One Day

By David Nicholls

I picked this up because I started seeing advertisements for the movie, and I generally like to read the book a movie is based off of before seeing the movie itself. After finishing this, though, I don’t think I’ll be running out to see the movie any time soon. I was torn about how to rate this book, because on a technical/language level it’s very well written, even quite lyrical at parts. The idea itself, telling a story of two people based on the same one day over 20 years, is also interesting, and carried off well. But I simply didn’t like it, due mainly to the fact that the one of the main characters, Dexter, is a complete tool. I don’t know what Emma sees in him or why she puts up with him for the whole book/20 years of story. Emma herself started out a bit iffy, but grew on me as she matured through the story. Dexter never did, and I can’t really get behind a love story where I can’t stand one of the participants in it. Add in the ending (no exact spoilers, but it’s depressing), and this was just overall dissatisfying. Maybe it’s a British author – American reader disconnect thing, but I didn’t like it.

I give it 3/5 stars.