One Day

“I think reality is overrated.”
This is a novel that takes you on a roller-coaster of emotions. It begins light, humorous, warm and aloof, just like most of us are once we graduate, all our efforts and studies paying off, looking into the future full of ideals, hopes and dreams. Then we face adult life and responsibilities, disappointment, and all the disillusionment that eventually knocks our doors.

At the heart of the story are Emma and Dexter, two young people who start out long-time friends and one-night lovers and go on becoming so much more over the course of 20 years. David Nicholls chooses to have each chapter dedicated to a single specific date, the 15th of July, a chapter for every year. On this day, Emma and Dexter sometimes come together, sometimes they don't.

Emma is an extremely interesting character. Idealist, compassionate, cautious, caring. She is no saint, of course, but she is the only presence in the book who knows what she wants and succeeds in overcoming the hurdles. Dexter is not a likeable character and this is precisely as it should be. He is not meant to be well-liked, in my opinion. His cockiness is actually a facade most of the times and Emma is the only person who helps him bring out his better self. It is not an easy task and certainly not always successful. What is very interesting and telling is the fact that these two often do whatever is possible to keep the other at a distance, but they are always brought together. The secondary characters are really, really annoying.

The incident that makes the book a true success is one of the most heart-wrenching moments, described in a single sentence at the very end of one of the last chapters. It throws your heart to the beasts. Call me melodramatic, but this is how it made me feel. I felt a deep sadness, witnessing Death having the final word. It was unfair, depressing, cruel. Still, I don't really enjoy happy endings, they are far from realistic, and one must applaud David Nicholls' boldness.

One Day is one of the most celebrated novels of our times, full of nostalgia for decades passed, beautiful, realistic dialogue and excellent prose with two of the most memorable protagonists in recent Literature.

“So - whatever happened to you?'‘Life. Life happened.”