Would Allie have loved Noah if he lived in a cramped apartment?

When the movie came out, I was a teenager, clueless about love and the ways of the world, I absolutely loved The Notebook.

However, now that I just read the book, I am convinced Allie made the wrong choice!

Allie talks about how she thinks Noah is swoon-worthy because other people don’t take enough time to enjoy the things that make life worth living. That’s rich coming from Allie.

She appears to have no job other than complaining.

Noah is gifted his wealth while Lons works long hours as a self-made lawyer.

Sparks is brilliant because he essentially took a modern take on The Great Gatsby where Allie doesn’t consider Noah a potential life partner until she discovers his very nice house.

This book does resonant in some ways. Allie and Noah are at an inflection point – they aren’t just picking a partner but a lifetime. They have to guess what The Ghost of Christmas Future will be.

The prose isn’t my favorite with a very short sentence structures.


The part of the book that I enjoyed – and enjoy is probably the wrong word for being a weeping ball of sentimentality – is when Allie and Noah are older, when they have shared a lifetime of love, weathering the ups and downs of life, the joy, disappointments, and triumphs.

Probably just ignore this review from an admittedly romantic cynic.

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The first half of the book was good until Noah and Allie’s love started to suffocate me.

They were ex boyfriend and girlfriend who drifted apart when Allie moved away. Allie was about to get married to another man but decided to meet Noah one last time which rekindled their love and united them. They got married and had an amazing life. Allie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease later in her life. She started forgetting things and eventually lost all her memory.

Everyday in the hospital Noah used to tell her stories regarding their love, children and life in general. The book ended with Noah and Allie kissing one another - the moment when Allie remembered everything.

This bizarre and out of the box ending ruined the entire book for me. Yes love is powerful but showing it as a miracle was too much for characters who were in their eighties. The entire story revolved around love pointlessly and ended on it too without any plot.

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Besides the awful writing style (just to mention unimaginative, spiritless and full of clichés), I found the story just a little too contrived and far too predictable. I couldn't get over the premise where Noah and Allie meet when they are teenagers, spend one summer together and meet again after 14 years to realise they are still utterly in love?! What?!

It irritated me to no end that Sparks felt the need to not leave anything unexplained, describing things in excruciating detail, boring me but more so putting me off reading any of his other books. In the end it just felt like it was dragging on and on and on - I just wanted it to end.

Also, since I listened to the audio version I must say that the choice for the reader of the audio book isn't the most brilliant one. His voice is kind of suited for the old Noah but his imitation of a young Allie is just really off-putting. Plus, he's got that kind of voice that makes me want to fall asleep straight away. Combine that with the terrible style and plot, this book can only be described as indigestible. No more Nicholas Sparks for me, thank you!

The tears...oh the angsty teen tears. Check out my video 5 Books that *Actually* Made Me Cry for all the juicy details.

n

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I liked the movie better... *crickets*
sorry nick
I just felt like...
it was so... meh
yes it was nice at times but
good bye- I don't feel like writing a review & I honestly don't know if this is a 2 or a 3 stars read.

Strasznie mdłe, płaskie, nudne. Cieszę się, że się kochali. Może jednak warto jest opowiedzieć coś jeszcze…

Nie uwierzyłem w nich jako bohaterów, nic o nich nie wiem.

Ocena: 1,0.

كالعادة نيكولاس سباركس يطلع لينا لسانه
ويقول
ضحكت عليكم وثبتكم

الراجل دا ليه بيعمل معانا كدا؟؟
ليه عاوزانا نصدق ف حاجات مريبة
زي الحب
والصدق
والوفاء
والزواج
ليه؟؟؟؟؟
يكونش ماسوني؟؟؟

الغريب ودي علامة ف كل كتبه
هو ملتزم بشدة متلقيش شتيمة
ولا مشهد عاطفي حار
مع ان مفيش رواية كتبها الا وتستحمل
لكن هو عامل كنترول لوحده
ولا قالك
الدراما تتطلب دا
ولا اتفذلك ولا شئ
وعرف يوصل اللي هو عاوزه

مش قصدي ان اللي بيعمل عكس دا زباله
لا خالص
بس انا بتغاظ ان فيه روايات بتبقي عبارة مشاهد ابيحة
تحتوي علي رواية
او مشاهد مقحومة لا لشئ غير اهو هو كدا

قصة بسيطة وسهلة
من غير احداث او تفاصيل
ومن غير كعبلة
ما بين بنت و ولد
يفرق ما بينهم القدر
المشكلة اني لو حكيت هبقي حاسس اني بقول
تتر مسلسل عربي

الرواية لازم تتقرأ
انا مشوفتش الفيلم
ف مش عارف هما مرمطوا الرواية ولا التزموا بيها

رواية لازم تقرأها احسنلك
علشان تفتكر انك لسه انسان


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Una historia preciosa, amé la peli, me encantó el libro (aunque son un poquito distintos). Sparks no decepciona, me encanta como plasma sus historias te llegan al alma y te hacen vibrar e incluso recordar situaciones por las que has pasado tú también. Muy emotivo y tierno

"Te quiero. Soy quien soy gracias a ti. Tú eres todas mis razones, todas mis esperanzas y todos los sueños que he albergado, y no importa lo que nos depare el futuro: para mí, cada día que estoy contigo es el más importante de mi vida."...

Where I got the book: I have absolutely no idea what this was doing on the Shelf of Shame. I'm really hoping it was a freebie from some event, because seriously, I wouldn't have bought it would I? Another Bad Book Buddy Read with Crystal Starr Light.

Bottom line:



Well, there's no accounting for taste, and if you like sappy Twoo Luv stories this is your man. My mileage varied, mostly because I was reading critically with ALL my teeth and claws out, so I'll forgive you if you enjoyed it because yeah, I can see where the enjoyment could happen.

My emotions changed as I read through this novel. They were, in order, Incredulity, Boredom and Depression.

Incredulity

Well, THAT got off to a good start when I realized that pretty much the entire novel was going to be a flashback.



And increased exponentially when I encountered clichés such as the poetry-book-that-stopped-a-bullet and girl-undresses-in-front-of-mirror.



This is the scene-setting exposition part of the story, which continues for an alarming 38 pages but really should have been much longer, because it's a sketch of a teenage love story (yawn) with parental opposition (YAWN) and How The War Matured Me.



And of course Noah is a gentle poet who likes to take things slooooooowly and commune with Nature, sort of like Walt Whitman with less hair (Whitman is liberally quoted, which vexed me because quoting poetry in novels is a pet peeve of mine. Also song lyrics.)

Boredom

The yawns set in big time once we got into the Twoo Luv story of how Allie decides to cheat on her fiancé by looking up her old boyfriend, making sure her dress gets REALLY WET so that her nipples stand out like hard little diamonds or something, and then rubbing her hands all over Noah's chest. Oh yeah, and suggesting he crack open a bottle just in case her inhibitions don't drop low enough.

This, naturally, leads to a massive bonkathon extending over several days.



After which Allie, who should pretty much be unable to walk by now, actually has the gall to do the it's-not-you-it's-me speech and LEAVE. Only to be bounced back by an even MORE clichéd scene involving Mom and, I swear I'm not making this up, the words Follow Your Heart.



Depression

And then the story jumps forward half a century and everyone's dying which SHOULD cheer me up, given what I think about these two, but in fact it reminds me that all Twoo Luv stories pretty much end this way. There's a REASON why we usually end with a wedding, you know. At my age I do NOT need reminding that if we're lucky we'll end up holding each other's arthritic hands in a nursing home.

And what really gets me is that of course they've lived wildly successful artistic lives because OF COURSE Noah has reawakened the artist in Allie that was stomped on by Life and she's become famous. Even though the Allie we see in the backstory is just a bundle of sexual and emotional neediness with none of the drive and passion of a real artist. I mean if she were that great she'd be producing art without Noah having to tell her to do it, right? And then when we jump forward she's completely lost the plot anyway, so basically Allie remains entirely devoid of character. And Noah's just Wet Poet Type, Standard Issue.

Did I say earlier that I can see why people enjoy this book? Well, yes. If you like stories without much depth that are engineered to get the tears flowing and make you feel all AHHHHH at the end, grab a box of tissues and dig in. On second thought, watch the movie because I believe it may be better. Oh look, here it is!



Yep, its all wet.

Δεν χρειάζεται να είσαι πιστός και αφοσιωμένος αισθηματιας , ορκισμένος ρομαντικός και τρυφερός, πληγωμένος, μα και τόσο πιστός στην θρησκεία της παντοτινής αγάπης για μα μπεις σε αυτόν τον ναό των αναμνήσεων.
Μια εκκλησία για τον έρωτα, ένα τρενάκι γεμάτο απόλυτη και ανεξάντλητη αγάπη.
Ένα αξεδιάλυτο κράμα βιοψυχολογικής και ανεξάντλητης ανάγκης για αφοσίωση και συννενόηση.

Μάλλον κάπως έτσι θα αρχίζουν να εμφανίζονται τα θαύματα στην ύπαρξη μας μέσα στον χρόνο και την ουσία που τον περιβάλλει.
Μια ανίατη ουσία που κάποτε χαρίζει ευτυχία και άλλοτε πόνο και αβάσταχτη θλίψη.
Σίγουρα μιλάμε για θαύματα καθώς αυτή η μυχιότητα της ασύλληπτης ψυχικής μέθεξης
δεν ευδοκιμεί με τους ανθρώπους
που είναι ανεξάρτητες οντότητες,
θέτουν όρια και εγωιστικά σύνορα.

Η ιστορία αναφέρεται με χρονικές μεταπηδήσεις σε έναν ηλικιωμένο άνδρα,ο οποίος διαβάζει μέρη ενός ημερολογίου σε μια ηλικιωμένη γυναίκα. Γίνεται αντιληπτό εξ αρχής πως η αφήγηση για παρελθοντικές εκρήξεις ζωής γίνεται με μεγάλα ή μικρά διαλείμματα, ανάμεσα στο παρόν και τις σκληρές καθημερινές λειτουργίας μιας ρουτίνας που κάθε μέρα είναι άλλη, διαφορετική, πότε τοξική και εκφυλιστική και πότε θαυμάσια και μοναδική, στολισμένη με τις πινελιές του πάντα και του ποτέ είτε ως τραγωδία είτε ως βαθιά συγκινητική και καθόλου κοινότοπη ιστορία αγάπης. αναφορικά με την ηλικιωμένη γυναίκα.

Αφηγείται την ιστορία του παρελθόντος τους.

Στα δεκαεννιά, ο νεαρός Νόα Καλχούν ερωτεύεται τη δεκαεπτάχρονη Άλι Νέλσον. Ξεκινούν ένα καλοκαιρινό ειδύλλιο, αλλά η οικογένεια της Άλι εναντιώνεται σε αυτόν τον έρωτα διότι η αριστοκρατική τους τάξη δεν συμπαθεί και δεν πριμοδοτεί με πλούτο και ματαιοδοξία τις φτωχές σε υλικά αγάπες.
Έτσι, χωρίζουν μα ξέρουν να περιμένουν και υπομένουν. Ο Νόα πολεμά στον Β´ΠΠ και η Άλι απογοητευμένη απο την δολιοφθορά που έκρινε την ευτυχία της, ερωτεύεται ή έτσι νομίζει, έναν δικηγόρο που ονομάζεται Λον Χάμιλτον.
Μετά απο χρόνια,ο Νόα εχει επιστρέψει απο τον πόλεμο και διατηρεί σχέση με μια ντόπια χήρα.
Εκείνη ,
με γυναικεία νόηση πλασμένη, συνειδητοποιεί ότι εξακολουθεί να θρηνεί για την απώλεια της πρώτης του αγάπης.
Και ναι, είναι πια δεκατέσσερα χρόνια μετά την τελευταία τους φορά μαζί, όταν η τύχη, η μοίρα, η ατομική βούληση, η δύναμη της ψυχικής τηλεθέλησης ή και το ατάραχο σύμπαν, αποφασίζουν πως οι δυο νέοι θα ανταμώσουν ξανά.
Μπρος πίσω χρονικά, και τώρα στο προαύλιο του ιδρύματος όπου οι διάφορες μορφές άνοιας είναι υπεύθυνες για το μεγαλύτερο φορτίο αυτών των ασθενειών, ενώ η νόσος Alzheimer αντιπροσωπεύει τις πιο βασανιστικές και οδυνηρές αναπηρίες των περιπτώσεων.
Η Άλι έχει Αλτσχάιμερ και δεν ξέρει ποια είναι. Αλλά υπάρχουν στιγμές που η μνήμη της επιστρέφει και μπορεί να ανακαλέσει τα γεγονότα που της διάβασε ο έρωτας της ζωής της σε αυτό το ημερολόγιο των δακρύων απο αθώρητη χαρά και απο ανείπωτη λύπη.

Το 1932 δυο έφηβοι απο τη Βόρεια Καρολίνα περνούν το καλοκαίρι της πρώτης τους αγάπης μαζί.
Στη δεκαετία του ‘90 ένα γηροκομείο βάζει το πλαίσιο της πραγματικής ιστορίας.
Κάποιος ηλικιωμένος διαβάζει σε μια άλλη υπερήλικη γυναίκα ένα βιβλίο !…




Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς και σεμνούς ασπασμούς.

Someone mentioned to me that she likes that I also review/record books that I've read and don't like. Well, this book is right up there for me.

Back when guyczuk was in 4th grade, his teacher came to me one day, saying I had to read this book she'd just read. It was the best book EVER and she stayed up all night to finish it, crying as she read. Being the sort of mother who likes to see what makes her son's 24 year old teacher (who spent more time on the internet planning her upcoming wedding than she did teaching) tick, I borrowed the book.

I. Hated. It.

Sappy, tugging at your heart-strings, sentimental, pap. Totally unrealistic situation for an Alzheimer's patient, too, and I know from Alzheimer's, trust me. Things just don't happen like that, and I could not be charitable enough to engage the willing suspension of disbelief mode. If the writing had been good, I could have given it credit. But let's not go there.

My dislike for the book had 3 consequences:

1. I decided to give Sparks one more try. Nope. My opinion didn't change. You've heard of do not call lists? He's on my "do not read" list. I only BookCross copies of his book I've been given. Won't even pick them up second hand.

2. When the film of this movie was made here in Charleston, I had the chance to be an extra. As much as I would have liked that experience, I turned it down. And yes, I have NOT seen the movie.

3. One day I was in Books-A-Million. There was a huge crowd of women fluttering around an author. He was a clean cut, preppie-ish kind of guy (I remember that his blue shirt had an unfortunate white collar.) When I found out it was Nicholas Sparks, doing a book-signing, I tried to skirt around the crowd. His handler stopped me.

"Don't you want to meet the author?"

"No thanks," I replied.

"But he's rather good. Have you read his books?"

"Umm. Yes, but I'd rather not meet him."

"You've read his books and don't want to meet him? Why not???"

"I'd rather not say," I said, trying to break the iron grip she had on my arm.

"He'll sign one for you."

"No thank you."

At this point, my struggling to get free caught the author's attention. He rose from his signing table, the red sea of women clustering around him parted and he came over to me. He was quite polite, and attentive, and inquired why I was so adamant about not participating in the book signing. Again, I demurred. He insisted. Did I like his book? Well-- no, not exactly. He pushed for details. I'd had enough and let loose with what I thought.

To give him credit, he didn't blanch though his handler did, and I actually heard a hiss from one of the ladies in the crowd. He thanked me for my opinion, and said he would rather have someone who vehemently disliked his book that someone who said it was so-so. At least he'd stirred a strong emotion in me. To this day, that is the only thing I like about Nicholas Sparks.

*looks at his own rating nervously* Are you guys gonna hate me? Bash me? No? Good! Bcz one needs to have the freedom to dislike or hate any book, no matter how well received it is in general.

I picked this book bcz of a suggestion and well, as the rating tells you, it didn’t work out well. Not that I hated the book but I found it to be like an incessant droning voice. If anyone, most of you, like or love how this book reads, I am truly happy for you but for me personally it was so so so bland that I almost didn’t write a review for this.

I mean look at it objectively, what’s the story here, really. Allie and Noah were in love way back when they spent a summer together and then they got separated. They spent 14 years apart, which might I mention are 14 more years than they spent together but are still unable to move on. One fine day Allie, who is engaged to another guy now btw, decides that she really needs to see Noah even if it risks her marriage and off she goes. They meet, they “make love” and then they fall in love all over again and now Allie needs to make a decision about which guy to choose. That’s the nutshell of this book.

The characters are completely two dimensional and the story was super flat and the prose boring. There are no touching moments in the book that justify all the falling in love. There are no real moments here. The part towards the end with Allie and Noah being sickly is solely there to add a bittersweet feeling of having spent a life together which must end and I gotta tell you that it falls so flat.

Finally, there is also my pet peeve in this book (not exactly but close enough) that completely makes it a waste of time for me. Allie betrays 2 guys in this book. Allie goes and sleeps with Noah (they were in love, I get it, but even so) while she was already going out with another guy at that time. And she says she was glad it happened. Guess what, I am not! Then years later, Allie repeats the act, only this time it’s even more serious. This time around Allie is engaged with a decent guy who she lies to in order to come see Noah and then she sleeps with Noah despite being engaged to someone else and having her marriage in 3 weeks!

You can look at it and say that she was so deeply in love with Noah but from where I sit, I see this as a betrayal and cheating on your partner. More than that, the repetition of the act makes me doubt Allie as a character, makes me feel that this is her nature and then it makes me ask myself what is to stop her from doing the same to Noah. For me, this is an act that I find unforgivable. Sure this isn’t exactly an extra marital setting but for me, engaged and married aren’t much different. It’s all about a commitment. If you can break one, then you can break the other.
I also read in one of the reviews for this book that the author had the same situation of girl cheating on her fiancé in one of his other books. Now I am not sure if that is true but if it is, then it confirms what I felt through this book. The author is romanticizing cheating on your partner in the name of “love” and I find that absolutely abhorrent!

I also wanna comment on the author’s writing style but I am sorta afraid that some defender of the book/author will rise up to teach me how to read the book and which genre it fits into and all that crap. But let’s be honest, the day that I let my fear of such people rule me and keep me from writing an honest review will be the day I quit GR for good.
I found the author’s writing style very bland and poor, tbh. I didn’t see any spark there that would make me feel that this is a renowned author who has multiple books under his belt. I mean seriously, this is his writing style? This is so unimaginative and so lifeless. So damn dull that I can’t even. The writing on itself is completely unable to stimulate any emotions at all. I have come across writing styles like these only when I accept review copies from debut authors. Tbh with y’all, I have written review that are more poetic than this book. I am sorry but I failed to see just how this author is so well received. This book, this author is not for me.