At this point, you might have heard of or already watched the hit Netflix show that has the UK in a "chokehold" since its premiere last February: the 14-part series "One Day," starring Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall.
The novel the show was based on, which bears the same name, was by bestselling author David Nicholls, widely regarded by peers and fans alike as the contemporary master of romantic comedy.
His new work: "You Are Here" is already accruing critical acclaim and will likely be flying off the shelves of bookstores soon. That said, "One Day" is once again floating vividly in Nicholls' mind as fans of the recent Netflix series are breathing renewed vigor into the source material.
David Nicholls' Thoughts on His Work and Its Adaptation
In an interview with BBC, the author said that people have been sending him "really lovely messages" praising the rewatch-worthiness of the show. Conversely, he commended the actors for making the "small incidents" in the narrative pull like "big events."
"They're not murders or explosions," said Nicholls of the series' plot points. "They are tiny and those actors managed to make the smallest things feel important and emotional."
Perhaps the author was subtly alluding to it, but it is Nicholls' ability to craft an inherently charming romantic comedy that served as the foundation for the enthralling and gripping performances of the headlining pair.
The 'One Day' Novel's Success
The novel has snowballed into a cultural phenomenon since its publication in 2009, despite not making the Booker Prize shortlist, unlike its contemporaries like Hilary Mantel's "Wolf Hall," Sarah Waters' "The Little Stranger," and AS Byatt's "The Children's Book."
Critically, the success sized up to its general buzz, with The Guardian's Harry Ritchie describing it as "a novel that is not only roaringly funny but also memorable, moving and, in its own unassuming, unpretentious way, rather profound."
Similarly, The Times' John O'Connell called the novel "a wonderful, wonderful book: wise, funny, perceptive, compassionate and often unbearably sad."
The readers have evidently agreed, with over six million copies being sold across the globe and "One Day" receiving 40 language translations. There was a point in time when everyone in Britain seemed to have been reading the novel.
All in all, this is the reason why the Netflix adaptation was so well-received. A good enough iteration of a well-beloved source material is bound to turn some heads and hearts.
