Didn’t you ever love anything that much?
Yes.
"Me Before You," the 2012 novel by Jojo Moyes, is the tale of Louisa (Lou) Clark, a newly-unemployed, very extravagant young woman living in a touristy town in England. She is a woman who has only ever had one job, one love, one life. It’s a book that, quite plainly, you would have to read in order to fully appreciate. You might think it’s a story of "boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl live happily ever after," but that is not the case. It’s not the case at all.
Will Traynor is a thirty-something quadriplegic man whose life was turned upside down when the only thing he’d never known he wanted was taken away from him: his ability to explore the world and his ability to do so on his own. He is absolutely miserable until Louisa comes along -- employed by his mother as his caretaker on a six-month contract -- and attempts to create promise in the midst of Will's seemingly bleak world.
"Me Before You" is not just a love story; it is a story of triumph, of tragedy, of reaching your highest point only to have to watch yourself fall. There is a bit of love in between, too, if you look closely enough (can you read my sarcasm? No? So much love. I think I am falling in love with Will as Louisa does, if I’m being honest). The novel also teaches its audience about mental health, how scary it can be when one loses their ability to cope with mental illness and, most of all, the risks, both emotionally and physically, of living when less than half of your body is fully functioning. The story is told from Louisa's point of view, but we have no trouble at all deciphering how Will feels throughout.
The novel came out over four years ago but is gaining popularity quickly after having been picked up by Warner Brothers, Inc. in 2014 to be adapted into a film. However, I have seen the most excitement (and been the most excited) since the trailer was released a little over a week ago. The sneak peek into the film portrays the story as little more than a tale of romance, but those who have read the book know it is so much more than that.
I picked this novel up only two days ago and, miraculously enough, have managed not to finish it already. I did, however, read over half of it in a single day. It immediately sparked my interest and has kept me absorbed throughout. "Me Before You" encapsulates calamity; it makes you believe in happy endings, and then snags one right out from under you. It has captivated the hearts of audiences everywhere, and I -- as well as the two-and-a-half million other people who have watched the trailer since its premiere a week ago -- cannot wait to see how the movie enchants us, too.
