One Day by David Nicholls

This is a Book Week book review for Wednesday’s Holiday Reading theme.

I didn’t like Starter for Ten, in fact, I never got through the first few chapters (though I know plenty of people who loved it), so I was a bit wary of trying One Day, but so many people were recommending it that I thought I should give it a go.

I did enjoy it a lot, though I think mostly because the protagonists were around my age and really quite familiar. I’m not sure I entirely liked either of the characters, but there was enough recognition (in the characters and situations) to make me interested and invested enough to keep reading.

Essentially, the book documents the lives of two people, from university to early forties, and takes them through such life events as travelling, various jobs, buying property, getting married, getting divorced, having children and so on. It feels like a book of the times – at least of the last 30 years!

If you’re in your late thirties or early to mid forties, and went to university, then you’ll probably enjoy it. There was a point at which I got very angry at the author, but to go into more detail would be a spoiler.