“When forty-something Laura Lewis is obliged to abandon a life of stylish independence in Paris to care for her elderly mother in Winchester, it seems all romantic opportunities have gone up in smoke. Then she runs into Ben, the great love of her student days – and, as she only now dares admit, the emotional touchstone against which she has judged every man since. She’s cautious – and he’s married – but they can’t deny that feelings still exist between them. Are they brave enough to take the second chance at the lasting happiness that fate has offered them? Or will they be defeated by the need to do what seems to be the right thing? Taking its structure from the events of a single summer’s day, The Whole Day Through is a bittersweet love story, shot through with an understanding of mortality, memory and the difficulty of being good. In it, Patrick Gale writes with scrupulous candour about the tests of love: the regrets and the triumphs, and the melancholy of failing.”
The first thing that came to mind when I began this novel was the written style and my initial dislike of it. My dislike of the written style made it a challenging novel to get absorbed into. However, after half an hour’s reading, the style seemed to become less important as I got to understand the characters and their backgrounds.
It was the character development in the novel that made it such a strong read for me. The way the author introduces you to both characters separately before the story bought them together, set the plot up well for the continuation of the novel and gave the reader a useful insight into each character’s personal life and family background. The made it easier to relate to both characters, which I think is possible for most readers, and therefore easier for the readers to feel the intended emotions later on.
Overall, not an incredible read, but one that is still worthwhile.
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