The Culture Club (Book: One Day) September 5, 2010

This is the next study session in a series of culture studies where something from the media (e.g. a book, a film, a music album) is discussed from a Christian perspective but the session is for people of all faiths and people of no faith at all who want to explore the message behind the media.

The session will start at 6:30pm when we will discuss the book.

There is no charge for this event and is open to those aged 15 or over.

BOOK INFO
=========

Video:



The following background and summary is taken from the Damaris study guide @ http://www.damaris.org/content/content.php?type=1&id=440:

Summary

Emma and Dexter study at the same university but never really talk until their fateful graduation night, 15 July 1988. Sharing their hopes and fears about the future, Emma reveals herself to be full of idealistic fervour, determined to change the world for the better. Dexter, by contrast, considers life to be an exercise in extracting as much pleasure as possible whilst avoiding pain. He is aware that this will probably wear thin in time, but why not enjoy it while he can?

The author proceeds to pick up the threads of the story once a year, every year, on 15 July. Emma tries and fails to break through as a radical playwright, and finds herself waitressing instead. She keeps up a yearning and rather one-sided correspondence with Dexter, who has set off on a glamorous world tour, picking up several women and the beginnings of a career in media along the way. For a while it seems as though he has it made, whilst Emma is merely wasting her talents and losing the will to try. But when the pressures of Dexter’s lifestyle begin to tell and Emma decides to turn her career around by training as a teacher, it becomes less clear who has really found success and happiness.

As their fortunes shift Emma and Dexter periodically draw closer together, grow apart, quarrel, laugh, cry, struggle with their feelings for one another, and eventually learn that even across many years there are some ties which will always bind.

Background

One Day is the third novel by David Nicholls, whose previous books are Starter for Ten and The Understudy. Nicholls has also written several films, including an adaptation of Starter for Ten produced by Tom Hanks and starring James McAvoy. His work for television includes episodes of Cold Feet and the recent BBC adaptation of Tess of the D’Urbevilles.

One Day was published in July 2009 and has garnered widespread acclaim.

Previous Sessions
===============
This series continues to be popular. Previous evenings have looked at "LIe To Me" (TV), "Crash" (film), "Helvetica" (film), Athlete's "Black Swan" (music album), Man Dancin' (film), "Looking For Eric" (film), "Rachel Getting Married" (film), "Vantage Point" (film), "Slam" (book), "Black Gold" (fim), "Heima" (Sigur Rós) (film/music), "The Squid and the Whale" (film), "The Bourne Supremacy" (film), "Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling" (book), "Into The Wild" (film), "Atonement" (film), "Iron Man" (film), "The Lives of Others" (film), "Pan's Labyrinth" (film), "Utopian Dreams" (book), "Breaking and Entering" (film), "Little Miss Sunshine" (film), "Evan Almighty" (film), "Babel" (film), "The Zahir" (book), "Paradise Now" (film), "Life on Mars" (TV series), "Collateral" (film), "Arthur and George" (book), "Moulin Rouge" (film), the Robbie Williams album "Intensive Care", "Lost in Translation" (film), "Whale Rider" (film), "The Incredibles" (film), "The Da Vinci Code" (book), the U2 album "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" and "Chocolat" (film).