The Notebook: A Novel (1996) by Nicholas Sparks, Book Review

 The Notebook: A Novel (1996) by Nicholas Sparks

I love reading romantic novels by Sparks since A Walk to Remember. I’m not saying that novel is my favorite genre or I’ve read every book by him (I heard his latest novel, The Wish, is very good) but those that I do read, I love them all. Like one of the reviews said, Sparks “generates authentic emotional power.” I say, he always sparked the emo in me. I enjoy watching the movie too. Ryan Gosling as Noah, Rachel McAdams as Allie, and other cast members acted very well and almost as good as I imagined the novel could be. But, like many readers who watched their favorite novel turn into movie adaptation would say - the novel is better. There is… more. Only true readers will understand why. I’ve created the scenes in my mind. I’ve invested my precious time and emotions in the story. I’ve made some of the words, conflicts, and thoughts mine (or read mine into them). When the story so gripped you, someday you will wonder, as you forget that you have read it somewhere before, are these memories belong to me or someone else? Or a mix of both like cocktails? Whatever it is, you will hold tight to the sweet ones but the sad ones will always haunt you. Yet, the memories never let you stop believing what’s possible. That's what love does.

Truth be told, The Notebook is a bit cliche and in case you forget that it’s a fictional story - some of the details are unrealistic. When I first read it many years ago, I can very much figure out how it will end. But what makes me always come back to Nicholas Sparks’s novels (I’ve read Message In a Bottle, Safe Haven & The Best of Me too) is because he is very good with words - lyrically romantic, a gifted storyteller, and heart-touching genius. Let me quote one short paragraph among many that I’ve underlines like a textbook. A dialog. Hope this can encourage you to read The Notebook for yourself. This is what Noah said to Allie when she asked him to pick one moment he remember most from the summer they spent together:

“Poets often describe love as an emotion that we can’t control, one that overwhelms logic and common sense. That’s what it was like for me. I didn’t plan on falling in love with you, and I doubt if you planned on falling in love with me. But once we met, it was clear that neither of us could control what was happening to us. We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has happened only once, and that’s why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I’ll never forget a single moment of it" ❤☺

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LeadersReadNovelToo #NicholasSparks #TheNotebook #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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