They treat their subjects in a humane, unpretentious, rather traditionalist, fiercely intelligent idiom.
The Guardian newspaper ascribed its phenomenal success (over a million copies sold) to the fact that it was both "roaringly funny" and "in its own unassuming, unpretentious way, rather profound," while Iain Hollingshead in The Telegraph called it "the best British novel of the past 20 years".
Just as Nicholls has made full use of his central concept, so he has drawn on all his comic and literary gifts to produce a novel that is not only roaringly funny but also memorable, moving and, in its own unassuming, unpretentious way, rather profound.
But this one, penned by an editor, is rather hilarious and decidedly unpretentious.
Rather, the atmosphere is amiable and unpretentious.
To see Fluxus ephemera, the paintings of Georganne Deen, the sculptures of Wim Delvoye and the drawings of Raymond Pettibon considered as everyday objects, rather than High Art, is refreshingly unpretentious.
Try to wear mostly simple, unpretentious pieces of clothing, rather than flashy, overly-showy pieces.
Bea and I peer inside the famous bar, which – phew, relief – is as unpretentious as you like, and rather small.
The three Sancerres in particular were all light and unpretentious, built for immediate pleasure rather than aging.
And it's one that, certainly at weekends, still feels like a boozy, unpretentious late-night DJ bar, rather than a place of arid, uptight beer connoisseurship.
