Sweet Sorrow
Books | Fiction / General
4
David Nicholls
One life-changing summer Sixteen-year-old Charlie meets Fran... 8 million copies since STARTER FOR TEN first introduced us to his incomparable talent for making us laugh, cry and wince with recognition in the space of a single sentence; ten years after ONE DAY became the iconic love story for a generation; five years since the journey of US took him to the Man Booker Prize long-list; DAVID NICHOLLS has written a major new novel, SWEET SORROW: a hymn to the tragicomedy of ordinary lives, a celebration of the reviving power of friendship and that brief, blinding explosion of first love that perhaps can only be looked at directly once it has burned out. 'Nicholls writes with such tender precision about love' The Times 'There is a sharp empathetic intelligence to his writing that makes his characters real . . . the clear writing often dazzles with truth . . . sad funny, soulful' Observer 'A sublime talent for illuminating the murky causeway that most of us have to navigate between darkness and light' Donal Ryan 'Nicholls' ability to create and then subvert the traditional plot for comedy is the secret of his success. It makes us confront the gap between what we expect from storytelling and what happens in real life' Spectator
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
David Nicholls
Pages
395
Publisher
Hodder & Stoughton
Published Date
2019
ISBN
1444715410 9781444715415
Community ReviewsSee all
"This book has all the feelings. It’s strange, because while on one hand I know you are supposed to feel sad at the end, another part of me wonders why I am. I suppose it’s a testament to David Nicholl’s skill that I feel so conflicted. First love is a very weird thing, and this book captures the dichotomy of heartbreak and elation, tragedy and romance that accompanies that. As the story is perfectly paired with a production of Romeo and Juliet, the reader understands these even more intensely.<br/><br/>Our story revolves around Charlie, who just finished school and is aimlessly contemplating his summer when he stumbles across the Fathom Five Theatre Co-Operative. He is immediately intrigued by Fran, a lovely, intelligent young lady who encourages him to join up. Despite himself he does, though it is in large part to avoid his clinically depressed father and passively neglectful mother. As the summer unfolds, so does the story, with Nicholls masterfully weaving Charlie’s history with the ongoing play production, and dropping tidbits of Charlie’s future life and impending wedding. In a way, the author is setting the stage for the ending, but that doesn’t soften the blows.<br/><br/>I read a previous book by the author, One Day, later made into a movie with Anne Hathaway. I remember feeling so much after, but it was nearly 8 years ago now, so I worried that this book wouldn’t have the same effect. I should have trusted the author, and I highly recommend this to fans of Nicholls, and anyone who loves a great coming of age novel."
A P
Allie Peduto
