Sunday, June 05, 2011

Current Obsession: One Day

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While I struggle to sift through the 400+ photos I took in a week in Thailand I thought I'd share with you all a book that surprised me in all the right (and sometimes wrong) ways. 

I began reading "One Day" by David Nicholls on a beach in Koh Samui and from the first few pages I was hooked. I lay on a recliner in one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to with my head firmly buried in this book. 

I don't want to give anything away about the story so here's the little synopsis I found on David Nicholls website:

'I can imagine you at forty,' she said, a hint of malice in her voice. 'I can picture it right now.'
He smiled without opening his eyes. 'Go on then.'

15th July 1988. Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.

So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year which follows?
One Day is a funny/sad love story spanning twenty years, a book about growing up – how we change, how we stay the same...
It's not often I get completely engrossed in a book, there's usually something that loses my attention - whether it be the writing style, something the character does, a plot change - and I'll read to the end but not feel fully satisfied by the ending. 
This book is so beautifully written and composed that by the end of each chapter I was nervous/excited to find out where they were a year later in their lives. That's the beauty of this book - each chapter is based on one day each year and you get to see how Emma and Dexter's lives are evolving and changing through David Nicholls brilliant descriptive writing. 
By the end of this book I was so emotionally involved in these characters that I found myself laughing and crying and feeling proud and sad and happy and every emotion that they felt along with them. 
A movie has been made based on this book starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess *swoon* and I'm excited to see how they do it. I'm so happy I read the book before seeing the movie because I don't know if I would hold the same appreciation for the book that I do now. 
If you only read one book this year, I suggest you pick up a copy of this one and read it from cover to cover as quickly as you possibly can before the movie comes out. I cannot wait to read his other books.
- Brooke

6 comments:

  1. I'll have to add that to my growing list of reads. :)

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  2. Thank you so much for this! I was wondering what all the fuss was with this book, but I never really read a review-- I'm excited to read this!

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  3. I just got chills watching that trailer! I am going out and buying this book immediately!!! I can't even wait to begin! Thanks!

    theyoungandthenaive.blogspot.com

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  4. I agree with Lydia! I have so many books to add to my list, but I think I'm definitely going to add this one...

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  5. going to add this to my reading list. Great review on it. Sparked my interest!

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  6. Ok you kids are too nice. It really truly is a beautiful book - you won't be disappointed!!!!
    I'm going through a reading phase atm and this book was too good to not do a post about it :)

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