One Day

David Nicholls came to my attention for a variety of reasons, but mainly through my love of 1. James Mc Evoy and 2. University Challenge. This manifested itself in the film Starter for ten, which then led me to the book, and in turn various other things which he has been involved with Tess of the D'ubervilles etc....

One Day is just an amazing book. I'm always fascinated by male writers who can write fom such an amazing female perspective. e.g Nick Hornby, Tony Parsons. Like the things they know about women fascinates me, like I couldn't write from a male perspective.

Anyways, the book focusses on these two people. Dexter and Emma. Dexter is a rich, posh kid who is studying in Edinburgh, breezes through life, ladies man etc. Emma is a tough northerner, totally bright as a button. So basically Emma is gorge, but completely unaware of it, and turns out Dex and her totally had a thing for each other all these times they were in Edinburgh but it just never happened. So it's like the last night, and they get it on, by get it on they don't actually do the deed.
So the date is 15th July St Swithins day. Every day we revisit them on this date. This is an intersting plot device, my only quibble with this is that especially towards the end of the book it feels a bit rushed. Early on in the book it feels like all the important things coincidently happen on days that we hear about but towards the end massive stuff happens that we only find out through back story. But it's only a minor issue. The story could be set anywhere because you feel like you are there, like Emma might be cycling her bike past you on the ring road. Like you could be Emma or Dexter, because nothing totally extraordinary happens. Neither is a saint. But what draws you in is the knowledge that they should be together, and they can never get it together. Dexter might phone Emma just as she leaves the house, or she gets ready to tell him how she feels just as he gets engaged. But then suddenly in a massive anti climax they are together. And you feel a bit let down by how it happened. No fireworks. But then that's life init? I mean, there aren't explosions in the sky just because you want it to be.

Although I know this is a totally crap entry, i feel like even if i was writing a brilliant entry it still wouldn't do justice to the book. So just fuck off and get the book............

or check out the site!
http://www.oneday-twopeople.com/home.htm