are a fan of David Nichols...but be weary. And yes, stay away if you are looking for another One Day.
I am not sure why I chose this one...but it fell into my lap (or my Kindle) and I grabbed it as I am far from home and eating books. I liked the idea of the book being written from a man's perspective...and that it was about him being in love. Maybe I am jaded, but lately a lot of the characters on tv are cheating on their wives...so something new. :)
This book....this book was hard for me to get through because I did not like either of the main characters or their son. The man was a whimpering fool, the woman was an arrogant "I do as I please"...and their son? He needed the world to stop revolving around him. The characters annoyed me....so after jumping into the book, I had to force myself to continue to read the book. And continue and continue....but now that I am done, and I see the reviews. I feel bad...the writing WAS good...it is just that no one was likeable. I didn't feel empathy for anyone...though I did like the writing.
Read the book if you are a fan of David Nichols...but be weary. And yes, stay away if you are looking for another One Day.
andreaross's review against another edition
relaxing
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
mariekevdam's review against another edition
3.0
Een lekker boek. Het leest als chicklit maar dan geschreven door een man. Zoals David Nicholls dingen beschrijft, is het soms net alsof ik er naast sta.
Ik geef het boek geen vier sterren (zou liefst 3,5 ster geven) omdat het niet echt iets op z'n kop zette bij me. Maar het was wel een feestje om te lezen. Heerlijk vakantieboek!
Ik geef het boek geen vier sterren (zou liefst 3,5 ster geven) omdat het niet echt iets op z'n kop zette bij me. Maar het was wel een feestje om te lezen. Heerlijk vakantieboek!
sarahetc's review
1.0
Every time I picked up this book, the Jojo Moyes blurb stared back at me, gushing about its marvelousness and about how we all enjoy a story about what happens "after happily ever after." And while it started out well enough, by the time I got about 2/3 of the way through, the blurb was like a millstone every time I picked it up. Because really, nobody cares about the after. That's why we end the story with "happily ever after."
Nicholls writes in a memory driven, flashback-heavy sort of stream of consciousness that reminds me of Nicholson Baker, if Baker was less creative and had problems with executive function. It's almost like Nicholls wrote a long outline of very banal events (go on a date; book a hotel; eat breakfast) and decided to write a book about them. If he had to flashback to make his random bullet point work, he did. If not, whatever. In doing so he created two banal characters and the shades of three or four more caricatures. At one point, I was actively rooting for the whole crew to get obliterated by a space toilet, just so some part of the book would be interesting.
So yeah. Could be improved with space toilet! Because nobody gives a shit about your happily ever after, no matter how unhappy it is.
Nicholls writes in a memory driven, flashback-heavy sort of stream of consciousness that reminds me of Nicholson Baker, if Baker was less creative and had problems with executive function. It's almost like Nicholls wrote a long outline of very banal events (go on a date; book a hotel; eat breakfast) and decided to write a book about them. If he had to flashback to make his random bullet point work, he did. If not, whatever. In doing so he created two banal characters and the shades of three or four more caricatures. At one point, I was actively rooting for the whole crew to get obliterated by a space toilet, just so some part of the book would be interesting.
So yeah. Could be improved with space toilet! Because nobody gives a shit about your happily ever after, no matter how unhappy it is.
mrsbooknerd's review
3.0
I've tried to formulate a coherent review of this novel, but even my own mind cannot make sense of the crazy emotions that I had while reading 'Us'. I had the high of loving subtle humour and the wonderfully crafted layered story, and the low of hating the characters and the repetition of plot points.
At first I was Team Douglas. What a bitch his wife was, always undermining him and wanting to leave the poor bloke, but still dragging him along like a beaten donkey along an English beach. How ungrateful was his son! Not appreciating the time and money that Douglas had spent organising this wonderful family trip.
God, Douglas! - I shouted internally - Why are you bothering with these 'people'?! Huff.
But this is all just a terrible trick. Nicholls has packaged this family up in seemingly obvious wrappings. But like a sick game of pass the parcel he begins to strip away the layers to reveal an unpleasant centre.
The characters that we had stereotyped and assumed that we had pegged suddenly had different and unexpected dimensions. Was Douglas the caring father that he portrayed himself? Was Albie a teenager with more attitude than depth? Douglas actually became an anti-hero. He started off as squeaky clean and holier-than-thou, but his flaws became more obvious throughout the novel. Yet he recognised his mistakes and he wanted to rectify them, and I am pleased that by the end of the novel he had improved his relationship with Albie.
I also loved Albie's development. He started the novel as this immature boy and yet the impact that Douglas had on him was enormous and shaped him in ways that even Douglas couldn't have comprehended.
Then there was Connie... God I hated the woman. It was all to clear that Connie had never loved Douglas. She had loved the idea of Douglas. He offered her a safe, stable and domestic life in a time when her life was spiralling. Of course it became clear that Connie was perhaps justified in her desire to break from Douglas, but how can you forgive her when throughout she was a tease? "Douglas, I want to leave you, but not yet... maybe soon.. let's have sex... oh you're infuriating, I'm leaving... I love you! Goodbye." I'm almost pleased at the ending of the novel, though I think it reflects Connie's immaturity.
I enjoyed the constant flip between past and present; the past shedding light on the events of the present and giving me a number of 'Ahhh I seeeee' moments. It also fractured what was actually a fairly dull present day narrative. The same events over and over just in different cities.
It certainly wasn't the novel that I expected when I first started reading, and for that I am pleased. It takes a lot to surprise a seasoned reader. I'm also quite glad that the ending didn't conform to standard conventions either. Though after all that reading I was hoping for something a bit more.
I loved the sense of humour that ran throughout the novel, despite the somewhat heavy topics. I loved that it gave a non-romanticised look at marriage - that the things that once made us fall in love with someone gradually becomes the reason that the love breaks down. I just wished there had been a little more guts to it.
At first I was Team Douglas. What a bitch his wife was, always undermining him and wanting to leave the poor bloke, but still dragging him along like a beaten donkey along an English beach. How ungrateful was his son! Not appreciating the time and money that Douglas had spent organising this wonderful family trip.
God, Douglas! - I shouted internally - Why are you bothering with these 'people'?! Huff.
But this is all just a terrible trick. Nicholls has packaged this family up in seemingly obvious wrappings. But like a sick game of pass the parcel he begins to strip away the layers to reveal an unpleasant centre.
The characters that we had stereotyped and assumed that we had pegged suddenly had different and unexpected dimensions. Was Douglas the caring father that he portrayed himself? Was Albie a teenager with more attitude than depth? Douglas actually became an anti-hero. He started off as squeaky clean and holier-than-thou, but his flaws became more obvious throughout the novel. Yet he recognised his mistakes and he wanted to rectify them, and I am pleased that by the end of the novel he had improved his relationship with Albie.
I also loved Albie's development. He started the novel as this immature boy and yet the impact that Douglas had on him was enormous and shaped him in ways that even Douglas couldn't have comprehended.
Then there was Connie... God I hated the woman. It was all to clear that Connie had never loved Douglas. She had loved the idea of Douglas. He offered her a safe, stable and domestic life in a time when her life was spiralling. Of course it became clear that Connie was perhaps justified in her desire to break from Douglas, but how can you forgive her when throughout she was a tease? "Douglas, I want to leave you, but not yet... maybe soon.. let's have sex... oh you're infuriating, I'm leaving... I love you! Goodbye." I'm almost pleased at the ending of the novel, though I think it reflects Connie's immaturity.
I enjoyed the constant flip between past and present; the past shedding light on the events of the present and giving me a number of 'Ahhh I seeeee' moments. It also fractured what was actually a fairly dull present day narrative. The same events over and over just in different cities.
It certainly wasn't the novel that I expected when I first started reading, and for that I am pleased. It takes a lot to surprise a seasoned reader. I'm also quite glad that the ending didn't conform to standard conventions either. Though after all that reading I was hoping for something a bit more.
I loved the sense of humour that ran throughout the novel, despite the somewhat heavy topics. I loved that it gave a non-romanticised look at marriage - that the things that once made us fall in love with someone gradually becomes the reason that the love breaks down. I just wished there had been a little more guts to it.
gillxy23's review
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I'd been told to stick with it through the first few chapters, but it was a slow read. I felt the author was trying to prove himself a writer,and I didn't like the style, or the back and forth time travels. The main character was unlikeable, with rambling thoughts. Would not recommend.
louisexchan's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
daniiidarko's review
3.0
This just isn't the best follow up to the brilliant One Day. I wanted more and it just was a little dull. I did not like being in protagonist's head. He just was not a delightful person to hear about. I would have preferred a back and fourth pov probably more. I think multi-pov would have improved this book a lot. It wasn't bad and it was still emotional at parts. I just didn't feel myself siding with the protag, which is usually the point. I expected so much more of Nicholls which is why it took me so long to read.