One Day

I have just finished reading David Nicholl's One Day. Since it appeared on so many 'Best of 2010' book posts, I thought it might be a good read for the winter break. I did find it enjoyable but with one glaring issue, I could not connect to the characters! Last semester I was fortunate to take an Indian Writing in English course, where we read The Guide by R.K. Narayan. This question was presented during discussion, "do you have to like the characters to get something out of the novel, or perhaps, are the characters unlikable to exemplify a greater theme in the novel?". For Nicholl, I felt the character was, frankly, sloppy. The greater theme of finding true love was diminished by the disdain I had for the lead male. Dexter is a personified Peter Pan British boy, a similar complex that Hugh Grant exists within almost all his movies. I think that this shtick is overplayed and is often a fall-back for writers looking for a clichéd character to present.

The female lead, although more likable, falls in the predicable literary trap of being the destroyed-by-love female, waiting for the man to finally come to his senses. Emma, the female protagonist, is constantly and continually falling in love with a terribly abusive and awful Dexter. She attempts to lead a strong, independent life, but is unable to move on from that one perfect day that she shared with a man who hasn't existed since.

The two find themselves in a committed, adult relationship. One where Dexter has to clean up his act and finally this static character changes! Ultimately, I have no qualms with this book being a fun, and despite being rather large at 448 pages, it is still a light read. If I wasn't trying so hard to find qualities in especially Dexter that were relatable, I think I would have liked it much more.
Done!