David Nicholls’ novel “US” inspires travel despite backdrop of family angst

One of the things that keeps me busy when Steve’s away on business is my book club. I’ve read so many great books I wouldn’t have without it. Our latest read, “Us” by David Nicholls is definitely my favourite so far this year. It mixes a tour of Europe with family angst and a huge dose of humour. It’s a book every traveller (and member of a family) can relate to.

The plot

The book starts with a relationship at the crossroads. Connie Peterson wakes her husband Douglas in the middle of the night and declares that she is thinking of leaving their 25-year marriage. This declaration, along with the fact that son Albie is about to set off for college to study art, has Douglas is a bit of a lather. As a biochemist and responsible pragmatist, Douglas doesn’t relate well to his creative, seemingly undisciplined son and their relationship is about as frazzled as it can get.

At Connie’s suggestion, the couple had planned to take Albie on one last family holiday—a “Grand Tour” of Europe as a way to launch their son into adulthood. Despite her marital ambivalence, Connie still wants to go. Douglas, who desperately wants to salvage his marriage and strengthen his relationship with his son, is convinced that during the trip he will both persuade Connie to stay and bridge the distance with his son. He’s got it all planned out right down to the polypropylene wallets he’s prepared for each family member containing itineraries, hotel addresses, phone numbers and train times. Can you guess where this is going?

The trip is to include Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Verona, Venice, Florence, Rome and Naples. Things go off the rails and the family does not make it to all their planned stops. Madrid and Barcelona end up being unplanned destinations as well.

The role of place in a novel

I’ve visited five of the cities on the Peterson’s itinerary as well as their hometown of London. This made the book more meaningful to me. There’s an extra richness to the storyline of a novel when you have walked the same streets as the characters, and participated in the unique experiences related to that place. It adds an extra dimension to the reading. It’s immersive. There’s also a sense of being an insider (I’ve been there! I’ve done that too!).

Many memories of our trips to Paris came flooding back when reading “Us”

On the other hand, there are books you read that depict a place so completely that you feel you know it and it becomes a quest to visit. Prince Edward Island, for example, sees a year-round pilgrimage of tourists who long to experience the setting of L.M. Montgomery ‘s Anne of Green Gables.

A couple of years ago, Steve and I visited Italy. Just prior to staying a week in Florence, we did a cycling tour of Pulgia and in our downtime, Steve read Dan Brown’s “Inferno”, which is largely set in Florence. Steve was set on visiting the key locations from the book taking photos along the way. There was clearly a feeling of excitement for him that, having not read the book, I didn’t share. It made both his book-reading and travel experience richer.

Back to the Grand Tour

The night before the Peterson’s are set to leave London, Douglas offers this prophetic thought as he’s falling asleep:

“Everything is in place, tickets, reservations and foreign currency, passports laid out on the table in the hall. If we are at our best at all times, or at least endeavour to be so, there is no reason why everyone shouldn’t have a wonderful time.”

As we see Douglas’ carefully designed travel plans dissolve into disappointment, heated arguments, and unmet expectations, it’s easy to relate. If there is one thing I have learned about travel is that it never goes just the way you imagine it and personality and relationship dynamics are amplified when you’re away from home and have the extra stress of being somewhere unfamiliar.

Despite the disappointments, the novel still manages to capture the pleasures and perplexities of travel. The book conjured for me the indulgent pleasure of enjoying daily fresh baguettes in Paris, and the feeling of startled awe I felt at the first glance of the massive architectural triumph of the Duomo in Florence.

Il Duomo di Firenze in Florence. Impossible to capture in one photo.

The scenes in the book taking place in art galleries instantly resonated. As Douglas traipses through one gallery after the next with his art-loving wife and son, his commentary about the various pieces is often priceless. His appreciation for art is mostly a contrived effort bolstered by Wikipedia and guide book entries. I am not a passionate art lover, but when visiting Europe, I feel I must see all the great art available to me. Nicholls perfectly and humorously captures the bemusement many of us feel as we move from painting to painting:

“Do I have taste? Am I missing something? It’s subjective, of course, and there are no right answers, but in a gallery I always have that feeling that the security guards are waiting to bundle me out of the door.”

Much like Douglas in the novel, I’m never quite sure what I’m supposed to be looking for when taking in art.

Further on, Douglas has an exchange with a recently divorced Scandinavian woman named Freja who is travelling solo. Nicholls’ narrative reflects so well what I’ve felt more than once while travelling alone. At one point Freja says:

“Of course I tell myself it’s healthy and good for the soul, but I’m not sure yet that we’re meant to be alone. Humans, I mean. It feels too much like a test, like surviving in the wilderness. It’s a good experience to have, one is pleased to have succeeded, but it’s still not the best. I miss company.”

So many things go horribly wrong on Douglas’ trip with his family. But like any worthwhile journey, it puts him to the test, requires him to look inward, and to stretch. To me, it nicely captures why travel is worthwhile despite whatever challenges it may present. Reading it made me eager to plan our next trip.

Have you read a novel that has inspired you to travel or that you read while visiting the novel’s setting? Would love to hear about it in the comments.

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