Thursday 15 November 2012

Jonathan Meres Visit Stewarts Melville

Recently, Jonathan Meres visited the school to chat to the boys about his books - The World Of Norm. These very popular books concern Norm, a boy who can't understand why everything is so unfair. Jonathan signed copies of his latest instalment: May Contain Gas. His books are available in the library now!

Monday 5 November 2012

Crtique of One Day by David Nicholls

“One Day” is a memorable read.  It relates to the changing patterns of the lives of two people who meet towards the end of their student days at Edinburgh University.  It traces their journeys through the following 20 years by identifying one day each year (15 July, St Swithin’s Day) to report on their progress.

The novel is deeply moving on account of its economy of language and its stark realism.  Some of the related incidents are shocking but all are easy to identify with because they are the incidents of typical, everyday life and they are scrupulously related to events of the time as well as to exact locations.

There is always a sense of foreboding associated with this novel and equally a desire in the reader that all will be well in the end, simply because the individuals described are flawed, tender, at times inconsiderate, desperate for recognition and lovably human.

There are many twists and turns in “One Day” but, on reflection, no more or less than in many lives when examined over a period of time.

It is difficult to draw conclusions from the novel.  It might be argued that life is futile or unfair and indeed one of the characters does seem to have an unreasonable share of good fortune and the other remarkably little, but on closer scrutiny, the reader notes that one may leave a substantial legacy to the world, where the other more fortunate individual may leave none and be left in his life only with a sense of enduring sadness.

David Nicholls shows in “One Day” how young people age, change and yet, in essence remain the same characters they were in adolescence: it is this acute observation of human behaviour which makes this novel so touching, tender and true to all of us who have read it.  I recommend it to anyone in S5 or S6 strongly.

This critique is by Mr Gray, Principal at SMC.

A copy of this book and the DVD is available in the SMC Library.