The Understudy by David Nicholls
The Understudy is a quirky little book. And I'm not quite sure what to make of it.
The "hero" is Stephen C. McQueen--no, not that Steve McQueen. A divorced actor who is still waiting to hit it big, his only brush with fame so far has been starring in a children's video as Sammy the Squirrel. But now he's serving as the understudy to heartthrob Josh Harper in a play about Lord Byron. And hoping against hope that Josh will come down with the flu or fall down the stairs, anything to give him his big break. But Josh is freakishly healthy so Stephen sits and waits--and pines after Josh's unhappy wife, Nora.
At first, you kind of feel sorry for Stephen because he's trying so hard--to be a successful actor and a good dad to his daughter and to be civil to his ex-wife's new husband. But as the story continues, he becomes a little less praise-worthy. Let's just say it's not your typical romantic comedy, though there is a semi-optimistic ending.
The "hero" is Stephen C. McQueen--no, not that Steve McQueen. A divorced actor who is still waiting to hit it big, his only brush with fame so far has been starring in a children's video as Sammy the Squirrel. But now he's serving as the understudy to heartthrob Josh Harper in a play about Lord Byron. And hoping against hope that Josh will come down with the flu or fall down the stairs, anything to give him his big break. But Josh is freakishly healthy so Stephen sits and waits--and pines after Josh's unhappy wife, Nora.
At first, you kind of feel sorry for Stephen because he's trying so hard--to be a successful actor and a good dad to his daughter and to be civil to his ex-wife's new husband. But as the story continues, he becomes a little less praise-worthy. Let's just say it's not your typical romantic comedy, though there is a semi-optimistic ending.
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