I was hesitant about this novel because it semed like a romance novel, but I picked it up because it came up on several "best books of the year list". I'm glad I did. This is a real-life romance novel. No fluff, no fantasy. It follows the lives of two very real people who struggle with life, relationships, and self. The novel is fast-paced in that you only get a glimpse of their relationship (or lack thereof) as it spans over twenty years. The author achieves this by picking one day and describing where they are on that one day, every year, for twenty years. The development of the characters from immature 20somethings to life-questioning late 30somethings strikes a chord with probably most readers; it did with this one. It is funny in places, tragic in others. What makes it good is seeing how the characters develop and change - through letters, narrative, dialogue, etc. Reminds me a little bit of "When Harry Met Sally". There's another movie that it reminds me of but, if I mentioned it, I might give too much away so I will remain mum. I read this book in two days so...a quick and enjoyable read, especially considering I am typically leery of this genre. Oh, yeah, it's BRITISH. So, that should tell you something about the humor. It's dark and dry, just like I like it.