Review: One Day


One Day
One Day by David Nicholls

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Admittedly, what pushed me to read the book was the movie. I watched and immensely liked the movie, so I thought the book was worth reading. Fortunately, I was correct in my assertion.

One Day is a new type of book for me. I've never read a book quite like it before. Other than love and romance, it shows how people grow up, make life decisions and live their lives

It was enriching to observe how Emma and Dexter grew over the years, with their evolving ways of thinking. As they became older, it was evident that they became mature, and the things they wanted constantly change. It was also nice to see how their relationship evolved over the years.

I guess the "growing up" aspect was the best part of the book for me. Well, there's still a long way to go before I graduate, but I somehow can relate with Emma and Dexter when they ruminate over what they want to do with their life. In fact my favorite paragraphs or paragraphs in the book was in the last chapter as Emma thought of what to do in the future. I liked it so much that I will quote it here (SPOILER ALERT! Read at your own risk).

"'What are you going to do with your life? In one way or another it seemed that people had been asking her this forever; teachers, her parents, friends at three in the morning, but the question had never seemed this pressing and still she was no nearer an answer. The future rose up ahead of her, a succession of empty days, each more daunting and unknowable than the one before her. How would she ever fill them all?
She began walking again, south towards The Mound. 'Live each day as if it's your last', that was the conventional advice, but really, who had the energy for that? What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to simply try and be good and courageous and bold and to make a difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you. Go out there with your passion and your electric typewriter and work hard at . . . something. Change lives through art maybe. Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved, if you ever get the chance."

As for the romance aspect of the novel, I'd say it was lovely and beautiful. Most of the romance novels I've read occurred over months. Only a few of them happened over years. One Day is the only romance novel I have read that spanned decades, two to be exact. This book is a gold mine of character development. It's the reason why I loved it.

However, as with most of the romance novels I've read, I'd like to ask why somebody had to (SPOILER ALERT!) die. I know it was a crucial plot device, and I know that it made the book so much better, but as I've said so many times before, I want to read a great romance novel wherein the lead character/s don't die but still have a great impact on me. I will wait for that novel. As for now, I am quite happy with this book. I recommend this book. It's fun and worth reading.



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