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One Day by David Nicholls

53 replies

Sherbert37 · 22/12/2010 14:36

Anyone else enjoyed this? Liked the idea of a diary kept on the same day each year (wish I had thought of that). Found the idea that each year we live through the eventual day of our death quite disturbing though. Lots of topical references for those who left uni in late 1980s. Film coming next year.

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 13/01/2011 20:38

It's been too long since I've read it :( I want to ask which "that bit"s people are referring to!

KPee · 15/01/2011 11:33

Loved it. I've never read a book that made me actually laugh out loud like that before.

I think casting Anne Hathaway as Emma in the film is an error of castastrophic proportions.

Shimmerysilverglitter · 15/01/2011 17:43

I have PM'd you KPee.

sparklyjewlz · 15/01/2011 17:52

I agree KPee! Aren't there any British actresses available?

BerryLellow · 15/01/2011 17:56

I found it underwhelming. Couldn't really like the characters much, and for me it all seemed to trail off.

PassionKiss · 15/01/2011 18:02

Never mentioning the date annoyed me as well BertieBotts!

Kpee - I laughed out loud when Dexter drunkenly bashed his new love interest in the face during a family parlour game Grin

I didn't like the ending Sad

Agree with others who said Line of Beauty a much better book with similar themes. That was 80s though. This was mainly 90s which was enjoyable for me as I was late teens at the time and remember the music, fashion, drugs Blush etc. Seemed accurate to me!

BadPoet · 18/01/2011 17:12

I didn't like 'that bit' and I didn't like the ending, and I didn't really like either of the characters, they were such 'types'! I couldn't see any chemistry between them at all for the whole book and just when I thought there might be some - well you know what happened (is this thread spoiler free?Confused)

There's a film? and Anne Hathaway, really? Shock

I haven't read Starter for Ten.

I did LOVE the whamming the girlfriend accidentally bit. That had BETTER be exactly like that in the film, including the mother shrieking 'You didn't even ask if she was there Moriarty!' Best line in the whole book.

lalalonglegs · 18/01/2011 17:31

I will never understand what people see in this book - it was contrived and poorly written, just a film treatment waiting for Richard Curtis to come along Hmm (did enjoy the whamming the girlfriend bit though Grin).

sharbie · 18/01/2011 17:35

read his frst book the understudy - that's better

unclejim · 18/01/2011 20:25

i loved this book its one of the only two books to make me cry the other being a thousand splendid suns.Sad

mellicauli · 18/01/2011 20:49

Sorry. Left me a little cold - even though I was at university exactly the same years as the characters. It should have spoken to me and I was disappointed that it didn't. I am still looking for the ultimate 80s nostalgia hit.

Xenia · 18/01/2011 21:02

I liked it. I read it on our Christmas holiday and one of my daughters did too. It was good except it seemed to fall apart. I took it into a sauna might have been the problem. The physically binding gave way so my daughter has had to read it with rubber band around the loose pages.

wizzler · 18/01/2011 22:49

I enjoyed the book, but Starter for 10 chimed much more with me, ( and has a better ending) Might try Line of Beauty on your recommendation, ladies!

crapbarry · 19/01/2011 09:43

I enjoyed it, but have no idea what 'that bit' is you're all referring to! The end pissed me off, it felt like such a waste of a good book. (Maybe I'd have enjoyed it more if I'd been at uni in the 80s - I left in 2004, so the book was about 15 years too early for me to get all the cultural references.)

I've left it at my FIL's house for our next visit though, so will re-read it when next stuck over there for 2 weeks with no new books!

RunLyraRun · 19/01/2011 10:11

I loved it. I was at uni in Edinburgh in the mid 90s, and although this was set a few years earlier, it took me right back there. I laughed out loud many times, DH loved it too, we both bawled at "the bit".

Rebecca Hall played the female lead in the film of Starter for Ten, which I had seen not long before I read this. I pictured her as Emma all the way through One Day and still think she'd be perfect for it.

farawaytrees · 19/01/2011 12:45

I loved this book and thought the two main characters were really well drawn and amusing although I found them both quite infuriating at times particularly Emma! I liked the references to early 90's music TV and lad culture. The ending did shock me but I think it gave the story more meaning. I also enjoyed "Starter for Ten" and I have just ordered a copy of "The Understudy" :)

Chocaholica · 19/01/2011 21:24

I'm really enjoying this. Agree that it has probably been over-hyped but it's a good read nonetheless.

I enjoyed Starter for Ten too but haven't read The Understudy - is that worth a try?

sharbie · 19/01/2011 21:48

yes

thunderbird69 · 24/01/2011 08:40

I thought it was no more than 'ok'. Quite lazily written and very cliched.

KirstyAllsoap · 26/01/2011 23:51

Just finished it tonight and loved it. Made me cry though.

Haven't read all the hype though which has to be a good thing.

Karbea · 26/01/2011 23:57

Loved this book, but I think they should have ended it earlier than they did. The film is released this year isn't it.

ShoonaBee · 27/01/2011 19:12

Actually saw That Bit coming - how else was he going to resolve the character's lives? Hard to see a happy ending after the ups and downs they'd gone through. Liked the ending, leaving the reader in full-on nostalgia mood (or is that just me?)
Enjoyable it but can;t believe what everyone is telling me re. Anne Hathaway in the film. Worse than Andie Macdowell in Four Weddings Confused

CatIsSleepy · 27/01/2011 19:16

oh i loved it, it made me blub buckets, i was totally taken by surprise
will not be watching the film though. Ann Hathaway? no freaking way

PuppyMonkey · 28/01/2011 14:24

I just finished this book last night, I was in bits by the end. I didn't see that bit coming - am not actually sure whic bit is that but, but ykwim. I too left university in the same year and it really connected with me. I thought the chemistry between them was perfect. Isn't it weird that so many of you didn't think they gelled well. Definitely the best book I've read in ages gas left a real impression on me.

Boo to Ann Hathaway though. And I googled the guy they've got in mind for dexter and he's so wrong too. Forget his name, he's not a well known actor.

Merrylegs · 28/01/2011 14:33

Ooh I just googled the Dexter actor and I think he looks OK actually. Kind of how I imagined Dexter.

I think of Emma as small, plump and pretty though, so AH had best lose a few inches in height and put a few on round her middle.

I hope the film doesn't bottle out of the ending - am worried they will. I really liked the ending in the book and thought it worked well.

Starter for Ten is snortingly funny. There is a good girlfriend bit in that too.

Understudy was OK - v funny in places, but read like a first book. Was it his first book?