There are books on my bookshelf that I bought aeons ago, intending to read one day.
This is one such book, bought (when first published in 2009) for the sentimental reason that the story starts on 15 July 1988, around the time that I left the London School of Economics where I spent three years reading Law.
The premise of the book is that it follows the main couple in the story, Emma and Dexter, over a period of 20 years. On 15 July of each year, the novel provides a snapshot of their lives on that one day.
Emma and Dexter met at university at exactly the same time that Mr Gochugaru and I met at university. The cultural references throughout the story provided many ‘oh yes I remember that’ moments. So I thought that I would really enjoy reading this novel.
Hmmm.
There is nothing wrong with the writing or any of the phrases. I didn’t particularly warm to or identify with either character, although I enjoyed reading their letters to each other. The sad and missed moments of opportunity and meeting between Emma and Dexter were frustrating. Both end up in long-term relationships to different people before they finally marry each other. In the end, whilst there is some kind of understanding or conciliation that Emma and Dexter should be with each other, there is no happy forever as Emma gets killed on her first wedding anniversary to Dexter.
Such an ill-fated story.
There are more books like this on my bookshelf. When I was younger I quite liked reading about other people’s chaotic and disorientating lives, made up in novels, as it was a foil to my neatly-structured life. It was a reminder that I am most happy walking on the straight-and-narrow path.
It’s not hard to see that I have too many books and not enough time. From today I am going to be intentional about letting go of books that I don’t think I would now enjoy reading cover-to-cover. My book spring cleaning begins today, not one day, some day or another day.
One Day by David Nicholls, published by Hodder and Stoughton, ISBN 978-0-340-89696-9. Read a summary here.