One Day
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Review
"The ultimate zeitgeist love story for anyone who ever wanted someone they couldn't have." Adele Parks "You'd be hard pressed to find a sharper, sweeter romantic comedy this year than the story of Dex and Em." Independent "The funniest, loveliest book I've read in ages." Jenny Colgan "Incredibly moving." Marian Keyes "A totally brilliant book about the heartbreaking gap between the way we were and the way we are." Tony Parsons"
Product Description
HE is Dexter Mayhew, tall, dark and (she can’t deny it) handsome, largely naked and somehow in her single bed in her tiny room on the very last day of four years of education. SHE is Emma Morley, bottled red hair, wilfully badly dressed, all principles and no action. And very, very surprised to find herself kissing Dexter Mayhew. A simple one night stand, at the dawn of the rest of their lives? Or are Dex and Em living proof that – despite an unlikely beginning – men and women really can be just good friends?
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
828 of 905 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
From being a celebrity in the 90's to having a boss with a large beard, nothing is shied away from in this big pot of life. This book follows every 15th July from 1988 (end of their studentship) to near present day in the lives of two characters; Emma and Dexter, and their relationship with each other and others. Don't be put off by the length (430 odd pages) of this book - it is so ridiculously easy to read it makes the act of putting on a DVD seem like overexertion. That's not to say that the writing isn't thickly layered - it's stuffed with literary calories. Emma and Dexter jump out of the book and start living with you, eat your food and argue over the top of your head about the worthlessness of Scrabble. So much of the sharp-razor sharp dialogue sticks a grin on your face, people are unlikely to sit next to you on the train (read in extra comfort).
So there's Emma: warm, funny and cataclysmically directionless. Dexter: confident, arrogant, and transparent. The book then bends these attributes into the three dimensional. Their relationship treads its own path - there's no inevitability in what the next year will bring - their interactions with others the same. Every supporting character, whether they're on one page or a hundred is given their own space to be believable and interesting, and most likely make quite a bit of a mess of things.
The book finished - I'm missing them both. Time for them to come and bother you.
So there's Emma: warm, funny and cataclysmically directionless. Dexter: confident, arrogant, and transparent. The book then bends these attributes into the three dimensional. Their relationship treads its own path - there's no inevitability in what the next year will bring - their interactions with others the same. Every supporting character, whether they're on one page or a hundred is given their own space to be believable and interesting, and most likely make quite a bit of a mess of things.
The book finished - I'm missing them both. Time for them to come and bother you.
189 of 208 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I've never been moved to write a review of any book before but this was simply wonderful. David Nicholls has managed to conjure characters so full of depth that in finishing the book I felt almost bereft at their parting. Unlike a paint-by-numbers romcom brimming with contrivances to keep the characters apart, the tale moves with grace and humour through subtle and unexpected turns. The characters aren't always "made for each other", they're not always perfectly perky with adorable quirks; occasionally, like us all, they can be unpleasant, foolish, embarrassing and cowardly.
It is perhaps because of, rather than in spite of, the characters' genuine flaws that this books pulls so strongly at your heart, ringing so true as we explore the effects of our action and inaction in life. With effortlessly beautiful dialogue, and the ability to pick out the tiny subtleties of life, the story will carry you through on a wave of emotion, nostalgia, regret and hope so strong as to feel like a personal memory.
The "same day each year" idea sounds like high concept but its effect in the book is almost transparent to the reader. In fact, closer inspection shows that it actually works wonderfully to drive the story through a clever mix of drama and the everyday - just like life. On the years when the day itself is unremarkable the discovery of what has happened in between provides the reader with rich rewards whilst, all the while, Nicholls draws warmth and humour from the minutiae of life.
As the book draws to a conclusion, the story has an elegant and wondrous subtlety that prompts the involuntarily butterflies-in-stomach feelings of hope, excitement, fear and optimism that one only gets from falling in love.
I read this on a night flight and was thankful that the overhead light illuminated only the pages in front of me for I know that my eyes would have betrayed my feelings as the story closed. A profound tale woven from ordinary truths about love, life and feelings that will leave you genuinely moved and desperate to lend this to someone else.
It is perhaps because of, rather than in spite of, the characters' genuine flaws that this books pulls so strongly at your heart, ringing so true as we explore the effects of our action and inaction in life. With effortlessly beautiful dialogue, and the ability to pick out the tiny subtleties of life, the story will carry you through on a wave of emotion, nostalgia, regret and hope so strong as to feel like a personal memory.
The "same day each year" idea sounds like high concept but its effect in the book is almost transparent to the reader. In fact, closer inspection shows that it actually works wonderfully to drive the story through a clever mix of drama and the everyday - just like life. On the years when the day itself is unremarkable the discovery of what has happened in between provides the reader with rich rewards whilst, all the while, Nicholls draws warmth and humour from the minutiae of life.
As the book draws to a conclusion, the story has an elegant and wondrous subtlety that prompts the involuntarily butterflies-in-stomach feelings of hope, excitement, fear and optimism that one only gets from falling in love.
I read this on a night flight and was thankful that the overhead light illuminated only the pages in front of me for I know that my eyes would have betrayed my feelings as the story closed. A profound tale woven from ordinary truths about love, life and feelings that will leave you genuinely moved and desperate to lend this to someone else.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I must say after all the glowing reviews, I had high hopes for this book, but somehow for me it just fell short. I love the idea of visiting the characters on the same day throughout their relationship and see what they were doing at that point in time.
I think the beginning and middle were okay, but the ending just failed to deliver. I wasn't overly crazy about the personalities of the 2 characters. Emma was by far the most interesting of the two and I did enjoy her smart and sarcastic quips. The conversations between Dex and Em was entertaining and I did enjoy the banter between them both.
I'm just not sure where I stopped caring or lost interest - maybe when Dex got married.... I think the relationship between Dex and Em lack tension, passion, intrigue.... it just didn't grab me as a reader and pull me in.
It was a nice light read for sure & I would recommend it as that, but anything more than that, it definitely isn't.
Having said that, I will be interested to see the film version of the book.
I think the beginning and middle were okay, but the ending just failed to deliver. I wasn't overly crazy about the personalities of the 2 characters. Emma was by far the most interesting of the two and I did enjoy her smart and sarcastic quips. The conversations between Dex and Em was entertaining and I did enjoy the banter between them both.
I'm just not sure where I stopped caring or lost interest - maybe when Dex got married.... I think the relationship between Dex and Em lack tension, passion, intrigue.... it just didn't grab me as a reader and pull me in.
It was a nice light read for sure & I would recommend it as that, but anything more than that, it definitely isn't.
Having said that, I will be interested to see the film version of the book.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
one day
AN AMAZING READ. BETTER THAN THE FILM BY FAR AND VERY TRUE TO LIFE FOR MANY PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD. GET IT AND READ IT!
Published 5 days ago by ANKA
English American Psycho
It's sort of like an English American Psycho. Nicholls's prose creeps along from noun to noun like fingers. Read more
Published 6 days ago by D. Smith
One Day
Very enjoyable, easy to read, and didn't want to put it down! Interesting concept of the life of a relationship, that we should take life's opportunities.
Published 7 days ago by Jilly
Emotional
This was a fantastic purchase for myself. First of all the book arrived quicker than was expected, bonus. Read more
Published 8 days ago by O. J. Russell
Not quite an instant classic but...
Not quite the instant classic that some people think. Nevertheless, a funny and deeply moving love story charting the lives of two friends over twenty years. Read more
Published 8 days ago by J & K
Holiday read that left me feeling very upset and angry
I got this to take on my sunshine holidays last summer. I wanted to read this much hyped book before seeing the film. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Jane Austen
One Day by David Nicholls
Did not know quite what to expect but had seen very positive reviews I was very pleasantly surprised and I really enjoyed the characters and felt I got to know them as the writing... Read more
Published 15 days ago by DS Reid
Pleasant enough
It was a cute story - pleasant slop. Only memorable because everyone thought it was amazing but its just your usual twee story. Not even the film changed my mind.
Published 17 days ago by debsylevine
Enjoyable holiday read
It's an enjoyable and very pleasant read, which I would recommend as holiday reading. However, I didn't find it quite satisfying enough for 4 stars, and would have preferred to... Read more
Published 17 days ago by "Dr Hutch"
Not quite as good as I thought it would be.
I found it slightly disappointing that the story kept going back and forwards so much. Curiosity from my own student days.
Published 18 days ago by A. Cairns
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