Be Prepared for a Tear Jerker
I first read a review for the David Nicholls’ book One Day awhile ago, and the concept intrigued me at the time. When I heard that the book was being made into a movie starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, I put it onto my summer reading list. The book is set in England (Nicholls is British) and it follows the lives of two protagonists, Emma and Dexter, as they graduate from college and begin to find their way as adults. The book starts on July 15, 1988 (St. Swithin’s Day) when the two college graduates have spent the evening in bed together. Emma, a studious young woman with aspirations to save as much of the world as she can, has had a crush on the handsome rogue Dexter for years, and the relationship between the two leaves the readers hoping that the two have more than a one night stand. Each chapter that follows progresses one year, and we learn of events that occurred in the time between in hints and snippets from Em and Dex. The two form an unlikely friendship as Dexter pursues a career in the “meeedia” (as Em refers to it) and Emma tries to figure out what she exactly wants to do with her education. I actually “read” this book through an audiobook, and I more than once found myself laughing out loud, covering my mouth in laughter, and spilling tears because of the frustrations I felt over the way their relationship came so close to being “more than friends” only to have life once again get in their way. Though the ending left me disappointed, I am looking forward to seeing how the book is portrayed on the big screen. If Sturgess and Hathaway can capture the personalities of Dex and Em, I know I will equally enjoy the movie!
