Us - Hardcover

Nicholls, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062365584 ISBN 13: 9780062365583

Publisher: Harper, 2014

Synopsis

Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize

David Nicholls brings the wit and intelligence that graced his enormously popular New York Times bestseller, One Day, to a compellingly human, deftly funny new 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. Us 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. And in David Nicholls's gifted hands, Douglas's odyssey brings Europe--from the streets of Amsterdam to the famed museums of Paris, from the cafes of Venice to the beaches of Barcelona--to vivid life just as he experiences a powerful awakening of his own. Will this summer be his last as a husband, or the moment when he turns his marriage, and maybe even his whole life, around?

About this title

Review:

-Nicholls is a deft craftsman, a skilled storyteller and a keen observer of contemporary mores.---Jay McInerney, New York Times Book Review

-Wonderful. A novel that manages to be both truly hilarious and deeply affecting. I loved it.---S.J. Watson, New York Times bestselling author of Before I Go to Sleep

-Nicholls is a delightfully funny writer...and this over-planned vacation makes ripe material for comedy...Us evolves into a poignant consideration of how a marriage ages, how parents mess up and what survives despite all those challenges.---Washington Post

-But for all of their burdens and battles, Douglas and Connie have moments of real joy in their marriage and while it doesn't always seem like a pleasure, reading about it sure is.---Time magazine

-It's a great combination of laughs and heart...Just what you need on these too-short days, no?---Sophie Kinsella, Redbook

-David Nicholls's latest... is a smartly optimistic romantic comedy that uses angst and humor to illuminate the resilience of the human heart.... Part requiem, part reboot, Douglas's endearingly inept efforts to preserve his disintegrating family take him on another kind of journey, too, from despair to unexpected joy.---Oprah.com

-The bestselling author of One Day...is back with another crowd-pleaser, this time about a man trying to save his collapsing marriage and connect with his teenage son during a family tour of Europe.---People, Best Books of the Fall (2014)

-Nicholls is a master of the braided narrative, weaving the past and present to create an intricate whole.... A funny and moving novel.---Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

-Nicholls brings his trademark wit and wisdom to this by turns hilarious and heartbreaking examination of a long-term marriage.... This tender novel will further cement Nicholls' reputation as a master of romantic comedy.---Booklist (starred review)

-For those who loved One Day, the author's latest is another heart-grabber about discovering what makes us happy and learning to let go.---Library Journal (starred review)

Book Description:

The Man Booker Prize-longlisted follow-up to the multimillion-copy bestselling ONE DAY.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harper
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0062365584
• ISBN 13: 9780062365583
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 396