Day
Michael Cunningham
The Day, by Michael Cunningham, examines love and loss, along with the struggles and limitations, in family life. It tells the story of Dan and Isabel, husband and wife, who are slowly drifting apart. The central structure of this novel is divided into three periods: 2019, 2020 and 2021. In 2019, both Dan and Isabel are close to Robbie, Isabel’s brother who is living in the upstairs annexe. Robbie, who has given up one job after the other and has had numerous love affairs, has created an invisible adult friend, Wolfe, as an Instagram feed. Isabel then evicts Robbie, who has to move out of the house. Also living in the house are the children: Nathan (10), who is starting to take steps towards independence, and Violet (5), who tries to ignore the difficulties between her parents. In 2020, we see the family as the world goes into lockdown. Violet is terrified of the virus and obsessed with keeping her family safe. Robbie is spending lockdown in Iceland, while Dan and Isabel are trapped in their marriage. Life feels like a prison. By 2021, the family is emerging from the worst of the crisis and facing a new and different reality. What have they learned, what have they lost and how will they go on?
Day has generally been positively received. Critics overwhelmingly agree on the brilliance of Michael Cunningham’s use of language and lyricism. What makes the novel particularly successful is its unique structure and pacing. However, while some are entranced by Cunningham’s authentic characters, one critic believes they are the book’s biggest weakness: ‘It is hard to engage and fully empathize with their problems, which are mainly late 30-something disappointments that life is not living up to expectations. More problematically, the two school-aged children and their reflections don’t ring true to age, even for precocious New York City kids’ (McAlpin).
