Another somewhat dark, heavy read to finish up October: One Day by David Nicholls. Now, to serve a martini in honor of Emma or the classic Edinburgh Blood and Sand?
Readers, be warned: One Day is not for the faint of heart, nor the romantic. Heart-wrenchingly realistic with characters so infuriating you might have to take a few snack breaks, Nicholls’ novel is an ode to missed opportunities.
Turn On the Bon Iver!
"'What, like 'change the world,' you mean?'" - Dex
"'Not the whole entire world. Just the little bit around you.'" - Emma
Emma and Dexter, briefly united in their University days in Edinburgh and quickly ripped apart, initially keep in touch the old-fashioned way with letters and postcards. Emma, ever the idealist, mourns the life she should’ve had as a college graduate and barely hides her affection for Dex. Shouldn't she be out there, changing the world? Meanwhile, Dex, the raucous party boy traveling on a whim and thoroughly enjoying his independence, has little concern for the trajectory of his adult life.
Each narrator’s highs and lows seem to alternate, never aligning, each pulling the other closer and pushing them away. At times losing touch (in the era before cell phones!), their friendship ebbs and flows with the obstacles and triumphs they face. Like many of us, Dex and Emma separately wonder if they'll ever be truly happy with their lives. And naturally, as Emma finally hits her stride, Dex finds himself at rock bottom. Each grappling with their mental health, romantic lives, and careers over a 20-year period, One Day captures the fleeting, melancholic nature of life and love.
Emma and Dexter implore us to consider, is love a question of timing, or of courage? What does it take to be happy? Are we all just doing what we think we should do, or what we really want to do?
Missed Opportunity
I never thought I was the type of person who craved quick-fix romances or happy endings, but I’m beginning to question my very nature after reading One Day. Maybe it’s the fact that “missed opportunities” largely define the book, but I found it almost painful to get through. That is not to say I didn’t like the book. (Did I?) It was just so frustrating to see these characters come so close to admitting they love each other or need help, only to turn away at the last second. And yes, this is realistic, because most of us are scared of vulnerability and putting ourselves out there. But sue me for wanting the characters I care about to occasionally make healthy choices that are good for them!!
Perhaps the style of the narration added to the tension, skipping along to find the protagonists on the same day each year for 20 years so that we missed some of the nuance of their stories and relationships. It’s interesting, because the characters felt very authentic and real to me, yet they made decisions I didn’t entirely understand because the choices didn’t always agree with the characterizations I was privy to on these singular days. I mean, I can’t imagine that Nicholls wanted readers to hate Dexter. But his storyline felt intentionally dislikeable, and as much as I wanted to empathize with him, I sometimes couldn’t. I know that Dexter likely suffered from depression as he took Emma and his family for granted and continued down a dark path, but the narration largely implies that he was simply a selfish, immature man. Am I sounding cruel? Let me be clear: I really, really wanted to like Dexter and help him, so it was just painful to read. I liked Emma as a person far more (even as she made her share of self-destructive choices), but I found the last few chapters far too abrupt and frankly a disservice to the world the characters had built. Call me shallow or overly optimistic, but can't a character be happy for ONE DAY?? The irony does not escape me; I was simply not prepared for the relentless pain and heartbreak this novel brought. I respect this very original narrative style, but it wasn’t for me. I'm waffling between 3 stars for this book and simply not rating it because I don't think I'm the right audience for the novel.
Side note: for a pretty real-to-life book, this novel is uniquely lacking in diversity. Aside from a small, possibly bi moment with Dex, One Day fails to represent the cultural, social, linguistic, or sexual diversity of the UK. Does it even pass the Bechdel test?
Recommendations
I’d recommend this book for fans of darker dramas (think Sharp Objects, All the Bright Places, or Paper Towns) and suggest that those seeking a lighthearted romance steer clear.
Pouring One Out for Emma
I almost prepared a gin martini in Emma's honor for all that she endured throughout the novel, but I felt a more fitting ode to Emma and Dexter's fraught relationship would allude to where it all started: Edinburgh. For the Blood and Sand recipe, I had to break into my dad's sacred store of scotch and scrounge in our cabinets for vermouth. It was worth it.
Here's the recipe I pulled from The Spruce Eats:
3/4 ounce of Scotch whisky
3/4 ounce of cherry brandy/liqueur/heering
3/4 ounce of sweet vermouth
3/4 ounce of orange juice
Orange peel for garnish
Note that I did cheat and add the suspicious juice (liquid?) from an old jar of maraschino cherries in place of the cherry brandy. Is this a cocktail crime worthy of Scottish punishment? Not having sampled a Blood and Sand with the intended ingredients, I found my substitute perfectly fine, if more sugary. I found it most comparable to an amaretto sour, though the range of my alcoholic palate is incredibly limited, as I only started enjoying real cocktails in the past 2 years. I like to think that young post-grad Emma would have reveled in this drink, and we could have gossiped together about Dexter and Tilly. Maybe someday I'll enjoy it in Edinburgh! (putting it in my planner as we speak)
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