Kayla Walsh
When I was asked to choose a book that I thought every student should read, my mind first sprang to the great classics in literature. But then I figured; why sing the praises of those who have been lauded time and time again? So many little gems exist in modern fiction, novels that are relevant to university-goers today as well as being genuinely entertaining. Starter for Ten is one of those books.
Starter For Ten is a coming-of-age novel by former Cold Feet screenwriter David Nicholls. It is told through the eyes of Brian Jackson, a nineteen year-old English literature student entering Freshman Year at an unnamed university. Though published in 2003, the book is set in 1985, the same year that Nicholls himself began college. In an interview with The Guardian, he admits that he uses his own experiences as a basis for his writing, but there is a difference between him and the pitiful protagonist. He says: “University is traditionally an opportunity to reinvent yourself, and I clearly decided to reinvent myself as a bit of a prat.”
Poor old Brian is the type of dermatologically-challenged, socially awkward character we all know and pity (or laugh at openly). As a child growing up in a working-class area of Essex, he was always a bit of an oddball. His only solace was found in watching episodes of University Challenge with his father, and knowing the answers to all of the questions. Now university-bound, he expects that his extensive general knowledge will finally be appreciated, and he will find his niche. He embarrassingly looks forward to things like being able to “stay up all night debating” and “using obscure words confidently”. When he makes it on to the college University Challenge team, he feels like things are finally going right for him.
The plot of Starter For Ten follows Brian as he attempts to balance his humble background with a newfound world of privilege. We watch him deal with his home-brew loving housemates, try to win the affection of his beautiful team-mate Alice, and get horrendous results in the essays he submits (we’ve all been there, Briano.). An intense infatuation with Kate Bush, a tendency to make self-congratulatory literary references and a truly awful sense of humour all combine against him as he tries to fit in. He makes cringeworthy faux pas after faux pas, with hilarious consequences. The boy has the worst luck imaginable, and you can’t help but giggle as he accidentally scrubs his face red raw before a hot date, gets caught cheating on television, or makes hysterically inappropriate remarks in front of Alice’s parents.
One thing I really liked about the novel was the fact that the characters were so realistic. I think we all know someone in college who reminds us of the self-important and pompous Patrick, or posh man-eater Alice. We have all met an opinionated, cynical socialist type like Rebecca. Though the personalities were those encountered in every university, however, I found that they were well-developed and far from stereotyped.
I think that Starter for Ten is a must-read for students for a number of reasons. It explores politics and social class, while teaching us the lesson that there is a difference between general knowledge and real intelligence. Its bittersweet, engaging plot and sharp-as-nails narrative are a credit to Nicholls and would put a smile on anyone’s face. Though set in the eighties, it gives us a surprisingly relevant portrayal of current student life; we’re still missing class, getting shamefully drunk and regretting the excruciating things we’ve said and done! I felt I could identify with Brian quite a bit: we’re both English literature students, we both recently had to leave home for the first time, and we both tried to come on to our girlfriend’s mother as she stood naked in the kitchen in the middle of the night.
…Ok, so maybe I lied about the last one.
