What do you think?
Rate this book
Je bent hier
Soms moet je verdwalen om jezelf weer terug te vinden.
Marnie is vastgelopen: ze is eenzaam, woont in een klein appartement van waaruit ze ook werkt, en het voelt alsof het leven aan haar voorbijgaat. Michaels leven werd op zijn kop gezet toen zijn vrouw hem verliet. Hij trekt zich steeds meer terug en zoekt zijn toevlucht in lange wandelingen door het Engelse landschap. Wanneer een vasthoudende gezamenlijke vriendin hen samenbrengt, en het zeer Engelse weer de plannen nog wat spannender maakt, worden de twee gedwongen elkaar beter te leren kennen op een van de mooiste wandeltochten door Engeland – van de westkust naar de oostkust. Er ontstaat een voorzichtige vriendschap, maar die komt al snel onder druk te staan door de uitdagingen van de reis.
Marnie is vastgelopen: ze is eenzaam, woont in een klein appartement van waaruit ze ook werkt, en het voelt alsof het leven aan haar voorbijgaat. Michaels leven werd op zijn kop gezet toen zijn vrouw hem verliet. Hij trekt zich steeds meer terug en zoekt zijn toevlucht in lange wandelingen door het Engelse landschap. Wanneer een vasthoudende gezamenlijke vriendin hen samenbrengt, en het zeer Engelse weer de plannen nog wat spannender maakt, worden de twee gedwongen elkaar beter te leren kennen op een van de mooiste wandeltochten door Engeland – van de westkust naar de oostkust. Er ontstaat een voorzichtige vriendschap, maar die komt al snel onder druk te staan door de uitdagingen van de reis.
334 pages, Paperback
First published April 23, 2024
10038 people are currently reading
94159 people want to read
About the author
David Nicholls
34 books5,653 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 10,467 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.
November 15, 2024
I have been known to be disoriented when I’m navigating somewhere unknown. It could be in a mall, at a subway station, on a hike. Then I see a map with that red dot 🔴 and I breathe a sigh of relief. My world is readjusted with that powerful marker.
Two adults - Marnie and Michael- have been separated from their spouses for some time now. With the onset of Covid, they both withdrew and became introverts more than they were, until a mutual friend decides to organize a 3 day walk. And they meet. Then a few drop out…until there are two.
Two people navigating through life not knowing where they are going. But as the conversation stutters and starts then progresses with bumps along the way, they are right where they should be.
This isn’t a sappy romance. It’s witty, clever, fun with lots of sarcasm and humour threaded in and these characters are truly authentic.
How have I never read Nicholls before??
5⭐️
Two adults - Marnie and Michael- have been separated from their spouses for some time now. With the onset of Covid, they both withdrew and became introverts more than they were, until a mutual friend decides to organize a 3 day walk. And they meet. Then a few drop out…until there are two.
Two people navigating through life not knowing where they are going. But as the conversation stutters and starts then progresses with bumps along the way, they are right where they should be.
This isn’t a sappy romance. It’s witty, clever, fun with lots of sarcasm and humour threaded in and these characters are truly authentic.
How have I never read Nicholls before??
5⭐️
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.
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 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.
February 17, 2025
Some books bloom authenticity 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). The book sets the mood for sitting by a fire with a coffee on a cozy night and reading all evening.
Told in alternating POV between Micheal and Marnie, we fall in love with two witty, lonely, broken, fundamentally loving characters. It perfectly balances 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.
The story conjured a sense of stunning beauty and perfect comfort. David Nicholls's poetic descriptions of the vast English 'Wuthering, Moor' countryside enchants the reader. 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 written. There was genuine honesty in their journey, relatable and authentic. It was invigorating to read a story about two characters written in an attainable way. Each reveals themselves as we intertwine their lives, peeling their insecurities with tenderness.
I may add so many more amazing quotes 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
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). The book sets the mood for sitting by a fire with a coffee on a cozy night and reading all evening.
Told in alternating POV between Micheal and Marnie, we fall in love with two witty, lonely, broken, fundamentally loving characters. It perfectly balances 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
The story conjured a sense of stunning beauty and perfect comfort. David Nicholls's poetic descriptions of the vast English 'Wuthering, Moor' countryside enchants the reader. 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 written. There was genuine honesty in their journey, relatable and authentic. It was invigorating to read a story about two characters written in an attainable way. Each reveals themselves as we intertwine their lives, peeling their insecurities with tenderness.
I may add so many more amazing quotes 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
December 18, 2024
“There is who we want to be 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, divorced, and Michael, estranged from his wife, are middle-aged, lonely, and thrown together on a walking holiday. There are a few others along for the hike, but they quickly drop off leaving Marnie and Michael alone. Some entertaining and thoughtful banter ensues between the two. There are reflections on relationships and the ideas and expectations surrounding having children versus not having them.
“No one wants to be defined by the thing you don’t have, whether it’s a kid or a partner, and people are obsessed, especially people in a relationship.”
It’s an old, worn-out question, but I can’t help but ask why people need to get their noses in the business and choices of others? Perhaps it’s preferable to a long, hard look at oneself. Don’t we have bigger issues on the table to deal with these days? Sigh. I guess we’re all experts at something these days. Or judges. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about a quote from one of my favorite books, Fair and Tender Ladies: "I have made my bed and I wish everybody would let me lie in it."
I enjoyed this, my first David Nicholls novel. I’d love to find a sturdy, reliable pair of walking shoes and hit the trails. In fact, doing something like this is on my bucket list. I haven’t formulated exactly where or when, but it’s on the horizon. I like what Michael has to offer the reader about solitude and the outdoors. I’d have to agree. Still, it would be nice to make such a walk with a like-minded individual. I don’t want to be too much inside my own head, after all.
“At home he was merely lonely. Stepping outside transformed loneliness to solitude, a far more dignified state because it was his choice.”
I’m going to look at what else Nicholls has to offer. This was not so light and fluffy that I didn’t have to think at all, but it also didn’t require deep concentration – something I seem to be lacking these days. I’d recommend it!
Marnie, divorced, and Michael, estranged from his wife, are middle-aged, lonely, and thrown together on a walking holiday. There are a few others along for the hike, but they quickly drop off leaving Marnie and Michael alone. Some entertaining and thoughtful banter ensues between the two. There are reflections on relationships and the ideas and expectations surrounding having children versus not having them.
“No one wants to be defined by the thing you don’t have, whether it’s a kid or a partner, and people are obsessed, especially people in a relationship.”
It’s an old, worn-out question, but I can’t help but ask why people need to get their noses in the business and choices of others? Perhaps it’s preferable to a long, hard look at oneself. Don’t we have bigger issues on the table to deal with these days? Sigh. I guess we’re all experts at something these days. Or judges. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about a quote from one of my favorite books, Fair and Tender Ladies: "I have made my bed and I wish everybody would let me lie in it."
I enjoyed this, my first David Nicholls novel. I’d love to find a sturdy, reliable pair of walking shoes and hit the trails. In fact, doing something like this is on my bucket list. I haven’t formulated exactly where or when, but it’s on the horizon. I like what Michael has to offer the reader about solitude and the outdoors. I’d have to agree. Still, it would be nice to make such a walk with a like-minded individual. I don’t want to be too much inside my own head, after all.
“At home he was merely lonely. Stepping outside transformed loneliness to solitude, a far more dignified state because it was his choice.”
I’m going to look at what else Nicholls has to offer. This was not so light and fluffy that I didn’t have to think at all, but it also didn’t require deep concentration – something I seem to be lacking these days. I’d recommend it!
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 30, 2025
Plină de umor sec tipic englezesc, cartea este o poveste despre curajul de a o lua de la capăt la maturitate, după ce ai trăit toate poveștile și dramele tinereții. Nu ai cum să fi dezamăgit de o carte a lui Nicholls, iar la final să nu te întrebi de ce ne e este greu să stabilim legături.
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.
July 1, 2024
I don’t want to talk about it.
January 22, 2025
FINALLY got reading this book! I have been wanting to read this for so long. And, I am very happy, and slightly relieved 😌) to say I LOVED it from the first page to the last…
I am not a huge David Nicholls fan, so I was taking a bit of a chance on this one. I had high expectations, having seen so many great reviews; thankfully, He delivered exactly what I was hoping for, and more!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Sometimes you have to get lost before you find your way…
“I, Marine Walsh, aged 38, of Herne Hill, London, am lonely.”
Marine was such a relatable character, for me at least. However, she feels stuck. Living alone in her flat in London, avoiding friends and any reminder of her horrible ex-husband. She became addicted to the buzz of a cancelled plan. No words were sweeter to her than: “ I’m sorry, I can’t make it.” All she wants is to curl up with a good book - anyone relate? 🙋🏻♀️ but she is struggling. The long afternoons made her feel like life is passing her by…life is going on out there and she is an extrovert living the life of an introvert (this bit I can’t relate to…any fellow introverts? 👋🏼)
‘A book was something she could pull around and over herself, like a quilt.’ 📖
Michael, on the other hand, is dumbfounded and falling apart after his wife’s departure. He is a school geography teacher and loves nothing more than discovering the great outdoors. He walks. That is his coping mechanism. Becoming increasingly reclusive, he talks himself off on long, solitary walks. Anything to avoid the loneliness of his empty house.
They do however, have one thing in common - Cleo; a mutual friend. Cleo is determined not to let either of them crumble any further and so, she arranges a walk. A long walk! Thanks to the great English countryside and some unpredictable weather, Michael and Marnie find themselves alone on a 10 day hike of epic walks across the British countryside. Will they survive the journey? It could be the making or breaking of them. Only time, and walking, will tell…
I found both main characters very likeable. Michael and Marine find themselves in similar circumstances having been divorced. They also aren’t as young as they once were at 42 and 38, respectively; this brings about its own challenges for them, especially in terms of having children. They connect on so many levels and the relationship between them feels so genuine. It is never forced or rushed, rather something between them evolves slowly and comically.
I absolutely adore David’s sense of humour in this book. It was bang on and depicts British humour perfectly. I was laughing throughout the course of the book; it really was a winning factor for me and made for an uplifting read of hope and joy. Marine and Michael found comedy in the smallest of things - I think this alone says something about their relationship.
Furthermore, I loved the layout of the book - the back-and-forth point of view that each chapter brought was masterfully executed and brought a nice flow to the story. David laid out each section of the walk cleverly, using sections of the map they were going to cover each day. It was a great visual aid and made the walk seem more realistic.
“There’s something about walking, things slip out. It’s like taking a truth serum or something. Also it was very beautiful.” 😍
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. From cover to cover, I was fully engaged and entertained. David’s storytelling was on point and flowed smoothly throughout the highs and lows of the book. It was a joy to read. Also: I NEED A SEQUEL PLS 🙏🏼
‘In the years of the great seclusion, she’d found herself wishing for the darkness so that she could justify going to bed. Now, she wanted to prolong the days, to wish them brighter and to occupy them fully. It would be a mistake near it, but what was this sensation of optimism and receptiveness?’ ❤️🩹 🥰 ❤️
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I am not a huge David Nicholls fan, so I was taking a bit of a chance on this one. I had high expectations, having seen so many great reviews; thankfully, He delivered exactly what I was hoping for, and more!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Sometimes you have to get lost before you find your way…
“I, Marine Walsh, aged 38, of Herne Hill, London, am lonely.”
Marine was such a relatable character, for me at least. However, she feels stuck. Living alone in her flat in London, avoiding friends and any reminder of her horrible ex-husband. She became addicted to the buzz of a cancelled plan. No words were sweeter to her than: “ I’m sorry, I can’t make it.” All she wants is to curl up with a good book - anyone relate? 🙋🏻♀️ but she is struggling. The long afternoons made her feel like life is passing her by…life is going on out there and she is an extrovert living the life of an introvert (this bit I can’t relate to…any fellow introverts? 👋🏼)
‘A book was something she could pull around and over herself, like a quilt.’ 📖
Michael, on the other hand, is dumbfounded and falling apart after his wife’s departure. He is a school geography teacher and loves nothing more than discovering the great outdoors. He walks. That is his coping mechanism. Becoming increasingly reclusive, he talks himself off on long, solitary walks. Anything to avoid the loneliness of his empty house.
They do however, have one thing in common - Cleo; a mutual friend. Cleo is determined not to let either of them crumble any further and so, she arranges a walk. A long walk! Thanks to the great English countryside and some unpredictable weather, Michael and Marnie find themselves alone on a 10 day hike of epic walks across the British countryside. Will they survive the journey? It could be the making or breaking of them. Only time, and walking, will tell…
I found both main characters very likeable. Michael and Marine find themselves in similar circumstances having been divorced. They also aren’t as young as they once were at 42 and 38, respectively; this brings about its own challenges for them, especially in terms of having children. They connect on so many levels and the relationship between them feels so genuine. It is never forced or rushed, rather something between them evolves slowly and comically.
I absolutely adore David’s sense of humour in this book. It was bang on and depicts British humour perfectly. I was laughing throughout the course of the book; it really was a winning factor for me and made for an uplifting read of hope and joy. Marine and Michael found comedy in the smallest of things - I think this alone says something about their relationship.
Furthermore, I loved the layout of the book - the back-and-forth point of view that each chapter brought was masterfully executed and brought a nice flow to the story. David laid out each section of the walk cleverly, using sections of the map they were going to cover each day. It was a great visual aid and made the walk seem more realistic.
“There’s something about walking, things slip out. It’s like taking a truth serum or something. Also it was very beautiful.” 😍
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. From cover to cover, I was fully engaged and entertained. David’s storytelling was on point and flowed smoothly throughout the highs and lows of the book. It was a joy to read. Also: I NEED A SEQUEL PLS 🙏🏼
‘In the years of the great seclusion, she’d found herself wishing for the darkness so that she could justify going to bed. Now, she wanted to prolong the days, to wish them brighter and to occupy them fully. It would be a mistake near it, but what was this sensation of optimism and receptiveness?’ ❤️🩹 🥰 ❤️
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
December 23, 2024
Another dud! I think this kind 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 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, Michael in particular, 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!
January 13, 2025
Was so excited to get this audio book on Libby. I've read One Day by Nicholls and heard this book was a bit of a romance and that commences on a hike through the Lake District of England--a place I've always wanted to hike in.
What I learned is: Don't read a romance if what you are looking for is a story about hiking. The long distance walk definitely took second place behind the relationship. I don't read much romance, at least not on purpose but I believe this would be labeled a "slow burn" type romance. It actually never got much fire going besides a few sparks and left some conclusions to the reader's imagination.
A couple meets on a walk with friends in England. Both are middling age (the woman 38, Man 42--both now alone, one divorced and one separated and each with the view that most of the chances for a life and family with someone are in the past. The present and into the future appears lonely and it is a time of adjustment and re-thinking of life's priorities for both. There isn't a lot of humor or banter and lots of walking but the descriptions of the landscape are minimal aside from labeling the chapters with the names of towns that begin and then end each day's walk.
This reader wishes there had been more descriptions of the outdoors and the walk.
A satisfactory read. Quick and pleasant. The audio was narrated by Lee Ingleby and Lydia Leonard. The narration was good in that there were two voices but two often on audio it was hard to tell who exactly was talking. 3.5 stars rounded down.
What I learned is: Don't read a romance if what you are looking for is a story about hiking. The long distance walk definitely took second place behind the relationship. I don't read much romance, at least not on purpose but I believe this would be labeled a "slow burn" type romance. It actually never got much fire going besides a few sparks and left some conclusions to the reader's imagination.
A couple meets on a walk with friends in England. Both are middling age (the woman 38, Man 42--both now alone, one divorced and one separated and each with the view that most of the chances for a life and family with someone are in the past. The present and into the future appears lonely and it is a time of adjustment and re-thinking of life's priorities for both. There isn't a lot of humor or banter and lots of walking but the descriptions of the landscape are minimal aside from labeling the chapters with the names of towns that begin and then end each day's walk.
This reader wishes there had been more descriptions of the outdoors and the walk.
A satisfactory read. Quick and pleasant. The audio was narrated by Lee Ingleby and Lydia Leonard. The narration was good in that there were two voices but two often on audio it was hard to tell who exactly was talking. 3.5 stars rounded down.
January 1, 2025
3. 5 Stars, rounded up
This poor book suffered from following my reads of The Unseen and Eastbound.
Okay, finally a romance novel that I enjoy.
Both of the protagonists are lonely. Michael is separated, though pining for his soon to be ex. Marnie is divorced, and has gradually lost touch with most of her friends. Cleo, friend to both, is constantly working to get these two out of their isolation burrows.
“Sometimes, she [Marnie] 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.”
Nicholls understands human connection--how it happens and how we can stay connected. He also understands the power of being listened to. And how challenging it can be to communicate honestly and fully with each other.
"If only there was something humans could do, a system of mutually comprehended sounds and gestures to express thoughts and feelings. She remembered a short story she'd read as a kid, by Roald Dahl, about a machine that can pick up the screams of trees and roses when they're cut, and maybe that was what honest, direct communication would be like: the mowing of a lawn, too much to bear. In the absence of straight talk, they'd have to persevere with irony, hints and double meanings; the brush of a hand, looks and smiles. . . .
How far does the absence of straight talk take any relationship? Yes, sometimes it's painful to bare one's soul or to express dissatisfaction. And how do we truly know another without this conveyance. Communication is so much more than just the vocalization and hearing of words.
Cleo has Michael organize a walking trip for a small group. As the other walkers return home, Marnie continues on with Michael. As they walk, they talk.
"There's something about walking, things slip out. It's like taking a truth serum or something."
I can attest to this statement. My beloved and I camped and hiked extensively the first years we knew each other. During the hours on the trail we shared ourselves. It felt easier to be open and vulnerable waking side by side under open skies than any other place. All through our marriage, our deepest and most important conversations have happened while we walked. That's not to say that we haven't laughed a lot too while we walked; we have.
So are the walking and talking all there is to this novel? Well, yes and no. These are complex, well-developed characters that are slowly revealed. The dialogue is good--varying from heartfelt to funny to sharp-edged. The descriptions of the landscape have me wanting to walk this path (minus the rain!). There are a few antics along the way. Want to swim in snow melt anyone? And maybe a nice place and some dives in which to rest their weary feet. Nicholls maintains the tension between the two M's all the way to the end.
Marnie and Michael both ultimately have to decide if they're ready to step out of their burrows and enter back into the full tide of life.
Publication 2024
This poor book suffered from following my reads of The Unseen and Eastbound.
Okay, finally a romance novel that I enjoy.
Both of the protagonists are lonely. Michael is separated, though pining for his soon to be ex. Marnie is divorced, and has gradually lost touch with most of her friends. Cleo, friend to both, is constantly working to get these two out of their isolation burrows.
“Sometimes, she [Marnie] 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.”
Nicholls understands human connection--how it happens and how we can stay connected. He also understands the power of being listened to. And how challenging it can be to communicate honestly and fully with each other.
"If only there was something humans could do, a system of mutually comprehended sounds and gestures to express thoughts and feelings. She remembered a short story she'd read as a kid, by Roald Dahl, about a machine that can pick up the screams of trees and roses when they're cut, and maybe that was what honest, direct communication would be like: the mowing of a lawn, too much to bear. In the absence of straight talk, they'd have to persevere with irony, hints and double meanings; the brush of a hand, looks and smiles. . . .
How far does the absence of straight talk take any relationship? Yes, sometimes it's painful to bare one's soul or to express dissatisfaction. And how do we truly know another without this conveyance. Communication is so much more than just the vocalization and hearing of words.
Cleo has Michael organize a walking trip for a small group. As the other walkers return home, Marnie continues on with Michael. As they walk, they talk.
"There's something about walking, things slip out. It's like taking a truth serum or something."
I can attest to this statement. My beloved and I camped and hiked extensively the first years we knew each other. During the hours on the trail we shared ourselves. It felt easier to be open and vulnerable waking side by side under open skies than any other place. All through our marriage, our deepest and most important conversations have happened while we walked. That's not to say that we haven't laughed a lot too while we walked; we have.
So are the walking and talking all there is to this novel? Well, yes and no. These are complex, well-developed characters that are slowly revealed. The dialogue is good--varying from heartfelt to funny to sharp-edged. The descriptions of the landscape have me wanting to walk this path (minus the rain!). There are a few antics along the way. Want to swim in snow melt anyone? And maybe a nice place and some dives in which to rest their weary feet. Nicholls maintains the tension between the two M's all the way to the end.
Marnie and Michael both ultimately have to decide if they're ready to step out of their burrows and enter back into the full tide of life.
Publication 2024
Read
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.
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.
October 22, 2025
Sweet, funny, romantic. Marnie and Michael and a few others are invited on a walk across England by a mutual friend, but one by one the others drop out. Michael intends to walk from coast to coast, and along the way the two discuss their histories, their loves and losses, and what they want out of life. There are some great jokes, some awkwardness, and some romance of course - this is David Nicholls.
Read
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, 2025
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.
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.
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.
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
Displaying 1 - 30 of 10,467 reviews