168:, and his tentative attempts at romance with Alice Harbinson, another member of the University Challenge team. The title is taken from an opening question to a round on the quiz show worth ten points, known as the teams' "starter for ten". Because this reference might be lost on American readers, it was originally released as
221:
Brian promptly falls for his glamorous teammate, Alice
Harbinson, although the attraction is not mutual, and he may have more in common with a counterculturalist chum, Rebecca Epstein. Additionally, Brian finds himself caught between his new life, amongst the
291:— Brian's working class friends. Tone gets a job as a salesman and, like Brian's father, is twisted by the need to make commission. Spencer runs into trouble while working and taking unemployment support, visits Brian, and causes a fight at the school.
29:
217:
team. He is initially unsuccessful, but is selected after one of the other team members is forced to drop out because of ill health. The TV show's catchphrase — "Your starter for 10" — gives the book its title.
256:— The Marxist, Jewish law student with whom Brian has an intermittent relationship. She lives in the same residence hall as Alice and offers advice and encouragement to Brian.
801:
461:
692:
303:— The fourth member of the team, a medical student, who serves as a force of moderation on the team. She is an international student from the United States.
355:. On attending the prestigious University, Brian is aware that his state school background and working-class roots make him stand out. In an interview in
262:— The rich love interest of the narrator who has an unexplained scar on her lip. While wealthy, both she and her parents attempt to be socially conscious.
796:
395:
156:
is a novel first published in 2003 about the character Brian
Jackson and his first year of university (1985–86), his attempts to get on the
806:
297:— Alice's vegetarian and nudist parents, who barely tolerate Brian's visit to their palatial cottage in the country during the holidays.
511:
454:
786:
352:
98:
636:
631:
626:
621:
616:
611:
606:
601:
596:
591:
586:
581:
576:
571:
566:
561:
556:
551:
546:
541:
536:
531:
526:
521:
516:
506:
501:
496:
491:
486:
811:
679:
776:
447:
791:
781:
766:
207:. A somewhat obsessive collector of general knowledge, Brian has been a fan since childhood of the television quiz show
213:
which he used to watch with his late father, and on arriving at university, he seizes upon the opportunity to join its
184:
153:
42:
319:
and who went about on crutches to get into character for a part; he eventually becomes involved with Alice.
203:, is set in 1985 and chronicles the misadventures of student Brian Jackson in his first year at an unnamed
771:
741:
200:
137:
733:
424:
377:
179:
471:
274:
209:
164:
60:
316:
157:
701:
105:
93:
652:
400:
188:
760:
657:
348:
227:
686:
429:
357:
344:
223:
124:
662:
278:
team who provokes a fight with
Spencer. He, like Brian, has a crush on Alice.
204:
708:
160:
309:— Brian's Mother and her boyfriend, "Uncle" Des, whom she plans to marry.
231:
112:
439:
351:
teenager from a one-parent family. His mother works in the chain-store
28:
235:
269:
443:
396:"New musical Starter for Ten to premiere in Bristol next year"
106:
361:, the novel's writer David Nicholls expands on this theme.
718:
671:
645:
479:
132:
118:
104:
92:
84:
76:
66:
56:
48:
38:
250:— Narrator and central character of the story.
455:
325:— Brian's housemates who brew their own beer.
8:
174:when it was published in the United States.
21:
462:
448:
440:
230:family and friends in the seaside town of
27:
20:
802:Quizzes and game shows in popular culture
369:
183:, and will be adapted for the stage as
226:university set, and his old, with his
7:
423:Nicholls, David (31 October 2006).
177:It was adapted in 2006 as the film
14:
797:British novels adapted into films
680:Christmas University Challenge
1:
807:Hodder & Stoughton books
16:2003 novel by David Nicholls
339:One of the major themes in
828:
26:
787:Novels by David Nicholls
171:A Question of Attraction
425:"I was a bit of a prat"
812:Southend-on-Sea (town)
315:— An actor who played
295:Mr. and Mrs. Harbinson
201:first-person narrative
347:. Brian Jackson is a
777:University Challenge
694:University Challenge
472:University Challenge
275:University Challenge
215:University Challenge
210:University Challenge
165:University Challenge
61:University Challenge
792:Fiction set in 1985
782:Novels set in Essex
767:2003 British novels
199:The story, told in
23:
719:In popular culture
384:. 12 October 2003.
378:"Geek is the word"
158:Granada Television
754:
753:
702:Challenging Times
145:
144:
77:Publication place
819:
653:Bamber Gascoigne
464:
457:
450:
441:
435:
434:
420:
414:
413:
411:
409:
401:WhatsOnStage.com
392:
386:
385:
374:
289:Tone and Spencer
283:Minor characters
133:Followed by
119:Preceded by
108:
68:Publication date
31:
24:
22:Starter for Ten
827:
826:
822:
821:
820:
818:
817:
816:
757:
756:
755:
750:
727:Starter for Ten
714:
667:
641:
475:
468:
438:
422:
421:
417:
407:
405:
404:. 19 April 2023
394:
393:
389:
376:
375:
371:
367:
341:Starter for Ten
337:
332:
323:Marcus and Josh
285:
272:Captain of the
260:Alice Harbinson
254:Rebecca Epstein
244:
197:
189:Bristol Old Vic
149:Starter for Ten
69:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
825:
823:
815:
814:
809:
804:
799:
794:
789:
784:
779:
774:
769:
759:
758:
752:
751:
749:
748:
744:The Young Ones
739:
735:Starter for 10
731:
722:
720:
716:
715:
713:
712:
705:
698:
690:
683:
675:
673:
672:Related series
669:
668:
666:
665:
660:
655:
649:
647:
643:
642:
640:
639:
634:
629:
624:
619:
614:
609:
604:
599:
594:
589:
584:
579:
574:
569:
564:
559:
554:
549:
544:
539:
534:
529:
524:
519:
514:
509:
504:
499:
494:
489:
483:
481:
477:
476:
469:
467:
466:
459:
452:
444:
437:
436:
415:
387:
368:
366:
363:
336:
333:
331:
328:
327:
326:
320:
310:
304:
298:
292:
284:
281:
280:
279:
263:
257:
251:
243:
240:
196:
193:
180:Starter for 10
154:David Nicholls
143:
142:
138:The Understudy
134:
130:
129:
120:
116:
115:
110:
102:
101:
96:
90:
89:
86:
82:
81:
80:United Kingdom
78:
74:
73:
70:
67:
64:
63:
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
43:David Nicholls
40:
36:
35:
32:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
824:
813:
810:
808:
805:
803:
800:
798:
795:
793:
790:
788:
785:
783:
780:
778:
775:
773:
772:Campus novels
770:
768:
765:
764:
762:
747:
745:
740:
738:
736:
732:
730:
728:
724:
723:
721:
717:
711:
710:
706:
704:
703:
699:
697:
696:(New Zealand)
695:
691:
689:
688:
684:
682:
681:
677:
676:
674:
670:
664:
661:
659:
658:Jeremy Paxman
656:
654:
651:
650:
648:
644:
638:
635:
633:
630:
628:
625:
623:
620:
618:
615:
613:
610:
608:
605:
603:
600:
598:
595:
593:
590:
588:
585:
583:
580:
578:
575:
573:
570:
568:
565:
563:
560:
558:
555:
553:
550:
548:
545:
543:
540:
538:
535:
533:
530:
528:
525:
523:
520:
518:
515:
513:
510:
508:
505:
503:
500:
498:
495:
493:
490:
488:
485:
484:
482:
478:
474:
473:
465:
460:
458:
453:
451:
446:
445:
442:
432:
431:
426:
419:
416:
403:
402:
397:
391:
388:
383:
379:
373:
370:
364:
362:
360:
359:
354:
350:
349:working-class
346:
342:
334:
329:
324:
321:
318:
314:
311:
308:
305:
302:
299:
296:
293:
290:
287:
286:
282:
277:
276:
271:
267:
264:
261:
258:
255:
252:
249:
248:Brian Jackson
246:
245:
241:
239:
237:
233:
229:
228:working-class
225:
219:
216:
212:
211:
206:
202:
194:
192:
190:
186:
182:
181:
175:
173:
172:
167:
166:
162:
159:
155:
151:
150:
141:
139:
135:
131:
128:
126:
121:
117:
114:
111:
109:
103:
100:
99:0-340-73487-6
97:
95:
91:
87:
83:
79:
75:
71:
65:
62:
59:
55:
51:
47:
44:
41:
37:
33:First edition
30:
25:
19:
743:
734:
726:
725:
707:
700:
693:
687:College Bowl
685:
678:
470:
430:The Guardian
428:
418:
406:. Retrieved
399:
390:
382:The Guardian
381:
372:
358:The Guardian
356:
345:social class
340:
338:
322:
312:
306:
300:
294:
288:
273:
265:
259:
253:
247:
224:middle-class
220:
214:
208:
198:
195:Plot summary
178:
176:
170:
169:
163:
148:
147:
146:
136:
122:
18:
317:Richard III
307:Des and Mum
125:debut novel
761:Categories
663:Amol Rajan
365:References
353:Woolworths
301:Lucy Chang
242:Characters
205:university
742:"Bambi" (
709:Quiz bowl
512:1999–2000
433:. London.
191:in 2024.
185:a musical
161:quiz show
408:19 April
232:Southend
113:56442695
49:Language
729:(novel)
637:2024–25
632:2023–24
627:2022–23
622:2021–22
617:2020–21
612:2019–20
607:2018–19
602:2017–18
597:2016–17
592:2015–16
587:2014–15
582:2013–14
577:2012–13
572:2011–12
567:2010–11
562:2009–10
557:2008–09
552:2007–08
547:2006–07
542:2005–06
537:2004–05
532:2003–04
527:2002–03
522:2001–02
517:2000–01
507:1998–99
502:1997–98
497:1996–97
492:1995–96
487:1994–95
266:Patrick
127:)
57:Subject
52:English
737:(film)
480:Series
330:Themes
140:
123:None (
39:Author
646:Hosts
335:Class
236:Essex
85:Pages
410:2023
313:Neil
270:Tory
107:OCLC
94:ISBN
72:2003
343:is
187:at
152:by
88:480
763::
427:.
398:.
380:.
268:—
238:.
234:,
746:)
463:e
456:t
449:v
412:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
