Product Description

Alan and Ange are on a train, heading for London. Alan is a philosophy lecturer, still a virgin at fifty-five; Ange a twenty-something, horoscope reading, darts groupie. They certainly don't expect their first casual meeting to lead to anything, but it does. Seizing the day, as they pull into Euston station, Alan asks Ange out to dinner and so begins the unlikeliest of liaisons. As they get to know each other, they are initiated into each other's worlds.From the claustrophobic confines of an Oxford College to the heady excitement of a big dart's match; from Liebfraumilch to Wittgenstein and everything in between. They even travel to Rome seeing many wonderful things as Alan learns to live for the moment and Ange to appreciate the finer things in life. But can they survive their differences in age and background? Are Alan's feelings the stuff of obsession and infatuation or is this true love? And what sort of philosopher is he if he cannot define and understand love? Told through the voice of Alan, this touching and hilarious story is much more than a tale about an unlikely couple. Ultimately, it is a story about the nature of love.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #170462 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Michael Palin
`No-one does truthful and touching and very funny as well as David
Nobbs. Cupid's Dart is a lovely book.'

From the Back Cover
Alan Calcutt is a philosopher who has never fulfilled his promise. He teaches at Oxford and is still a virgin at fifty-five. Ange is a twenty-four-year-old Essex girl, who describes herself as a darts groupie. Neither of them expects that their first casual meeting on a train will lead to anything, but it does.

Alan takes Ange to Rome to show her the great excitement to be found in art. She takes him to the World Darts Championships to show him the great excitement to be found in darts. She opens Alan's heart to emotions that he never dreamt of. He gives her stimuli she could never have found in Gallows Corner.

But can they survive their differences in age and background? Are Alan's feelings the stuff of obsession and infatuation or is this true love? And what sort of a philosopher is he if he cannot define and understand love?

‘David Nobbs is the P.G.Wodehouse of the middle classes ... deliciously funny’ Daily Express

‘David Nobbs is a genius ... The detail is perfect’ Word

‘A real gem’ Woman

‘Fascinating and extremely funny’ Darts World

About the Author
David Nobbs was born in Kent. After university, he entered the army, then tried his hand at journalism and advertising before becoming a writer. A distinguished novelist and comedy writer, he lives near Harrogate with his wife Susan.

Customer Reviews

A good intro to David Nobbs
Alan Calcutt is a fifty-five year old Professor of Philosophy at Oxford, who is a virgin and extraordinarily unworldly; similar to the judge who had never heard of the Beatles, as is pointed out in the book. He meets twenty-four year old Ange from Essex on a train one day and plucks up the courage to ask her out. They introduce each other to their respective worlds, his of Philosophy and Logic, and hers of being a darts groupie.
It is the story of his coming of age. It is also a story of people's insecurities, class differences and snobbery, and the closeness between love and hate, and the small things it takes to tip you between them.
Having allowed for all those lofty themes in the book, as I was reading it it felt light and unfulfilling, but as I finished the last page it had enough substance to leave a lump in my throat, so I must have been hooked more than I thought.
If you read the brilliant Going Gently and are thinking of buying this because of that, you might be disappointed; if you want an introduction to David Nobbs that is funny in parts and eventually quite moving then this would be a good place to start.

Wonderful!
This is David Nobb's best book for years. It made me laugh out loud frequently, and the ending left me with tingles down my spine.
Every page was an utter pleasure.

A good intro to David Nobbs
Alan Calcutt is a fifty-five year old Professor of Philosophy at Oxford, who is a virgin and extraordinarily unworldly; similar to the judge who had never heard of the Beatles, as is pointed out in the book. He meets twenty-four year old Ange from Essex on a train one day and plucks up the courage to ask her out. They introduce each other to their respective worlds, his of Philosophy and Logic, and hers of being a darts groupie.
It is the story of his coming of age. It is also a story of people's insecurities, class differences and snobbery, and the closeness between love and hate, and the small things it takes to tip you between them.
Having allowed for all those lofty themes in the book, as I was reading it it felt light and unfulfilling, but as I finished the last page it had enough substance to leave a lump in my throat, so I must have been hooked more than I thought.
If you read the brilliant Going Gently and are thinking of buying this because of that, you might be disappointed; if you want an introduction to David Nobbs that is funny in parts and eventually quite moving then this would be a good place to start.