Starter for Ten: A NovelNOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE “Utterly charming . . . a big-hearted, flawless coming-of-age tale, as scary and funny as your yearbook picture.”—People (four stars) The year is 1985. Brian Jackson, a working-class kid on full scholarship, has started his first term at university. He has a dark secret—a long-held, burning ambition to appear on the wildly popular British TV quiz show University Challenge—and now, finally, it seems the dream is about to become reality. He’s made the school team, and they’ve completed the qualifying rounds and are limbering up for their first televised match. (And, what’s more, he’s fallen head over heels for one of his teammates, the beautiful, brainy, and intimidatingly posh Alice Harbinson.) Life seems perfect and triumph inevitable—but as his world opens up, Brian learns that a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Praise for A Starter for Ten “Fresh, edgy and very funny . . . [David Nicholls] has a talent for droll dialogue and a wonderful sense of the ridiculous.”—USA Today “Starter for Ten has that elusive Hornby-factor. . . . It’s wincingly funny . . . a prospect to savour.”—Arena |
Contents
Section 1 | 11 |
Section 2 | 33 |
Section 3 | 40 |
Section 4 | 54 |
Section 5 | 67 |
Section 6 | 76 |
Section 7 | 85 |
Section 8 | 93 |
Section 14 | 192 |
Section 15 | 208 |
Section 16 | 227 |
Section 17 | 237 |
Section 18 | 254 |
Section 19 | 273 |
Section 20 | 279 |
Section 21 | 311 |
Section 9 | 111 |
Section 10 | 116 |
Section 11 | 136 |
Section 12 | 150 |
Section 13 | 179 |
Section 22 | 318 |
Section 23 | 322 |
Section 24 | 331 |
Section 25 | 339 |
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Common terms and phrases
A-level absolutely actually Alice Harbinson Alice's ANSWER anyway Bamber Bamber Gascoigne beautiful breath Brian Jackson course d'you think Dad's decide desk donkey jacket door drink drunk eyes face feel finger front fucking futon Gil Scott-Heron hair hand head Hedda Gabler Hello Joni Mitchell Josh Kate Bush kind kiss kitchen lager laugh lean listen look Lucy Chang Marcus mate mean mouth Mum's nice night Okay onion bhaji pissed play pretty pull QUESTION R. J. Mitchell realize Rebecca round says Alice says Patrick says Spencer seems shouting smell smile someone sorry sort Spence stand Starter for Ten starts suppose sure T. S. Eliot talking tell telly thank there's thing thought toilet Tone tonight trying turn Uh-huh University Challenge walk watch wearing What's who's wonder Yeah