One Day

Livejournal is down for the moment so I'm resorting to pen this here on the semi-professional blog. I just finished One Day by David Nicholls, about Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley. These are two people who meet in college on the day of their graduation and proceed to have a one night fling. Not sure where or what their future may turn out to be, they resolve to move past the sexual attraction and just stay friends. For the next twenty years the book chronicles their separate and sometimes joined lives on the day they met, July 15th, from 1988 to 2008. There are pitfalls and passions in both their lives and their relationships orbit and sometimes split off completely. The book also follows their relationships with others and failed attempts at finding themselves and a career before they find themselves settled doing what they always loved (in Emma's case) or what they least expected (in Dexter's). Between Dexter's addiction to drugs and alcohol and Emma's lack of self confidence the book does plod along in a dreary tone a lot but then there are touching and surprising moments such as Dexter and Emma's romance coming to a flourish in Paris or Dexter's mother passing from cancer and how this affects him and his relationship with Emma. It's a very beautiful read and for the first time the book club I'm a part of will be pairing the book with the film that's set to come out in a few weeks.

One Day trailer.

I really, really loved this book. Partly because it was so beautifully and realistically written that I could hear the snarkiness in Emma's voice and also the pained arrogance in Dexter's, but also because their story is very painful to read at some parts and hilarious at others.

Some of the best lines include:

"I think you're scared of being happy, Emma. I think you think that the natural way of things is for your life to be grim and grey and dour and to hate your job, what where you live, not to have success or money or God forbid a boyfriend (and a quick discersion here--that whole self-deprecating thing about being unattractive is getting pretty boring I tell you). In fact I'll go further and say that I think you actually get a kick out of being disappointed and under-achieving, because it's easier isn't it? Failure and unhappiness are easier because you can make a joke out of it. Is this annoying you? I bet it is. Well it's only just started.

Well I think you deserve more. You are smart and funny and kind (too kind if you ask me) and by far the cleverest person I know. And (am drinking more beer here - deep breath) you are also a VERY ATTRACTIVE WOMAN. And (more beer) yes I do mean 'sexy' as well, thought I feel a bit sick writing it down. Well I'm not going to scribble it out because it's politically incorrect to call someone 'sexy' because is is also TRUE. You're gorgeous, you old hag, and if I could give you just one gift ever for the rest of your life it would be this. Confidence. The gift of Confidence. Either that or a scented candle.

I know from your letters and from seeing you after your play that you feel a little bit lost right now about what to do with your life, a bit rudderless and oarless and aimless but that' okay that's alright because we're all meant to be like that at twenty-four. In fact our whole generation is like that. I read an article about it, it's because we never fought in a war or watched too much television or something. Anyway, the only people with oars and rudders and aims are dreary bores and squares and careerists like Tilly-blood-Kilick or Callum O'Neill and his refurbished computers. I certainly don't have a master plan I know you think I've got it all sorted out but I haven't I worry too I just don't worry about the dole and housing benefit and the future of the Labour Party and where I"m going to be in twenty years' time and how Mr. Mandela is adjusting to freedom"

More than I can say about most adult books, since most of what I read is serial and fluff these days. I was very excited to pick up and read this book and even finished it last night after I had gotten home at two a. m. Overall very touching, sad, moving, and laughable. READ IT!

Oh, and if Dexter had a song it would probably be "Mess I Made" by Parachute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7qdlVkgiz0&ob=av2e