Reading One Day was like eating popcorn--I just kept gobbling up the romantic misadventures of Londoners Emma and Dexter. We first meet them in 1988, when they hook up on the night of college graduation and begin a lifelong off-and-on relationship. Em's an intellectual who weighs herself down with introspection and worry about the world; Dex is a rich, handsome lightweight who lives for fame and fun. We follow this odd couple for almost twenty years, but we see them only on July 15th of each year--a trick of narrative compression Nicholls pulls off with enviable skill. His dialogue is unfailingly entertaining--his characters manage to be likable and funny even when they're behaving badly. As they get older and the misbehavior turns self- (and other-)destructive, you want to grab them and shake them because they've become your friends. And you realize you're totally immersed in this story, it's become your life, and that's why you love to read novels.
I still haven't made up my mind about the unexpected denouement. Write me if you get there.
1 comment:
I thought it was a cop out but I also didn't see an alternative.
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