Welcome back to another CC Book Club! I decided to jump across the pond again this month for David Nicholls’ One Day, which was unfortunately made into a movie a few years back. While I certainly don’t have the ear to tell, my cousin’s Scottish husband tells me that Anne Hathaway’s accent is atrocious and she jumps around from Sussex to Liverpool in the same sentence. But, we’re not here to debate the process of bringing a book to my big screen, just discuss the literary magic itself. As per usual, spoilers are contained throughout!
One Day is the story of Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley, who meet by chance on the streets of Edinburgh in 1988. The date is July 15th and so, over the next 20 years, Nicholls shows us the state of Dexter and Emma’s relationship on that same one day. Sometimes they’re together, sometimes they’re not, but it’s always an interesting peek into their lives. Dexter ends up landing a job as a TV host, but also develops a huge substance problem, while Emma quietly works away at a couple different jobs, all the while dreaming of being a writer.
Dexter Mayhew is easily one of the most frustrating characters in fiction. He just never, ever, EVER seems to get it right or do what you want. He’s completely blind to the candle Emma holds for him, and ends up ploughing his way through nearly 2 decades of women before truly smartening up. However, I didn’t find this to be unrealistic; I’ve seen plenty of friends (both female and male) oblivious to or uninterested in another’s affection for them. What did you think of Dexter?
I found Emma’s character to be slightly less memorable, but that may be because she wasn’t so outrageous. I didn’t find her very relatable as I’m not one to sit around and not go after what I want, let it be a man or a writing career, but she was fine. What was your opinion on Emma? Could you relate to her plight?
But, now we need to talk about that ending. As soon as they get together (well 2 years on, but right away in the book), Emma dies. It was such a shock for me; I truly expected Dexter’s drug use to get the better of him one day and think Nicholls purposely set the reader up to expect that. Emma shouldn’t have died; not sweet, patient Emma. I definitely shed tears and found myself stunned for the evening after finishing One Day. However, I think that ending carried a good message: don’t wait. Maybe you only have one day to spend with someone, so spend it as you want to. Don’t wait around for 20 years because a lot can happen in 20 years or in 2 seconds for that matter. What did you take away from One Day? Or was the ending too upsetting for you?
Thanks for joining in! In April, let’s tackle Pivot Point by Kacie West. It’s YA and a bit sci-fi – just my type!
CC Book Club: Let's Talk About "One Day" by David Nicholls
