Day

A Novel

By: Michael Cunningham

Narrated by: Julianne Moore

NATIONAL BESTELLER • An “exquisite” (The Boston Globe) exploration of love and loss, the struggles and limitations of family life—and how we all must learn to live together and apart—from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Hours

“The only problem with Michael Cunningham’s prose is that it ruins you for mere mortals’ work. He is the most elegant writer in America.”—The Washington Post

NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: NPR, Harper’s Bazaar, Chicago Public Library, Lit Hub, Paste, Kirkus Reviews

April 5, 2019: In a cozy brownstone in Brooklyn, the veneer of domestic bliss is beginning to crack. Dan and Isabel, husband and wife, are slowly drifting apart—and both, it seems, are a little bit in love with Isabel’s younger brother, Robbie. Robbie, wayward soul of the family, who still lives in the attic loft; Robbie, who, trying to get over his most recent boyfriend, is living vicariously through a glamorous avatar online; Robbie, who now has to move out of the house—and whose departure threatens to break the family apart. And then there is Nathan, age ten, taking his first uncertain steps toward independence, while his sister, Violet, five, does her best not to notice the growing rift between her parents.

April 5, 2020: As the world goes into lockdown, the cozy brownstone is starting to feel more like a prison. Violet is terrified of leaving the windows open, obsessed with keeping her family safe. Isabel and Dan communicate mostly in veiled sleights and frustrated sighs. And dear Robbie is stranded in Iceland, alone in a mountain cabin with nothing but his thoughts—and his secret Instagram life—for company.

April 5, 2021: Emerging from the worst of the crisis, the family reckons with a new, very different reality—and with what they’ve learned, what they’ve lost, and how they might go on.

“[Cunningham] is one of love’s greatest witnesses.”—Los Angeles Times

“An absolutely stunning portrait of humanity . . . a masterpiece.”—Literary Hub

Spectacular writing and narration

The storyline and writing are beautifully executed. It feels natural, relatable, interesting, sophisticated, and filled with heavy hearted love.

Very promising and involving... but the ending

Loved Julianne Moore's narration. She's so beautiful I didn't realize she was also such a great actress. I really loved the characters, especially the adults. The child characters were a bit too special and original I'm kind of sick of that trope. Also sick of someone with talent making it hugely big. In every book? Did one character have to get a piece in the Whitney? Come on! It's as if this author became famous and can't believe that there was some luck in that so that every character who has talent and is successful has an over the top acheivement.
The writing, wonderful. ANd, once again, the adult characters were interesting and came to life through the varied narration. It's just that I didn't like the way it wrapped up. I can't imagine the author did either.

Great prose, insular story

There is no doubt about the author’s prose writing ability. And the ability to flesh out the characters. Bad unfortunately those characters live a sheltered life in something like the east side of Manhattan, where the only threats are having to find a new apartment and enduring growing old. The entire endeavor is sweet but denuded of conflict. Sometimes it’s too clever, storytelling-wise. In the end I’m happy to hear Julianne Moore read it to me than read it myself.

Struggling against the fear of empty lives.

Depressed early-middle- aged adults who can’t commit to relationships, and hardly understand themselves. Their ennui inevitably invades the lives of their unhappy kids.

A novel about sadness and love

The multiple characters. There individual stories and how they were interwoven. A lot of sadness but also love.