One Day (Vintage Contemporaries)

One Day is the third novel by British author, screenwriter, and actor, David Nicholls. The day referred to in the title is St. Swithin’s Day, July 15th, and the narration describes what is happening in the lives of two people, Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley, each year on that day as well as referring to significant events of the preceding year. Emma and Dexter are first encountered on the day after their graduation and are followed through twenty years of life: relationships, career highs and lows, personal crises, addictions, weddings, marriages, divorces, extramarital affairs, parenthood, resounding successes and abysmal failures, loss of significant family members, loneliness, cohabitation and physical ageing all feature. Apart from straight narration, Nicholls uses letters (sent and unsent), poems, phone messages and newspaper articles to tell the story, and he cleverly creates the feel of the period with songs, books, movies, TV shows, world affairs, politics and sports. It all feels very real. Dexter and Emma have lots of depth and appeal; the supporting characters are likewise interesting. Nicholls manages to evoke plenty of laughter, but also tears (occasionally at the same time!) as well as groans and sighs. He also packs a punch that will leave the reader gasping. This is a marvellous novel that will have readers searching out other works by David Nicholls.