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You Are Here
Sometimes you need to get lost to find your way . . .
Michael is coming undone. Adrift after his wife's departure, he has begun taking himself on long, solitary walks across the English countryside. Becoming ever more reclusive, he’ll do anything to avoid his empty house.
Marnie, on the other hand, is stuck. Hiding alone in her London flat, she avoids old friends and any reminders of her rotten, selfish ex-husband. Curled up with a good book, she’s battling the long afternoons of a life that feels like it’s passing her by.
When a persistent mutual friend and some very unpredictable weather conspire to toss Michael and Marnie together on the most epic of ten-day hikes, neither of them can think of anything worse. Until, of course, they discover exactly what they’ve been looking for.
Michael and Marnie are on the precipice of a bright future . . . if they can survive the journey.
Michael is coming undone. Adrift after his wife's departure, he has begun taking himself on long, solitary walks across the English countryside. Becoming ever more reclusive, he’ll do anything to avoid his empty house.
Marnie, on the other hand, is stuck. Hiding alone in her London flat, she avoids old friends and any reminders of her rotten, selfish ex-husband. Curled up with a good book, she’s battling the long afternoons of a life that feels like it’s passing her by.
When a persistent mutual friend and some very unpredictable weather conspire to toss Michael and Marnie together on the most epic of ten-day hikes, neither of them can think of anything worse. Until, of course, they discover exactly what they’ve been looking for.
Michael and Marnie are on the precipice of a bright future . . . if they can survive the journey.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 23, 2024
About the author
David Nicholls
36 books4,820 followersDavid Nicholls is a British author, screenwriter, and actor. A student of Toynbee Comprehensive school and Barton Peveril Sixth Form College, he Graduated from the University of Bristol having studied English Literature and Drama.
After graduation, he won a scholarship to study at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, before returning to London in 1991 and finally earning an Equity card. He worked sporadically as an actor for the next eight years, eventually earning a three year stint at the Royal National Theatre, followed by a job at BBC Radio Drama as a script reader/researcher. This led to script-editing jobs at London Weekend Television and Tiger Aspect Productions.
During this period, he began to write, developing an adaptation of Sam Shepard’s stage-play Simpatico with the director Matthew Warchus, an old friend from University. He also wrote his first original script, a situation comedy about frustrated waiters, Waiting, which was later optioned by the BBC.
Simpatico was turned into a feature film in 1999, and this allowed David to start writing full-time. He has been twice nominated for BAFTA awards and his first novel, Starter for Ten was featured on the first Richard and Judy Book Club.
After graduation, he won a scholarship to study at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, before returning to London in 1991 and finally earning an Equity card. He worked sporadically as an actor for the next eight years, eventually earning a three year stint at the Royal National Theatre, followed by a job at BBC Radio Drama as a script reader/researcher. This led to script-editing jobs at London Weekend Television and Tiger Aspect Productions.
During this period, he began to write, developing an adaptation of Sam Shepard’s stage-play Simpatico with the director Matthew Warchus, an old friend from University. He also wrote his first original script, a situation comedy about frustrated waiters, Waiting, which was later optioned by the BBC.
Simpatico was turned into a feature film in 1999, and this allowed David to start writing full-time. He has been twice nominated for BAFTA awards and his first novel, Starter for Ten was featured on the first Richard and Judy Book Club.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,853 reviews
February 20, 2024
So this was lovely. Nicholls is the master of British-style banter and if fiction had a dialogue award he’d win it. I love walking novels. I loved Marnie and Michael and the time I got to spend with them. My heart feels warm and my legs are itching to walk. If you’re in the market for a feel-good Gen-X novel, then I’ve got the perfect recommendation.
July 25, 2024
Let’s go for a walk. Better yet, let us go for a walk along the English countryside. I have always wanted to do that, and with this book, the author does exactly that. And, it is guided, as well. We will experience crags, moors and villages with interesting names.
This will not be an ordinary walk. There will be lots of sights, we will be joined by some singles, a married couple, a teenager, too, and some rather punishing weather. Plan on a muddy mess to get ourselves through. But won’t it be fun?!
Seriously, we will be in the hands of this author who also gave us, “One Day.” And, if you read that, and even got yourself through the movie, (pass the Kleenex please), this author knows how to keep his readers fully engaged.
Our main characters will be Michael and Marnie.
They are both recently divorced and not easy to be around.
Marnie is practically agoraphobic, so for her to be on this walk, is amazing.
Michael didn’t want to be divorced, so he is having a hard time adjusting to his solitude and recent experiences.
Both have been used to isolation, so watching, or hoping for a probable romance among these un-obvious pair seems rather hopeful for readers. Especially with all the delightful challenges that the author “pours” down on them.
So, are we here yet?
And, will fresh air kill us, or refresh us? In the case of this unlikely pair, what a delightful walking romp this one turned out to be.
This will not be an ordinary walk. There will be lots of sights, we will be joined by some singles, a married couple, a teenager, too, and some rather punishing weather. Plan on a muddy mess to get ourselves through. But won’t it be fun?!
Seriously, we will be in the hands of this author who also gave us, “One Day.” And, if you read that, and even got yourself through the movie, (pass the Kleenex please), this author knows how to keep his readers fully engaged.
Our main characters will be Michael and Marnie.
They are both recently divorced and not easy to be around.
Marnie is practically agoraphobic, so for her to be on this walk, is amazing.
Michael didn’t want to be divorced, so he is having a hard time adjusting to his solitude and recent experiences.
Both have been used to isolation, so watching, or hoping for a probable romance among these un-obvious pair seems rather hopeful for readers. Especially with all the delightful challenges that the author “pours” down on them.
So, are we here yet?
And, will fresh air kill us, or refresh us? In the case of this unlikely pair, what a delightful walking romp this one turned out to be.
October 11, 2024
I make no secret of my dislike for most romance novels or too much romance thrown into other genres. But this book somehow ended up on my radar and I decided to give it a go. I’m so glad I did!
I could immediately relate to both characters. They’re introverts, neither comfortable with others and adept at finding excuses not to socialize. They’ve both gone through nasty breakups and neither have really gotten over it, despite what they’d have the other think. Marnie would much rather hunker down with a good book. And Michael is happier out taking a long walk by himself. But both give in to the pressure of a friend pleading with them to come on a multi-day group hike. It doesn’t take long for the rest of the group to bail once the weather turns bad and these two find themselves the lone walkers.
The writing here is just perfect- a blend of spot on descriptions, subtle humor and great characterizations. I could feel myself right there with them, getting drenched, cussing and lashing out, but also getting into a whole series of deep conversations of the sort that never arise on a date. These two felt like real people and people I wanted to spend time with.
I hate to use words like lovely and charming to describe a book. They can sound so trite. And this book is anything but. But they do seem to fit here. As do the words enjoyable, moving and uplifting. This was a book that brought multiple smiles to my face.
I listened to this which heightened the fun experience. Lydia Leonard and Lee Ingleby were the perfect narrators.
I could immediately relate to both characters. They’re introverts, neither comfortable with others and adept at finding excuses not to socialize. They’ve both gone through nasty breakups and neither have really gotten over it, despite what they’d have the other think. Marnie would much rather hunker down with a good book. And Michael is happier out taking a long walk by himself. But both give in to the pressure of a friend pleading with them to come on a multi-day group hike. It doesn’t take long for the rest of the group to bail once the weather turns bad and these two find themselves the lone walkers.
The writing here is just perfect- a blend of spot on descriptions, subtle humor and great characterizations. I could feel myself right there with them, getting drenched, cussing and lashing out, but also getting into a whole series of deep conversations of the sort that never arise on a date. These two felt like real people and people I wanted to spend time with.
I hate to use words like lovely and charming to describe a book. They can sound so trite. And this book is anything but. But they do seem to fit here. As do the words enjoyable, moving and uplifting. This was a book that brought multiple smiles to my face.
I listened to this which heightened the fun experience. Lydia Leonard and Lee Ingleby were the perfect narrators.
October 14, 2024
Some books feel impressively authentic and stick with you long after the last page. 'You are Here,' was just that. This is the story of Micheal and Marnie, thrown together by a mutual friend to trek through the infamous English coast-to-coast walk (or as we Americans refer to as hike).
Told in alternating POV between Micheal and Marnie, we fall in love with two witty, lonely, broken, fundamentally loving characters. A perfect balance of humor and anguish between two people interlocked by a stunning backdrop.
Michael and Marnie are in the throws of a divorce or on the verge of finalizing their marriages. They are coming out of the solitude of COVID, afraid of socializing, because being alone is--easier. Marnie, a copywriter has learned to find JOMO (joy of missing out), and Micheal, a teacher is almost entirely a recluse. It will take more than a group trip to get these two to feel comfortable and put themselves back into the world.
A sense of stunning beauty and perfect comfort was conjured in the story. David Nicholls, enchants the reader with his poetic descriptions of the vast English 'Wuthering, Moor' countryside. It was like reading the best travel guide, transporting you to the doorsteps of the Northern Sea. I wanted to be there, to walk the long, rainy, enchanting journey.
I wanted these characters to break their shells and discover the world, hoping to find happiness. They were life friends you wanted to motivate and root for!
Micheal and Marnie are beautifully fleshed out. There was honesty in their journey, relatable and authentic. It was invigorating to read a story about two characters written in an attainable way. As we intertwine in their lives, each reveals themselves authentically and seamlessly. There was no confusion in leaving one POV to move to the next.
There are so many more amazing quotes, I may add later to this review.
Overall, a hilarious, heartwarming story! One I hope everyone gets the chance to read! My cute take: Sometimes asking for directions is the only chance to find your way.
5/5 stars
Check out my other reviews:
One Day
Told in alternating POV between Micheal and Marnie, we fall in love with two witty, lonely, broken, fundamentally loving characters. A perfect balance of humor and anguish between two people interlocked by a stunning backdrop.
Three days of walking with strangers. It was the kind of potentially awful experience she needed
Michael and Marnie are in the throws of a divorce or on the verge of finalizing their marriages. They are coming out of the solitude of COVID, afraid of socializing, because being alone is--easier. Marnie, a copywriter has learned to find JOMO (joy of missing out), and Micheal, a teacher is almost entirely a recluse. It will take more than a group trip to get these two to feel comfortable and put themselves back into the world.
The risks involved in romantic love, the potential for hurt and betrayal and indignity, far outweighed the consolations
A sense of stunning beauty and perfect comfort was conjured in the story. David Nicholls, enchants the reader with his poetic descriptions of the vast English 'Wuthering, Moor' countryside. It was like reading the best travel guide, transporting you to the doorsteps of the Northern Sea. I wanted to be there, to walk the long, rainy, enchanting journey.
I wanted these characters to break their shells and discover the world, hoping to find happiness. They were life friends you wanted to motivate and root for!
There is who we want to be, she thought, and there is who we are. As we get older the former gives way to the latter, and maybe this is who I am now, someone better off by themselves. Not happier, but better off. Not an introvert, just an extrovert who had lost the knack
Micheal and Marnie are beautifully fleshed out. There was honesty in their journey, relatable and authentic. It was invigorating to read a story about two characters written in an attainable way. As we intertwine in their lives, each reveals themselves authentically and seamlessly. There was no confusion in leaving one POV to move to the next.
There are so many more amazing quotes, I may add later to this review.
Overall, a hilarious, heartwarming story! One I hope everyone gets the chance to read! My cute take: Sometimes asking for directions is the only chance to find your way.
5/5 stars
Check out my other reviews:
One Day
April 28, 2024
Of course I love David Nicholls' book One Day, I mean who doesn't?! I have read that book dozens of times over the years, and I have read all of Nicholls book since.
Hot on the hype of the Netflix adaptation of One Day, Nicholls latest book 'You Are Here' is released. Unfortunately I really disliked this book. I know i'm in the minority based on the Goodreads reviews. This book was nowhere near as engrossing as Nicholls previous books. I found this book (dare I say it) quite dull! There wasn't much plot, the ploddy walking plot just felt ploddy in general.
I didn't get attached to the characters, and therefore I didn't really care what they got up to. I didn't feel there was a spark or any romantic tension between the protagonists.
Just not my bag!
Hot on the hype of the Netflix adaptation of One Day, Nicholls latest book 'You Are Here' is released. Unfortunately I really disliked this book. I know i'm in the minority based on the Goodreads reviews. This book was nowhere near as engrossing as Nicholls previous books. I found this book (dare I say it) quite dull! There wasn't much plot, the ploddy walking plot just felt ploddy in general.
I didn't get attached to the characters, and therefore I didn't really care what they got up to. I didn't feel there was a spark or any romantic tension between the protagonists.
Just not my bag!
October 13, 2024
Two lonely, introverted souls meet up thanks to a mutual friend who organizes a group walk- A coast to coast walk in England. From a shaky start, to the two continuing the walk on their own and then slowly opening up to each other- this book was a delight!
“She had become addicted to the buzz of the cancelled plan. It was a small and fleeting high and no one would ever look back fondly at all the times they’d managed to get out of something, but for the moment no words were sweeter to Marnie than ‘I’m sorry, I can’t make it”. It was like being let off an exam that she expected to fail.”
I’m sure there a few introverts, like myself, who can relate to Marnie! She is divorced, works from home and avoids contact with people.
Michael has been separated for 18 months and he is stuck because he doesn’t want to move on, but his wife, Natasha, has.
I’d love to go on a long walking holiday. Since I can’t see myself doing it, I loved walking along with the group at first and then with just Michael and Marnie. The author did a wonderful job describing what the terrain was like, the difficulty at times and the poor weather, when that rain just kept pouring down.
There is a lot of dialogue in this book. Marnie, being unsure of herself, always tried to turn conversations around with a joke. Michael likes to “teach” as he is a geography teacher. But eventually, true communication, heartfelt communication was realized.
I so enjoyed my journey with Michael and Marnie. I wouldn’t mind a sequel- I’d love to see what their futures hold!
Published: 2024
“She had become addicted to the buzz of the cancelled plan. It was a small and fleeting high and no one would ever look back fondly at all the times they’d managed to get out of something, but for the moment no words were sweeter to Marnie than ‘I’m sorry, I can’t make it”. It was like being let off an exam that she expected to fail.”
I’m sure there a few introverts, like myself, who can relate to Marnie! She is divorced, works from home and avoids contact with people.
Michael has been separated for 18 months and he is stuck because he doesn’t want to move on, but his wife, Natasha, has.
I’d love to go on a long walking holiday. Since I can’t see myself doing it, I loved walking along with the group at first and then with just Michael and Marnie. The author did a wonderful job describing what the terrain was like, the difficulty at times and the poor weather, when that rain just kept pouring down.
There is a lot of dialogue in this book. Marnie, being unsure of herself, always tried to turn conversations around with a joke. Michael likes to “teach” as he is a geography teacher. But eventually, true communication, heartfelt communication was realized.
I so enjoyed my journey with Michael and Marnie. I wouldn’t mind a sequel- I’d love to see what their futures hold!
Published: 2024
July 17, 2024
I never imagined that Nicholls would write another book to match the wit and warmth of 'Starter for Ten', but here it is.
I absolutely adored this one.
I absolutely adored this one.
March 29, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely book.
The last David Nicholls I read was Starter for Ten and it didn't live up to the hype, which put me off reading more. However given the chance to read this ARC I thought why not? The premise sounded fun and it was everything it promised and more.
The characters of Marnie and Michael were perfect. Just the sort of people you'd love to meet in the pub. Funny but not trying too hard, self deprecating, silly and not taking themselves seriously throughout the coast to coast walk from the Irish to the North Sea across beautiful countryside. What better way to figure out what (and who) you want in life?
Not that it's plain sailing for 2 casualties of previous relationships who both prefer their own company to anyone else's. But David Nicholls effortlessly brings the two protagonists plus their supporting cast to life plus we have the joy of a walk without having to set foot outside our own doors or do any of the hard work.
Really enjoyed it. It made me laugh and cry (a bit). Really engaging story that I'd highly recommend to anyone who wants to spend a few hours lost in someone else's life.
Thank you very much to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance review copy.
The last David Nicholls I read was Starter for Ten and it didn't live up to the hype, which put me off reading more. However given the chance to read this ARC I thought why not? The premise sounded fun and it was everything it promised and more.
The characters of Marnie and Michael were perfect. Just the sort of people you'd love to meet in the pub. Funny but not trying too hard, self deprecating, silly and not taking themselves seriously throughout the coast to coast walk from the Irish to the North Sea across beautiful countryside. What better way to figure out what (and who) you want in life?
Not that it's plain sailing for 2 casualties of previous relationships who both prefer their own company to anyone else's. But David Nicholls effortlessly brings the two protagonists plus their supporting cast to life plus we have the joy of a walk without having to set foot outside our own doors or do any of the hard work.
Really enjoyed it. It made me laugh and cry (a bit). Really engaging story that I'd highly recommend to anyone who wants to spend a few hours lost in someone else's life.
Thank you very much to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance review copy.
June 21, 2024
5 glowing stars for the audio version. 4 solid stars for the overall story and writing. David Nicholls has a gift for writing internal dialogue and banter. Hearing the narrators deliver the banter often made me laugh out loud. I find walking and running very therapeutic, so I greatly enjoyed this aspect of the book. You Are Here is part rom-com, part personal transformation story. What I liked most was the author's use of the hike to deconstruct and then reconstruct the characters. The characters grow (as individuals and together) on the hike and overcome physical challenges, which in turn helps them overcome internal struggles. I appreciated the characters being 38 and 42, and the challenges both faced post pandemic and divorce/separation. Very well written, expertly paced, and very believable. It was a wonderful listening experience.
August 7, 2024
Simply told and quietly impactful, this story was largely reminiscent of Normal People, which I loved. You Are Here was gentle and quite lyrical in the observation of two lovely people who I found no fault in which was refreshing, as so many reads lately are full of unlikable characters. They were mature adults, both with some baggage, presenting as very humble in their weaknesses and strengths.
The observation of marriage and loss, of new beginnings and hope were equally portrayed presented against a backdrop of walking and hiking in the English countryside. I was warmed with these characters ability to adhere to harsh weather and take on the challenges to commit to the walks, meet new people and do this in a group environment despite their usual solo life.
Loneliness themes were presented realistically, the prose was quite soft, flowing to match the rhythm of the trekking.
Michael and Marnie are both excellent and interesting protagonists, and their journey both metaphorically and physically was one which I enjoyed as a realistic contemporary tale, avoiding the fluffy happy ever after so often leaned on.
I am yet to read One Day, and look forward to this now I have experienced this lovely book. Highly recommended as both a light and serious take on the human experience.
I listened to this via the Libby app and my public library.
The observation of marriage and loss, of new beginnings and hope were equally portrayed presented against a backdrop of walking and hiking in the English countryside. I was warmed with these characters ability to adhere to harsh weather and take on the challenges to commit to the walks, meet new people and do this in a group environment despite their usual solo life.
Loneliness themes were presented realistically, the prose was quite soft, flowing to match the rhythm of the trekking.
Michael and Marnie are both excellent and interesting protagonists, and their journey both metaphorically and physically was one which I enjoyed as a realistic contemporary tale, avoiding the fluffy happy ever after so often leaned on.
I am yet to read One Day, and look forward to this now I have experienced this lovely book. Highly recommended as both a light and serious take on the human experience.
I listened to this via the Libby app and my public library.
January 15, 2024
I don’t normally write reviews but this book is perfection. The characters and conversations were so believable, the setting was beautifully described without being too wordy, the ending was flawless. I laughed out loud many, many times throughout the book and just never wanted it to end. But alas, it has and now I want to go for a long walk. Bravo David Nicholls… 5 great big stars from me⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 8, 2024
Do the well known people who put rave reviews on books cover actually read them, I have often wondered? Is the hype based on the author’s name rather than the content? I certainly can not believe the reviews this book received though I have enjoyed some of his earlier works.
The lead character, Marnie, is just so annoying in virtually everything she says and does. The story is formulaic chic-lit. About half way through I decided I couldn’t bear it any more, so did not finish.
The lead character, Marnie, is just so annoying in virtually everything she says and does. The story is formulaic chic-lit. About half way through I decided I couldn’t bear it any more, so did not finish.
June 4, 2024
Looking at the glowing reviews for David Nicholls' new novel across the board, from Goodreads to broadsheet newspapers, I was expecting something pretty special. I think Nicholls is a really talented mainstream writer, able in his best work (One Day, Sweet Sorrow) to riff on the tropes of the romcom while digging a little deeper into some darker emotional territory in a way that anchors his books and give them a bit more heft than most romantic fiction.
I'm also a trail runner who lives in Yorkshire, so I was really excited to grapple with a novel that uses the landscape of the Lakes and the Dales to tell a story. Boy oh boy was I disappointed. From the moment you meet Marnie and Michael, the endgame is written in bold letters in the sky, and Nicholls fails to put any obstacles in the way of them being together - the very basic challenge of a romantic comedy. So strap in for 368 pages of lonely people on a walk before deciding - spoiler alert! - they should probably get together.
There are a myriad of problems. One is that I didn't buy for a second that a characters as gregarious, witty and self-aware as Marnie has essentially found herself friendless by her late 30s. Michael's lonely misery is more believable, but I wasn't even sure they were particularly well suited and I wasn't particularly cheering for them to get together because I wasn't even sure I could see it lasting! And more than anything I've read of his, Nicholls' characters have a habit of talking in a very similar tone, which at times makes it sound like he's created two characters that aren't much more than composites. Worse than that is the fact that NOTHING HAPPENS. Nothing. Nada. Niente. So there are no internal or external obstacles in Marnie and Michael's way. You just wade through all the walking waiting for it to happen.
I'm genuinely bemused by the reviews. Nicholls is clearly a lovely guy and the love that people have for his work is intense - and of course, we're just living in the glow of the (really excellent) Netflix One Day adaptation. But honestly, I think readers are giving this incredibly underpowered and disappointing book a very easy ride. He can do so much better.
I'm also a trail runner who lives in Yorkshire, so I was really excited to grapple with a novel that uses the landscape of the Lakes and the Dales to tell a story. Boy oh boy was I disappointed. From the moment you meet Marnie and Michael, the endgame is written in bold letters in the sky, and Nicholls fails to put any obstacles in the way of them being together - the very basic challenge of a romantic comedy. So strap in for 368 pages of lonely people on a walk before deciding - spoiler alert! - they should probably get together.
There are a myriad of problems. One is that I didn't buy for a second that a characters as gregarious, witty and self-aware as Marnie has essentially found herself friendless by her late 30s. Michael's lonely misery is more believable, but I wasn't even sure they were particularly well suited and I wasn't particularly cheering for them to get together because I wasn't even sure I could see it lasting! And more than anything I've read of his, Nicholls' characters have a habit of talking in a very similar tone, which at times makes it sound like he's created two characters that aren't much more than composites. Worse than that is the fact that NOTHING HAPPENS. Nothing. Nada. Niente. So there are no internal or external obstacles in Marnie and Michael's way. You just wade through all the walking waiting for it to happen.
I'm genuinely bemused by the reviews. Nicholls is clearly a lovely guy and the love that people have for his work is intense - and of course, we're just living in the glow of the (really excellent) Netflix One Day adaptation. But honestly, I think readers are giving this incredibly underpowered and disappointing book a very easy ride. He can do so much better.
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November 9, 2024not me finding out david nicholls is releasing a new book next year the day that i rewatch my olddddd time forever fav one day—a movie and book that i will forever defend
August 21, 2024
You Are Here strikes me as a distinctly British novel (in a good way). At a basic level, the book is about people going on a hike. But at a micro level, it's about relationships, and mostly, compatibility.
The relationship between the two MCs is very raw, even during the best of times; they are often two very dissimilar and peculiar people. However, they are both complex, stubborn, and lost in life. The reader follows the two MCs as they discover themselves and each other.
Despite the occasional sanitation issues that come with the days-on-end hiking and nature aspect of the book, such as the FMC's boot smell (described in vivid detail and yuck), I enjoyed this one.
The relationship between the two MCs is very raw, even during the best of times; they are often two very dissimilar and peculiar people. However, they are both complex, stubborn, and lost in life. The reader follows the two MCs as they discover themselves and each other.
Despite the occasional sanitation issues that come with the days-on-end hiking and nature aspect of the book, such as the FMC's boot smell (described in vivid detail and yuck), I enjoyed this one.
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August 6, 2024I absolutely loved this book. There are five pages of quotes from reviews and other writers at the beginning of the novel, and I agree with every one of them. I could not put the book down. It's a delight to read: both funny and intelligent. And it's intelligently written. There is much food for thought in these pages. There is also hilarious commentary and equally hilarious description of the famous hike from St. Bees to Robin Hood's Bay in England. One of my neighbors did that hike a few years ago, and her description of it pretty much aligns with what the author has to say. The book is about life, loneliness, coping with loss, and dawning love. I don't want to say another word about it aside from what it takes to urge you read it. You won't regret that for a second.
October 20, 2024
I'm generally wary of books by popular authors, the ones that "everyone loves". Despite raving reviews from trusted reading soulmates, I probably would have passed on this one, or put it off indefinitely. But at the library to pick up a hold, what should be right there on the shelf but this novel, staring me in the face. I added it to my checkouts, thinking I would surely lose interest in the first few chapters.
But those first few chapters had this:
"There is who we want to be, she thought, and there is who we are. As we get older, the former gives way to the latter, and maybe this is who I am now, someone better off by themselves. Not happier, but better off. Not an introvert, just an extrovert who had lost the knack." --Marnie
"This was the crux of it. For Cleo, the solution to a problem lay in the presence of other people, while Michael depended on their absence, and while the kindness of a friend was a precious and touching thing, it could also feel like an imposition." --Michael
Friend Cleo puts together a walking tour with a group, and by the second day, everyone was backing out. Only Michael and Marnie remained. Michael planned to finish the 9 day, coast to coast, 190 mile walk across England, Marnie just for 3 days because that was what she paid for. That's the gist of it. The budding friendship between she and Michael had her adding days one at a time, as they shared stories and experiences.
I grew to love these two characters. Marnie wise-cracked and joked to hide the pain and rage she felt over her divorce and the ex-husband who was all wrong from the beginning. Michael was sad and vulnerable over an 18 month separation from his wife, and his inability to move on. He had wanted 4 things from life: to be a good son, a good teacher, a good husband and a good father. He was a very good teacher, but had bombed out on the other 3.
I even loved Cleo, meddling, social butterfly Cleo, who would have driven me crazy.
What I loved most about this book was the satisfied feeling I got from the end. A lot of things were not resolved, just like in life, but I was hopeful. I felt good. Oh, and my new favorite existential question..... Is this person someone I would want to see on my deathbed? Someone to help usher me out? That tends to weed out a lot of relationships.
But those first few chapters had this:
"There is who we want to be, she thought, and there is who we are. As we get older, the former gives way to the latter, and maybe this is who I am now, someone better off by themselves. Not happier, but better off. Not an introvert, just an extrovert who had lost the knack." --Marnie
"This was the crux of it. For Cleo, the solution to a problem lay in the presence of other people, while Michael depended on their absence, and while the kindness of a friend was a precious and touching thing, it could also feel like an imposition." --Michael
Friend Cleo puts together a walking tour with a group, and by the second day, everyone was backing out. Only Michael and Marnie remained. Michael planned to finish the 9 day, coast to coast, 190 mile walk across England, Marnie just for 3 days because that was what she paid for. That's the gist of it. The budding friendship between she and Michael had her adding days one at a time, as they shared stories and experiences.
I grew to love these two characters. Marnie wise-cracked and joked to hide the pain and rage she felt over her divorce and the ex-husband who was all wrong from the beginning. Michael was sad and vulnerable over an 18 month separation from his wife, and his inability to move on. He had wanted 4 things from life: to be a good son, a good teacher, a good husband and a good father. He was a very good teacher, but had bombed out on the other 3.
I even loved Cleo, meddling, social butterfly Cleo, who would have driven me crazy.
What I loved most about this book was the satisfied feeling I got from the end. A lot of things were not resolved, just like in life, but I was hopeful. I felt good. Oh, and my new favorite existential question..... Is this person someone I would want to see on my deathbed? Someone to help usher me out? That tends to weed out a lot of relationships.
April 9, 2024
As a direct result of watching ‘One Day’ on Netflix and friends recommendations after loving it I decided to read the authors new book
WHY HAVE I NOT READ THIS AUTHOR BEFORE! was my first thought a few pages in
It was like eating crumpets with butter ( not margarine ) on, devine and sublime and everything Inbetween, you don’t want the experience to end!
Gorgeous writing and use of words and language, scenic description’s conjuring up the best of the English countryside, realistic romance and at times real giggles of laughter at some of the ‘happenings’
Truly adored the 2 main characters and felt sadness when the book ended as wanted to carry on knowing them and being part of their story
Magical storytelling,just wonderful in every way and hoping this too will be on our screens in the future
WHY HAVE I NOT READ THIS AUTHOR BEFORE! was my first thought a few pages in
It was like eating crumpets with butter ( not margarine ) on, devine and sublime and everything Inbetween, you don’t want the experience to end!
Gorgeous writing and use of words and language, scenic description’s conjuring up the best of the English countryside, realistic romance and at times real giggles of laughter at some of the ‘happenings’
Truly adored the 2 main characters and felt sadness when the book ended as wanted to carry on knowing them and being part of their story
Magical storytelling,just wonderful in every way and hoping this too will be on our screens in the future
Read
June 20, 2024Another one bites the dust!! I thought I would love this one because me and hiking but nope!!
Another waste of money on a hardback. I’ll trade this in and maybe someone else can love it. At least I made some cask back on 3 others I just read and didn’t like either 🙄
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
DNF/skim finish
Another waste of money on a hardback. I’ll trade this in and maybe someone else can love it. At least I made some cask back on 3 others I just read and didn’t like either 🙄
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
DNF/skim finish
November 11, 2024
David Nicholls' latest book is a postpandemic story with wonderful, witty dialogue about two lonely people. Geography teacher, Michael, had been planning a solo walking trip across northern England when his fellow teacher, Cleo, turned it into a group event. Michael was dealing with a separation from his wife and recovering from an assault from a bunch of thugs, and Cleo thought he could use some company. She invited several people including Marnie, a divorced copy editor who worked from home.
Most of the friends stayed on the walk for a couple days, but Michael and Marnie continued on the coast to coast walk. While Michael is a nature lover from York, Marnie is used to city life in London. But Marnie is a trooper, and gets into the rhythm of the walk. The time together gives them the opportunity to open up about their lives, their disappointments, and their dreams. They enjoy their conversations, appreciate each other's humorous banter, experience a growing attraction, and understand the marital strife that each has been through. The descriptions of the scenery, the quirky pubs and B&Bs along the way, and the rainy weather make the walk very realistic.
The engaging characters and outstanding dialogue made this a great read. Author David Nicholls is also a screenwriter, and it would not be surprising if his book was adapted into a film. 4+ stars.
Most of the friends stayed on the walk for a couple days, but Michael and Marnie continued on the coast to coast walk. While Michael is a nature lover from York, Marnie is used to city life in London. But Marnie is a trooper, and gets into the rhythm of the walk. The time together gives them the opportunity to open up about their lives, their disappointments, and their dreams. They enjoy their conversations, appreciate each other's humorous banter, experience a growing attraction, and understand the marital strife that each has been through. The descriptions of the scenery, the quirky pubs and B&Bs along the way, and the rainy weather make the walk very realistic.
The engaging characters and outstanding dialogue made this a great read. Author David Nicholls is also a screenwriter, and it would not be surprising if his book was adapted into a film. 4+ stars.
April 22, 2024
This is my first Nicholls. I've grown wary of books involving romance. I find that I keep looking for the new, the depth, the real in a genre that is not dominated by that but by snark, feel good bites etcetera.
I had hopes because this was put forward as with 'excellent' banter and a good base. I agree the base, the premise, was indeed good. I'll bow out on a judgement of excellent for the banter though. I cringed for Marnie, poor woman on whom such cringeworthy dialogue was forced. It's a pity that we got her fears and her whines but her gathering up her balls and running with them was off page.
I did like their story though and the underlying pathos and realities, just not fully on board with the conveyance.
An ARC gently provided by author/publisher via Netgalley.
I had hopes because this was put forward as with 'excellent' banter and a good base. I agree the base, the premise, was indeed good. I'll bow out on a judgement of excellent for the banter though. I cringed for Marnie, poor woman on whom such cringeworthy dialogue was forced. It's a pity that we got her fears and her whines but her gathering up her balls and running with them was off page.
I did like their story though and the underlying pathos and realities, just not fully on board with the conveyance.
An ARC gently provided by author/publisher via Netgalley.
August 18, 2024
“Three days of walking with strangers. It was the kind of potentially awful experience she needed and in her mind, she decided to give it some thought. In the real world, out slipped ‘yes’.”
Oh my goodness - what a magical, heartwarming story. Is there anybody better than David Nicholls at this kind of thing? He imagines his characters with such clarity and compassion that you come to know them intimately - a skill that was mastered in the likes of One Day and Sweet Sorrow, repeated to tremendous effect here. I was sad to say goodbye to these two.
The pair in question are Marnie and Michael. Marnie is 38, a divorced copy editor living alone in South London. Her friends have all married and moved out of the city, and working from home has caused her to become even more isolated. She invents excuses to avoid invitations, spending her evenings skulking about on social media instead. Essentially, she's stuck in a rut. Michael, meanwhile, is a 42-year-old geography teacher in a York school, separated from his wife. He's also recovering from some kind of unspecified trauma and walks for miles across the English countryside to distract from thinking about his problems. Their mutual friend Cleo has a bright idea. She arranges a hiking holiday for everyone, and sets up a match for the two of them - Tess, a triathlete, for Michael, and Conrad, a good-looking pharmacist, for Marnie. But Tess doesn't show up and everybody hates the walking except for Michael, who's in his element. Over the course of a few days there will be stunning scenery, terrible weather, drunken shenanigans, belly-laughs and maybe the beginning of a special relationship...
The story is told in alternate chapters by Marnie and Michael. Marnie, despite her hermetic lifestyle, is hilarious and all of the witty conversations in the book come from her sparkling humour, teasing Michael about his encyclopaedic knowledge of various stones and hills. She's initially attracted to Conrad but can't deny how much she enjoys chatting to Michael. He fancies Marnie from the first time he spots her on the train, but his brain is too muddled right now to do anything about it. It would be easier for them both to go their separate ways and stay in their comfort zone. But they both have a tiny spark of hope and sense that there might just be something happening here.
What I admired most about the book is how it tackles the subject of loneliness. These are two people who have reached middle age and basically given up on life, downtrodden from failed relationships and other kinds of agony. It broke my heart to see how they have settled for less and accepted the fact that happiness is out of reach. That type of loneliness feeds on itself and they both end up shutting themselves off from the world. It's only through kind-hearted, persistent friends like Cleo, who keep in touch and convince them that contentment is not a lost cause, that they can escape their isolation.
I don't give out five stars very often but I honestly couldn't find a fault with You Are Here. It made me laugh, it moved me, and as I got near the end, I turned the pages frantically to see if my new favourite people would find the happiness they so richly deserved. It's the kind of book you want to press into the hands of your friends and say: read this, it will make your life better.
Favourite Quotes:
“Sometimes, she thought, it’s easier to remain lonely than present the lonely person to the world, but she knew that this too was a trap, that unless she did something, the state might become permanent, like a stain soaking into wood. It was no good. She would have to go outside.”
“The risks involved in romantic love, the potential for hurt and betrayal and indignity, far outweighed the consolations.”
“What a thrill it had been to kiss again, to want and be wanted.”
“With the exception of the woman sleeping a few feet away, he’d not felt anything for anyone in years, had presumed all that was behind him. With the exception. She was exceptional, and there was no doubt that he was happier with Marnie around and to be happier in someone’s presence rather than alone felt like a breakthrough.”
“The question she needed to ask; is this someone I’d turn to in a crisis, someone whose memory or image I might summon up when they’re not around? Someone I need? If they came to visit me on my deathbed, would I be pleased, or would I think what are you doing here? It was a ghoulish criterion to apply on a casual date but this perfectly nice man didn’t qualify, any more than she’d pass the death-bed test for him. One or two more people, that’s all she really needed, one or two that she could love.”
September 27, 2024
An utter delight, from start to finish. This is now the 5th of Nicholls' six books for me to have read and is by far his most accomplished and best. In the past, I've grumbled that although I've enjoyed his writing, Nicholls' characters were often rather disagreeable people, whom it was hard to actually like - but no such problem here. Both Marnie and Michael, although flawed and a bit wry and acerbic, were terrific company over 345 pages that flew by way too quickly.
And I almost NEVER actually LOL while reading (I think the last time I did so was five or so years ago with The Heart's Invisible Furies), but this is really, REALLY quite funny - as well as heartwarming and heartbreaking.
I have a penchant for 'casting' the movie versions of books in my head as I read - I can't really think of any current actors of the right age to play the leads - but 20 years ago Emma Thompson and Michael Sheen, or perhaps Tom Hollander (who starred in the adaptation of Nicholl's Us), would have been my choices - with Jude Law a shoo-in for Conrad!.
Am fairly confident this will make my list for one of the best books of 2024.
And I almost NEVER actually LOL while reading (I think the last time I did so was five or so years ago with The Heart's Invisible Furies), but this is really, REALLY quite funny - as well as heartwarming and heartbreaking.
I have a penchant for 'casting' the movie versions of books in my head as I read - I can't really think of any current actors of the right age to play the leads - but 20 years ago Emma Thompson and Michael Sheen, or perhaps Tom Hollander (who starred in the adaptation of Nicholl's Us), would have been my choices - with Jude Law a shoo-in for Conrad!.
Am fairly confident this will make my list for one of the best books of 2024.
August 11, 2024
You Are Here is the sixth novel by award-winning, best-selling British author, David Nicholls. The audio version is narrated by Lydia Leonard and Lee Ingleby. Working from home in isolation during the pandemic suited copy editor Marnie Walsh, and even though the lockdowns have ended, she hasn’t really change how she works. Childless and over a decade divorced, “Was it any wonder she’d withdrawn, when so many of her friends behaved with the showy self-satisfaction of a wealthy family who’ve invited the poor cousin for Christmas?”
“She had become addicted to the buzz of the cancelled plan… it was like being let off an exam that she expected to fail” although she has a very persistent friend who doesn’t let her get away with that too often. Cleo Fraser regularly tells her that she’s on her own far too much.
Michael Bradshaw isn’t coping well with his wife’s departure. He’s forty-two, a geography teacher who loves his job, but the house he once shared with Natasha feels haunted. So he gets out as much as possible: “At home he was merely lonely. Stepping outside transformed loneliness into solitude, a far more dignified state because it was his choice.” Deputy head and dear friend, Cleo Fraser repeatedly says he’s on his own far too much.
His plan for thinking through and walking off his melancholy by doing a coast-to-coast walk is somewhat derailed when Cleo insists that she, her son and a few friends will come along, at least for the first few days. Marnie can’t quite believe she agreed to go along, but duly outfits herself for a few days’ walking. There’s a gorgeous man along, as well as a rather quirky, somewhat stand-offish fellow.
Was Cleo matchmaking? Had she intended for Marnie to connect with gorgeous man, for Michael to relate to the absent, outdoorsy Tessa? Circumstances somehow dictate that Marnie ends up walking with Michael when all the others drop out. They chat on a myriad of subjects, and somehow, they start sharing bits about themselves, with “each story inconsequential in itself but adding detail, as if increasing the resolution of a photograph.”
Nicholls tells the story through alternating narratives; maps illustrate the location of events and evocative descriptive prose provides the setting; the dialogue witty and clever; the inner monologues are at times funny and poignant.
Nicholls often manages to have the reader laughing and tearing up in the same paragraph: it is particularly entertaining when Marnie and Michael are sparking off each other, but the heartbreak of childlessness, and how the well-meaning attitudes of others sometimes make it easier to be alone, resonates with both, and Marnie shares one regret that can’t fail to bring a lump to the throat.
His characters are multi-dimensional, appealing for all their very human flaws. He gives them wise words and insightful observations: Marnie notes “The stories we tell about ourselves are never neutral: they’re shaped and structured to create an impression…” and it is gratifying to see Michael eventually reach the stage where “to be happier in someone’s presence rather than alone felt like a breakthrough.”
On copy-editing, Marnie feels that “while it was not in her power to turn a bad book into something good, she could smooth over the potholes that might jolt the reader on their journey” and many will agree that a lack of quote marks for speech that she mentions is one of those potholes. Luckily for us, Nicholls is kinder to the reader, eschewing that gimmick. Funny, moving and hopeful, this is yet another Nicholls masterpiece.
“She had become addicted to the buzz of the cancelled plan… it was like being let off an exam that she expected to fail” although she has a very persistent friend who doesn’t let her get away with that too often. Cleo Fraser regularly tells her that she’s on her own far too much.
Michael Bradshaw isn’t coping well with his wife’s departure. He’s forty-two, a geography teacher who loves his job, but the house he once shared with Natasha feels haunted. So he gets out as much as possible: “At home he was merely lonely. Stepping outside transformed loneliness into solitude, a far more dignified state because it was his choice.” Deputy head and dear friend, Cleo Fraser repeatedly says he’s on his own far too much.
His plan for thinking through and walking off his melancholy by doing a coast-to-coast walk is somewhat derailed when Cleo insists that she, her son and a few friends will come along, at least for the first few days. Marnie can’t quite believe she agreed to go along, but duly outfits herself for a few days’ walking. There’s a gorgeous man along, as well as a rather quirky, somewhat stand-offish fellow.
Was Cleo matchmaking? Had she intended for Marnie to connect with gorgeous man, for Michael to relate to the absent, outdoorsy Tessa? Circumstances somehow dictate that Marnie ends up walking with Michael when all the others drop out. They chat on a myriad of subjects, and somehow, they start sharing bits about themselves, with “each story inconsequential in itself but adding detail, as if increasing the resolution of a photograph.”
Nicholls tells the story through alternating narratives; maps illustrate the location of events and evocative descriptive prose provides the setting; the dialogue witty and clever; the inner monologues are at times funny and poignant.
Nicholls often manages to have the reader laughing and tearing up in the same paragraph: it is particularly entertaining when Marnie and Michael are sparking off each other, but the heartbreak of childlessness, and how the well-meaning attitudes of others sometimes make it easier to be alone, resonates with both, and Marnie shares one regret that can’t fail to bring a lump to the throat.
His characters are multi-dimensional, appealing for all their very human flaws. He gives them wise words and insightful observations: Marnie notes “The stories we tell about ourselves are never neutral: they’re shaped and structured to create an impression…” and it is gratifying to see Michael eventually reach the stage where “to be happier in someone’s presence rather than alone felt like a breakthrough.”
On copy-editing, Marnie feels that “while it was not in her power to turn a bad book into something good, she could smooth over the potholes that might jolt the reader on their journey” and many will agree that a lack of quote marks for speech that she mentions is one of those potholes. Luckily for us, Nicholls is kinder to the reader, eschewing that gimmick. Funny, moving and hopeful, this is yet another Nicholls masterpiece.
April 23, 2024
When Marnie and Michael are thrown together by a mutual friend, it's certainly not love at first sight and, anyway, Cleo already has, in her matchmaking mind, Tessa for Michael, and Conrad for Marnie. Over the course of a few days, however, Marnie and Michael find themselves walking alone together - can love possibly take hold over a 190 mile walk from the west to east coast of England?
I really, really loved this book, despite being a little mad with Michael at one point (no spoilers!). Marnie is hilariously funny, and Michael can be witty when he wants to be, although, being a geography teacher, he does like to explain the landscape maybe a little too fully! I mean, why use one word when you can use fifty?! There's clearly chemistry between them from the off, but neither of them initially recognises it.
I'm so pleased this book has two older protagonists, and that they are both reeling from the effects of "failed" (their words) marriages. Life is never without its trials and getting into a relationship when you're older can be hard. Marnie sees the (sometimes) benefits of only having herself to please and that allowing another man into her life could disrupt that. Michael is not quite sure where he stands with his ex given that she's been a little vague about "seeing someone".
David Nicholls tells a complicated love story well, with all the laughter, the tears, and the tantrums. Oh and the "are we or aren't we?".
As a very active and outdoorsy person, I also loved the descriptions of the coast to coast walk, and it's already inspired me to look into doing the walk next year, so watch this space!
You Are Here is a highly recommended from me - a book that will make you laugh and cry, and maybe (like me at one point) want to throw it out the window, and then go and retrieve it so you can complete the journey! Love never did run smooth.
I really, really loved this book, despite being a little mad with Michael at one point (no spoilers!). Marnie is hilariously funny, and Michael can be witty when he wants to be, although, being a geography teacher, he does like to explain the landscape maybe a little too fully! I mean, why use one word when you can use fifty?! There's clearly chemistry between them from the off, but neither of them initially recognises it.
I'm so pleased this book has two older protagonists, and that they are both reeling from the effects of "failed" (their words) marriages. Life is never without its trials and getting into a relationship when you're older can be hard. Marnie sees the (sometimes) benefits of only having herself to please and that allowing another man into her life could disrupt that. Michael is not quite sure where he stands with his ex given that she's been a little vague about "seeing someone".
David Nicholls tells a complicated love story well, with all the laughter, the tears, and the tantrums. Oh and the "are we or aren't we?".
As a very active and outdoorsy person, I also loved the descriptions of the coast to coast walk, and it's already inspired me to look into doing the walk next year, so watch this space!
You Are Here is a highly recommended from me - a book that will make you laugh and cry, and maybe (like me at one point) want to throw it out the window, and then go and retrieve it so you can complete the journey! Love never did run smooth.
April 29, 2024
David Nicholls is a genius at writing relationships. In this novel we walk alongside Marnie and Michael as they cross the Lake District and gradually fall in love. It’s funny, gentle, moving and so real that you feel you’re right there with them. Gorgeous.
October 7, 2024
“Too late for the Early-bird Special,” said Michael.
“Too young to die.”
Gotta love a writer who can slip some Jethro Tull lyrics in his casual dialogues.
And that is before taking into consideration the walking part of the novel. I love my long walks in nature after a week spent in front of a computer screen and I was more than a little jealous of the journey from coast to coast in the north of England Nicholls describes so vividly in his latest romance . Not surprisingly, I found out afterwards that the author walked the route himself for documentation and for pleasure.
‘I think it’s weird. Where are you actually going?’
‘In a circle usually. I park the car. I walk away from the car. When I’m far enough away, I walk back to the car.’
So, let’s grab a bag of M & M’s and find out where we are going with this ...
Marnie and Michael are both middle-aged and lonely, trying to cope with failed marriages and with the havoc caused by lockdowns and by the passing of time. Professionally, both M and M have good, interesting jobs that somehow fit with their own passions: reading for Marnie, who is a self-employed copy-editor and proof-reader in London; nature and history for Michael who is a geography teacher in York. But both are lonely and wary of getting back into the dating game, preferring solitary pursuits and modest, achievable daily routines.
Year by year, friends were lost to marriage and parenthood with partners she didn’t care for or who didn’t care for her, retreating to new, spacious, ordered lives in Hastings or Stevenage, Cardiff or York, while she fought on in London. Others were lost to apathy or carelessness, friendship like a thank-you letter she kept meaning to write until too much time had passed and it became an embarrassment. And perhaps it was natural, this falling away. Real life was rarely a driftwood fire or a drunken game of Twister, and it was part of growing up to let go of those fantasies of perpetual skinny-dipping and deep talks.
This early passage hits a little too close to home for my comfort, but on the other hand it confirms my high regard for Nicholls induced by a couple of his earlier novels. I knew my journey was off to a good start, even with the classic set-up from rom-coms of the accidental meeting between two strangers who take an instant dislike to each other. Because it so happens that M and M have a common friend, Cleo, who likes to play match-maker and to set blind dates. When Michael mentions his plan to walk from the Irish Sea, across the Lake District and all the way over into Yorkshire in one week, Cleo invites Marnie and another two couples on the trip.
Bad weather and miscommunication doom the expedition from the start, both Marnie and Michael soon regretting their decision to go out of their way to be sociable and ‘fun’ . I know from personal experience nature demands respect if it is to be enjoyed. Long hikes need careful preparation, adequate equipment [clothing, footwear, backpack, etc] and a minimum of physical fitness. A group with unknown members will always generate friction, but then every rom-com ever written needs some sort of conflict for the heroes to overcome.
Nicholls makes the trip fun and even educative with his trademark flair for natural flowing dialogue and for understated, gentle humour. A long day of walking, even in inclement weather, can also create bonds and break some of the ice between strangers, conversationally. It’s a gradual thing, two steps forward and one back, tentative and easily spooked by a wrong comment or a wrong look. For me, this slow lowering of the drawbridge to the castle walls that we raise to protect ourselves from disillusionment was the best part of the novel. This, and the way Nicholls has of describing a relationship:
You know that thing when you’re watching a film that you’re not really enjoying and the other person doesn’t like it either, but you’ve paid for the rental, you’re halfway through, you sort of want to know what happens and, besides, there’s nothing else on. But really you’re just waiting for someone to say, “Can we stop this? I hate it.” And neither of us did. Some people sit like that for their whole lives together.
I’m not going to tell here what the destination implied in the title is, how M & M got Here is the actual story.
I like to think Here means outside, in the real world with other people and taking chances, enjoying the scenery as opposed to locked behind castle walls and taking small comforts in solitary pursuits. It a hard walk, often a slog in cold rain and strong winds, but look at the view from the top of the hill!
I also hope the novel will be turned into a movie soon. Hollywood needs original scripts with intelligent dialogue and ordinary people doing ordinary things to balance out the endless slasher or revenge flicks and CGI extravaganzas.
“Too young to die.”
Gotta love a writer who can slip some Jethro Tull lyrics in his casual dialogues.
And that is before taking into consideration the walking part of the novel. I love my long walks in nature after a week spent in front of a computer screen and I was more than a little jealous of the journey from coast to coast in the north of England Nicholls describes so vividly in his latest romance . Not surprisingly, I found out afterwards that the author walked the route himself for documentation and for pleasure.
‘I think it’s weird. Where are you actually going?’
‘In a circle usually. I park the car. I walk away from the car. When I’m far enough away, I walk back to the car.’
So, let’s grab a bag of M & M’s and find out where we are going with this ...
Marnie and Michael are both middle-aged and lonely, trying to cope with failed marriages and with the havoc caused by lockdowns and by the passing of time. Professionally, both M and M have good, interesting jobs that somehow fit with their own passions: reading for Marnie, who is a self-employed copy-editor and proof-reader in London; nature and history for Michael who is a geography teacher in York. But both are lonely and wary of getting back into the dating game, preferring solitary pursuits and modest, achievable daily routines.
Year by year, friends were lost to marriage and parenthood with partners she didn’t care for or who didn’t care for her, retreating to new, spacious, ordered lives in Hastings or Stevenage, Cardiff or York, while she fought on in London. Others were lost to apathy or carelessness, friendship like a thank-you letter she kept meaning to write until too much time had passed and it became an embarrassment. And perhaps it was natural, this falling away. Real life was rarely a driftwood fire or a drunken game of Twister, and it was part of growing up to let go of those fantasies of perpetual skinny-dipping and deep talks.
This early passage hits a little too close to home for my comfort, but on the other hand it confirms my high regard for Nicholls induced by a couple of his earlier novels. I knew my journey was off to a good start, even with the classic set-up from rom-coms of the accidental meeting between two strangers who take an instant dislike to each other. Because it so happens that M and M have a common friend, Cleo, who likes to play match-maker and to set blind dates. When Michael mentions his plan to walk from the Irish Sea, across the Lake District and all the way over into Yorkshire in one week, Cleo invites Marnie and another two couples on the trip.
Bad weather and miscommunication doom the expedition from the start, both Marnie and Michael soon regretting their decision to go out of their way to be sociable and ‘fun’ . I know from personal experience nature demands respect if it is to be enjoyed. Long hikes need careful preparation, adequate equipment [clothing, footwear, backpack, etc] and a minimum of physical fitness. A group with unknown members will always generate friction, but then every rom-com ever written needs some sort of conflict for the heroes to overcome.
Nicholls makes the trip fun and even educative with his trademark flair for natural flowing dialogue and for understated, gentle humour. A long day of walking, even in inclement weather, can also create bonds and break some of the ice between strangers, conversationally. It’s a gradual thing, two steps forward and one back, tentative and easily spooked by a wrong comment or a wrong look. For me, this slow lowering of the drawbridge to the castle walls that we raise to protect ourselves from disillusionment was the best part of the novel. This, and the way Nicholls has of describing a relationship:
You know that thing when you’re watching a film that you’re not really enjoying and the other person doesn’t like it either, but you’ve paid for the rental, you’re halfway through, you sort of want to know what happens and, besides, there’s nothing else on. But really you’re just waiting for someone to say, “Can we stop this? I hate it.” And neither of us did. Some people sit like that for their whole lives together.
I’m not going to tell here what the destination implied in the title is, how M & M got Here is the actual story.
I like to think Here means outside, in the real world with other people and taking chances, enjoying the scenery as opposed to locked behind castle walls and taking small comforts in solitary pursuits. It a hard walk, often a slog in cold rain and strong winds, but look at the view from the top of the hill!
I also hope the novel will be turned into a movie soon. Hollywood needs original scripts with intelligent dialogue and ordinary people doing ordinary things to balance out the endless slasher or revenge flicks and CGI extravaganzas.
September 17, 2024
Another dud! I think this line of relationship probably happens a lot in real life, but I found it frustrating that the characters seem to accept whatever is in front of them. They aren’t very likable, and they seem only to want to try for what’s within in easy reach. They are innately lazy in terms of risk taking and only take small steps when nudged or cajoled. I especially dislike the two main characters, especially Michael, because he seemed to try to have his cake and eat it too, and ultimately, he gets his way. I suppose these characters all sort of deserve each other. Ugh!
April 17, 2024
When I picked up David Nicholls' iconic One Day in 2009 (yes bought the hardback, I am so ahead of the game), I was exactly the same age as Emma is at the start of the novel. Now I'm just a year younger than Marnie, the late-thirties female protagonist of Nicholls' latest, You Are Here. Marnie meets Michael, a geography teacher, as they embark on a long group holiday, aiming to walk across the country from the Lakes to the Pennines to the Dales to the Moors. Marnie is not a fan of the outdoors; Michael is full of interesting facts about the landscape. A typical Nicholls romance ensues, heavy on the banter, defensiveness and the slow reveal of vulnerability. My favourite Nicholls novel is not One Day but Us - I adored its dark comedy, its petty tragedy - so I suspect I'll be in the minority here when I say that I was sorry to see Nicholls returning to familiar territory. I was also deeply, deeply frustrated by Marnie, her unfunny quips (seriously, she reminded me of Ian from One Day at times, except that I like Ian more), her self-centredness, her narrow-mindedness, the way she's limited herself for no good reason. Because I really warmed to Michael, this made my reading experience weirdly jarring; I very much enjoyed Michael's sections, and even started to like Marnie more when we see her through his eyes, but then remembered every time we return to her point-of-view that she's incredibly annoying. Both protagonists also feel dated. Part of the bite of One Day, as showcased in the superb recent Netflix series, is Nicholls' attention to the precise detail of being 22 in 1988, or 37 in 2003. But these characters are not his generation, but mine, and I kept on thinking the book was set at least ten years ago; they just don't feel like millennials to me, although it's hard to put my finger on why. Any one detail - the books Marnie checks out of the library as a child, for example - can be explained away, so I imagine it's the subtle accumulation of these kind of things that's throwing me off. Anyway. One Day fans will love this, but for me, this ranks below both Us and Sweet Sorrow. 3.5 stars.
I received a free proof copy of this novel from the publisher for review.
I received a free proof copy of this novel from the publisher for review.
June 20, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ Grappig, vertederend en heel (noord) Engels.
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