In having the novel culminate in the late 2000s Nicholls forces the reader into self-evaluation, and for those of the same generation as the characters, the novel takes on an added significance. In many ways the novel is a cautionary tale an exploration of how we treat, and often fail to nurture, love, and a warning against failing to act from the heart and allowing oneself to be swept up in the triviality of everyday existence, whilst neglecting the most important elements of one's life.

As their lives unfold, seemingly straying further and further apart, the question is: can they find a way to put their baggage aside and rekindle that pure and magnetic attraction they experienced as young graduates? And so, for twenty years, jobs, friends and relationships drift in and out of their respective lives Dexter landing an attractive spot on late-night TV before succumbing to the temptations of alcohol, women and drugs, and losing his youth to a swirl of superficial delights, Emma struggling through a string of low paying jobs and grotty apartments before making progress towards her goal of becoming a published writer. Although they are instantly attracted to one another their lives pull them apart, neither one having the drive or inclination to overcome the hurdles necessary to build a relationship together. The novel opens the day after Dex and Em's graduation in 1988, the pair having just met and spent their first night together, and follows them through the next twenty years, describing just one day each year - St.

One Day (2009) traces the lives of two university graduates - the funny, intelligent and liberal Emma Morley, and the arrogant, moneyed playboy Dexter Mayhew.

One day david nicholls book review