One of the zillion wonderful things about living in London is that I get to see my favorite British authors. I keep searching to see when Jane Austen is going to be at Waterstones but no dates are set yet…
However, Friday night was my other favorite David - David Nicholls. (Author of Starter for Ten, One Day and now Us).
I didn't realize that this wasn't your average author reading when I booked it although the tickets were not cheap. First we had our host, Claire Balding, come out to do 20 minutes of stand up trying to sell her own book. Claire was very funny and seems lovely but I wasn't there to see her although by the end of the 20 minutes I was warming up to reading her book.
For those unfamiliar with Claire (which I suspect is everyone reading this from the US) she is a BBC presenter and journalist (she talked about covering the Olympics and the Ryder Cup etc) and also hosts the radio program Ramblings in which she goes on walks with different people or groups of people. It's a podcast - listen to the one where she walks with David Sedaris while he trash picks in Sussex as a starter since David is always funny.
By now you're probably feeling the same way that I was - enough of Claire, where's David?
Although I will add one additional note. I overheard the young women behind me say "I can't believe I'm going to be THIS close to Claire Balding!!" so she is a big deal, just not MY big deal.
Here is my big deal. He was really terrific. Funny, modest, mild mannered, self-effacing, entertaining. Not as totally brilliant as David Mitchell - no author ever could be - but a treat none the less. If I hadn't just seen my ultimate David I would be going even more bonkers about seeing my penultimate David.
(I will give him one thing though - sharp dresser!)
I know a lot of people thought One Day was chick lit - and the movie with Anne Hathaway didn't help - but I loved the book. I think that is the book left me sobbing harder than any before it. And when it ended I could not believe that I wasn't going to hang out with Emma and Dex any more. Devastating. Loved it. Really looking forward to Us.
No author signing - - the book is being MAILED to the audience which perhaps is why the ticket was expensive but it's totally inefficient. I don't even think it will have his signature in it (a la the recent McEwen even where, no doubt, minimum wagers scrawled Ian's name in each edition).
Any other author I see now is vying for third place on the Jen List. Let the battle begin!
1 comment:
Clare Balding is a lot better known in the UK than David Nicholls, so I can see why she was given so much time on stage to plug her own latest book. However, it's a bit strange to have her name on stage in huge lettering, and Nicholls' much smaller underneath. Also, on your picture it leads me to believe that he should have been interviewed by Graham Norton rather than by her? Odd.
Even odder that they will MAIL you the book - what a ridiculous waste of money and time, and for sure people usually love to go home with the book after an author's event and tuck in right away (though in your case I understand you still have the ultimate David on your bedside table).
Anyway, I'm glad you liked David Nicholls as much as I do. He's been in Zurich twice and was an absolute delight on both occasions. I think I'll rearrange my evening class on the 20th and see him for the third time. "Us" is chick lit, too (or would that be "Chuck lit" when it's written by a bloke, and in first person narrative from a man's perspective?), but like "One Day" it is very enjoyable, though I can't see myself shedding any tears any time soon (half way through).
Post a Comment