David Nicholls novels, ranked
From Starter For Ten to You Are Here, I’ve ranked every David Nicholls novel from my least favourite to most favourite.
David Nicholls has been one of my favourite authors since I was a teenager, when I picked up Starter For Ten on a whim. When I was in sixth form college, my local town centre had a magnificent book store called ‘£1 Book Box’. As you can imagine from its very inventive name, every book inside was just £1. It was short-lived, unfortunately, but while it was there it was wondrous, and almost every trip home from college resulted in a cheeky visit to see what else I could pick up.
On one of those trips I saw a book called Starter For Ten. I hadn’t heard of it, and it was the author’s first novel — but the blurb told me he was a writer of Cold Feet. I loved that programme with all my heart and so the book was an instant purchase.
Naturally, I loved Starter For Ten (just as I loved the movie starring James McAvoy that followed a few years later). And since then, some 20 years ago when I was 16 or 17, I’ve picked up every David Nicholls novel as soon as I could. But which is the best David Nicholls novel, at least in my humble opinion? I’ve ranked them all, in order of preference.
I should preface this ranking by saying: none of these are bad books. David is an incredible writer, and if you love human stories, tales about coming of age, about romance, about dealing with the various traumas a humdrum life can throw at you, he really needs to be on your shelf.
If you have read David Nicholls, I’d love to know your favourites: leave me a comment below and let me know if you agree or disagree with my ranking.
6. Sweet Sorrow
Blurb: It’s summer 1997, school is over and Charlie Lewis’s life is in shambles. His family is breaking up, his father is falling apart and the long, empty holidays stretch ahead towards an uncertain future.
And then, quite by chance, Charlie meets Fran Fisher and it’s as if a new world has opened before him.But can it last?
A coming of age story about a teenager on the brink of adulthood, Sweet Sorrow deals with first loves, responsibility and heartache. And Shakespeare. I read this shortly after its release and for some reason, I just didn’t resonate with Charlie and his story as much as I wanted to. That said, I generally have a bad memory for books I’ve read and this one has stuck with me, so it certainly did something right. It’s worth a revisit from me at some point, that’s for sure.
5. The Understudy
Blurb: For Josh Harper, being in show-business means everything he ever wanted: money, fame, a beautiful wife and a lead role on the London stage. For Stephen C. McQueen, it means being stuck with an unfortunate name, a hopeless agent and a job as understudy to Josh Harper, the 12th Sexiest Man in the World.
When Stephen falls in love with Josh’s clever, funny wife, Nora, things get even more difficult. But might there yet be a way for Stephen to get his big break?
Fun fact: Early in his career, David worked as an understudy, so I have to wonder how much of this book was based on his own experiences. While The Understudy was an enjoyable read, it’s without a doubt the novel of David’s that has had the least impact on me. And for me, the biggest joy of David’s best work is the lasting impression it has.
4. Starter For Ten
Blurb: It’s 1985 and Brian Jackson has arrived at university with a burning ambition – to make it onto TV’s foremost general knowledge quiz. But no sooner has he embarked on ‘The Challenge’ than he finds himself falling hopelessly in love with his teammate, the beautiful and charismatic would-be actress Alice Harbinson.
When Alice fails to fall for his slightly over-eager charms, Brian comes up with a foolproof plan to capture her heart once and for all: he’s going to win the game, at any cost. Because – after all – everyone knows that what a woman really wants from a man is a comprehensive grasp of general knowledge . . .
A plot about cheating on University Challenge doesn’t sound particularly exciting, but somehow David managed to make it work beautifully. There was a reason that, after reading this, I became a lifelong fan of this work. It’s been a long time since I’ve read it, however, so I am very much overdue a revisit.
3. Us
Blurb: Douglas and Connie – scientist and artist, husband and wife – live a quiet and quietly unremarkable life in the suburbs of London. Until, suddenly, after more than twenty years of marriage, Connie decides she wants a divorce.
Heartbroken but determined, Douglas comes up with the perfect plan: he is going to win back the love of his wife and the respect of Albie, their teenage son, by organising the holiday of a lifetime.
The hotels are booked, the tickets bought, the itinerary planned and printed. What could possibly go wrong?
Told from the perspective of a middle-aged man, I didn’t expect to get on with Us. But its familial plot, its focus on the struggles of marriage and real life, its not-quite-there love story that I was rooting for – it makes for a fantastic read. It also helps that it’s set against a backdrop of gorgeous European locations — a road trip with a difference. In David’s true style, every character here is wonderful and believable, and as frustrating as some of their decisions may be, you can’t help but want everything to work out OK in the end.
2. One Day
Blurb: 15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.
So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that?
And every year that follows?
Telling the story of Emma and Dexter on the same day every twenty years, One Day is a poignant tale of growing up, growing apart, love, loss and everything in between. This is a gorgeous story through and through, and one that I think everyone should read at least once, even if they’re not a fan of love stories. It’s so much more than that.
It was hard to decide between You Are Here and One Day as number one in my ranking of David Nicholls novels, but ultimately You Are Here didn’t break my heart into a thousand tiny pieces, so that wins. As devastating as it is, though, One Day is a modern classic, and a book I will hold close to my heart forever.
1. You Are Here
Blurb: Marnie is stuck. Stuck working alone in her London flat, stuck battling the long afternoons and a life that often feels like it’s passing her by.
Michael is coming undone. Reeling from his wife’s departure, increasingly reclusive, taking himself on long, solitary walks across the moors and fells.
When a persistent mutual friend and some very English weather conspire to bring them together, Marnie and Michael suddenly find themselves alone on the most epic of walks and on the precipice of a new friendship. But can they survive the journey?
Simple and beautifully written, You Are Here is my favourite David Nicholls novel, if only for the realism, the humdrum and beauty of real life. It’s also refreshing to read romance of actual adults, not 20-somethings fumbling through life. Its two characters are flawed and broken in many ways, but also relatable in ways that fictional beings rarely are. I see myself in Michael’s stubbornness, in Marnie’s rigid ways. I cringed at their decisions at times, sighed when they said the wrong things, but always cheered them on.
It’s poetic and moving, and also a wonderful loveletter to the Yorkshire countryside. You Are Here is a wholesome novel that warms the soul, and it’s one I’ll cherish forever.
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