n  Nos enamoramos, a pesar de nuestras diferencias, y de nuestra relación surgió algo genuino y hermoso.n

Llegué a este libro de una manera curiosa, y no es a través de la película. Fue a raíz de un reto de lectura, en que pedían para una de las categorías un libro en que apareciese al menos un pato, y no sé muy bien cómo, esto llegó a mí. Aunque no es mi género favorito, ni mucho menos, intento estar abierto a todo tipo de lecturas, y si bien no ha sido mala lectura, está claro que esto no es lo mío.

Noah y Allie son dos jóvenes que se conocen y enamoran en un verano ideal, siendo ambos adolescentes. Ese verano acaba y ambos quieren mantener su relación, algo que por motivos desconocidos no es posible. Siendo ya adultos hay un reencuentro y... y ya, si no sería hacer spoilers.
El libro está bien escrito, son principalmente dos personajes y una localización, aunque tira mucho de flashback. La relación me la creo, es algo que puede pasar, y el saber cómo va su historia me gusta. Pero tiene también una serie de cosas que no me gustan, y aunque son cosas pequeñas son muchas, lo que me ha acabado por saturar un poco.

n  Se sintió como no se sentía desde hacía mucho tiempo, como si sus sueños aún pudieran hacerse realidad.
Se sintió como si finalmente hubiera llegado a su destino.n

Esas cosas que no me gustan son principalmente 3, y todo gira entorno a ello: poesía, intensidad y "engaño".
Lo de la poesía es totalmente subjetivo. Aquí parece que solo existe la poesía como forma de literatura (esto se da mucho cuando se pretende hacer de un personaje alguien muy culto), y todo lo que se le alaba a Noah en su cultura es que es un poeta, que lee solo poesía porque de joven talytalytal... Aquellos que no leemos poesía pero si otro tipo de novelas también podemos saber muchas cosas y tener un nivel de cultura alto (alguien será así, ¿no?)
En lo de intensidad, es que ambos son muy intensitos, y lo que al principio parece énfasis acaba siendo demasiado reiterativo, como si todo tuviese que ser intenso. Para muestra un botón:

n  Se vio a sí misma sentada debajo del árbol en un caluroso día de Julio con un hombre que la miraba con tal intensidad como para hacer que el resto del mundo se desvaneciera a su alrededor.n

Por último vamos a lo del "engaño", y si bien el final es correcto, el autor hace una serie de piruetas para que no le pilles que más que una sorpresa me ha dado la sensación de que quería engañarme. Aunque una vez más me reitero en que todo esto es para mí, y por eso dejo la valoración en 3⭐ y no en menos, porque le reconozco las cualidades.

He visto varias críticas a la adaptación por girar un poco la relación, aquí es todo totalmente puro, y romántico, no hay nada tóxico por ningún lado. Y aún gustándome Ryan Gosling y siendo Rachel McAdams una de mis actrices favoritas, creo que he tenido suficiente y me salto el visionado.

PD: Aparecen muchos patos en una escena, ¡misión conseguida!


-----------------------

As usual, I've read this in a translated edition, so the quotes might be incorrect. Sorry about that.


n  We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created.n

I landed on this book in a curious way, and it's not through the movie. It was as a result of a reading challenge, in which they asked for a book in which at least one duck appeared for one of the categories, and I don't know very well how, this came to me. Although it is not my favorite genre, far from it, I try to be open to all kinds of readings, and although it has not been a bad read, it is clear that this is not my cup of tea.

Noah and Allie are two teens who meet and fall in love in an ideal summer. That summer ends and they both want to maintain their relationship, something that is not possible for unknown reasons. Being now adults there is a reunion and... that's it, otherwise it would be spoilers.
The book is well written, it's mainly two characters and one location, although it uses a lot of flashbacks. I believe the relationship is something that can happen, and I like knowing how their story is going. But it also has a series of issues that I don't like, and although they are small things, there are many, which has ended up saturating me a bit.

She felt like she hadn't felt in a long time, as if her dreams could still come true.
It felt like she had finally reached her destination.

Those things that I don't like are mainly 3, and everything revolves around it: poetry, intensity and "deceit".
Poetry is totally subjective. Here it seems that poetry exists as the only form of literature (this occurs a lot when trying to make a character very cultured), and everytime that Noah is praised in his culture is that he is a poet, who only reads poetry because when he was young, yada yada yada... Those of us who don't read poetry but do read other types of novels can also know many things and have a high level of culture (someone will be like that, right?)
In terms of intensity, it is that both are very intense, and what at first seems like an emphasis ends up being too repetitive, as if everything had to be intense. here an example:

She saw herself sitting under the tree on a hot July day with a man who was looking at her with such intensity as to make the rest of the world around her melt away.  i >

Finally we go to the "deception", and although the ending is correct, the author does a series of tricks so you don't catch him that more than a surprise he has given me the feeling that he wanted to deceive me. Although once again I reiterate that all this is for me, and that is why I leave the rating at 3⭐ and not less, because I recognize its qualities.

I have seen various criticisms of the adaptation for turning the relationship around a bit, here everything is totally pure, and romantic, there is nothing toxic anywhere. And even liking Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams being one of my favorite actresses, I think I've had enough and I'm skipping the viewing.

PS: a lot of ducks appear in one scene, mission acompplished!

No need for the tissue box here!

4 Stars - n  Also reviewed at: Lady Jayne's Reading Denn

Sweet and romantic, but I liked the movie much more. In fact, I LOVED the movie and watched it before reading this. In the movie, the characters of Noah and Allie had more intensity and passion. It is one of those rare moments, for me, when the movie was better than the book.

There are some great quotes in this book though. These were my favourite:

"I am a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough."

"We sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence. It is a waste, for silence is pure. Silence is holy. It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking."

"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that's what you've given to me..."

"We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has only happened 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."

"So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday."

"I love you. I am who I am because of you. You are every reason, every hope, and every dream I've ever had, and no matter what happens to us in the future, everyday we are together is the greatest day of my life. I will always be yours."

n  
n  COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: I do not hold the copyright to any of the images used in this review. They are posted to add visuals to the review and for fun. If any of these images are yours and you would like me to remove them, please let me know, and I will do so as soon as possible. If I can identify the copyright, I will do so.n  
n

Eine wirklich schöne Liebesgeschichte, aber wenn man den Film schon kennt, muss man nicht das Buch dazu lesen. Ich glaube ich mochte den Film sogar mehr als das Buch

کتابی که فیلم Notebook,براساسش ساخته شده،در ابتدا سطحی بود و چندان جذاب نبود.خیلی ساده و معمولی..پارت اخر کتاب اما..خوب بود,در مقتضیات رشته ام دوره ای بود در اشنایی با مراکز خدمات درمانی..در طی اون یکسری مراکز رو رفتم,از جمله اسایشگاه کهریزک و سرای احسان..که افراد ناتوان,سالمندان و بیماران روحی رو پوشش میده,
و چیزی که در این کتاب بود..الزایمر....اینطور بگم,در اونجا زمان برای افراد تمام شده ست..زمان مفهومی نداره..گذر یکنواخت روز ها برای افراد اونجا بی معنیه..در چشم هاشون میشد این رو دید..که زمان از اون ها بی توجه عبور میکنه..و اینکه ذهن های این افراد چه دنیایی رو میسازه برای من تکان دهنده س,همه ی ما در ذهن ها مون مشغول نبردیم..برای ادم های اونجا اما..افرادی که الزایمر دارن..نبرد تمام شده..چیزی که برای اونا فراتر از زمان رخ میده برای ما قابل درک نیست

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks is a story about two teenagers from opposite sides of the track who meet one fateful summer and fall in love for a lifetime. This novel was engaging and steady paced. I was able to read it in one sitting as I was drawn into the lives of Noah and Allie. Nicholas Sparks has created a poignant story about two people who try to recapture the love they once shared despite the passage of time.

Noah Calhoun is a simple boy with simple dreams. He loves poetry, his life in a small town, and a girl that was never meant to be his. Allie Nelson is accustomed to a life of riches and luxury, but she desires much more for herself. She loves art, music and spending time with a boy her parents do not approve of. As they explore their love for one another during their summer together, they realize that theirs is a love meant to last a lifetime. However, circumstances pull them apart for over 14 years and they are faced with trying to find a way to get back what they once had.

I enjoyed the story, but I feel the author could have spent a little more time telling the readers about Noah and Allie’s reunion and a little more of what they went through to make a life for themselves. It was interesting to experience this story through the eyes of Noah as he enters the last chapters of his life.

Compare Book to the Movie

I’ve never seen the movie nor read the book, so it was enjoyable to do both back to back. After finishing the book in one sitting, I watched the DVD and was immediately able to compare the differences between the two. I feel the book was well written and the movie did a great job of bringing the main events to screen.

One of the differences I noticed was the encounter between Allie and Martha. Martha was a love interest of Noah that never fully developed because he could not bring himself to move on. In the book, Martha leaves Noah well before Allie comes back into Noah’s life. In the book, they break up after Noah and Allie spend the night together, so obviously the timing was off, but it still worked well.

Another difference I noticed was the way the movie depicted Noah and Allie’s relationship as somewhat volatile. They fought and told each other on several occasions that they hated each other, when that never happened in the book. In the book, their love was perfect and steady. In the movie they fought quite a bit and their breakup in the movie was disheartening, which didn’t happen that way in the book. So there were differences in their character development between both.

The main difference between the book and the movie was the ending. As that would be a big spoiler for this review, I will not provide a detailed account, but let’s just say I felt the ending in the movie was more appropriate for this storyline.

Overall, I enjoyed both the movie and the book and I’m glad I chose this for my reading challenge.

Either my Nicholas Sparks times are over or this book is just not to my liking in general. It's a touching story but it didn't quite catch me. Not at all, actually. Nicholas Sparks' books all blur together in my head to one big sappy and somewhat unlikely love story that is so eye-rolling I'd rather watch newly in love couples making out on the underground train.

The Notebook (The Notebook #1), Nicholas Sparks

The Notebook is an achingly tender story about the enduring power of love. A story about two teenagers from opposite sides of the track who meet one fateful summer and fall in love for a lifetime.

In The Notebook, Nicholas Sparks write the novel by the grandparents of his wife, who had been married for more than 60 years when he met them.

In The Notebook, he tried to express the long romantic love of that couple. The story takes place before and after the war.

The novel opens with Noah Calhoun, an old man, reading to a woman in a nursing home. He tells her the following story: Noah, 24, returns from World War II to his town of New Bern, North Carolina. He finishes restoring an antebellum-style house, after his father's death. Meanwhile, Allie, 24, sees the house in the newspaper and decides to pay him a visit.

They are meeting, again, after a 7-year separation, which followed their brief but passionate summer romance when her family was visiting the town. They were separated by class, as she was the daughter of a wealthy family, and he worked as a laborer in a lumberyard.

Seeing each other brings on a flood of memories and strong emotions in both of them. They have dinner together and talk about their lives and the past. Allie learns that Noah had written letters to her for one year after their breakup.

She realizes that her mother hid the letters so that Allie could never receive them and would conclude that Noah had forgotten about her. They talk about what could have happened between them without her mother's interference.

At the end of the night, Noah invites Allie to come back the next day and promises her a surprise. She decides to see him again. During this time, her fiance, Lon, tries to reach her at the hotel. When Allie does not respond to his calls, he begins to worry.

The next day, Noah takes Allie on a canoe ride in a small lake where swans and geese swim. She is enchanted. On their way back, they are caught in a storm and end up soaked. When they return to his house, they talk again about how important they were to each other, and how their feelings have not changed. Noah and Allie share a kiss and make love.

Allie's mother shows up the next morning and gives Allie the letters from Noah. When her mother leaves, Allie is torn and has a decision to make. She knows she loves Noah, but she does not want to hurt Lon. Noah begs her to stay with him, but she decides to leave. She cries all the way back to the hotel and starts reading the letters her mother returned to her. At the hotel, her fiance Lon is waiting in the lobby.

تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز هشتم ماه فوریه سال2000میلادی

عنوان: دفتر خاطرات؛ نویسنده: نیکولاس اسپارکس؛ مترجم: نفیسه معتکف؛ نشر تهران، لیوسا، سال1378، در213ص، شابک9645634032؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا سده 20م

مهدی سجودی مقدم نیز با عنوان: دفترچه خاطرات (و با عنوان فرعی: «شورِ عشق») کتاب را ترجمه و توسط انتشارات «مهراندیش» منتشر شده است

رمانی عاشقانه است، از «نیکلاس اسپارکس»، که براساس داستانی واقعی، نگاشته شده است؛ این کتاب، بعدها مبنای اقتباسی سینمایی، به همین نام شد؛ داستان، در دوران پیش و پس از جنگ، رخ می‌دهد؛ «نوآ» و «آلی»، تابستان خوبی را، با هم سپری می‌کنند، اما خانوده ی «آلی»، و واقعیت‌های اقتصادی – اجتماعی آن دوران، مانع از به هم رسیدن این دو جوان، می‌شود؛ هرچه «نوا» تلاش می‌کند، پس از جدایی نیز، با «آلی» ارتباط داشته باشد، نامه‌ هایش بی‌ پاسخ می‌مانند؛ عاقبت «نوآ»، در آخرین نامه‌ اش، به عشق جاودان، و نامیرای خویش اعتراف می‌کند؛ «نوآ»، به شمال سفر می‌کند، تا شغلی مناسب پیدا کند، و یاد و خاطره ی «آلی» را، از یاد ببرد، و عاقبت، به جنگ می‌رود؛ پس از خدمت به کشورش، به خانه باز می‌گردد، تا خانه‌ ای قدیمی را، بازسازی کند؛ مقاله‌ ای در روزنامه، در مورد تلاش‌های او، برای همین کار، توجه «آلی» را، جلب می‌کند، و پس از چهارده سال، نزد او می‌رود؛ دو روزی را، با هم می‌گذرانند، و «آلی» تصمیم می‌گیرد، بین دو مردی که دوست میدارد، یکی را برگزیند؛ ...؛

تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 28/11/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 06/09/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی

Soy una de esas pocas que piensa que, por una vez, la película sobrepasó al libro. Es raro pero a veces sucede. Al menos en mi opinión.

I love the movie, but if you think that was sappy, do not pick up this book. I heard Nicholas Sparks had a knack for sap, but I almost drowned in it and felt no spark at all. The book was so frustratingly simple and obvious and laid out. The dialoque droned. I'll come back and add a real quote, but it was something like this:

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" he asked, wondering what she would say.
"Okay," she said, and than asked, "What should we eat?"
"Crabs," he said.
She never had crabs. They began to cook the crabs... etc.

There is a "quiver in his loins" when he sees her in her transparent white dress as well.

Oh and "the two become one" when they make love.

And then she is forced to leave when her fiance pays a surprise visit to down and she struggles to drive through her tears, but fights through the blurry vision because she is a strong woman like her mother... lalalalala. Could the book be any more contrived and gimicky? Who rated this above a one? And please enlighten me.

Gag, gag, awful writing, what a frustrating bore. He left nothing to the imagination. Unless you like getting dumber by the minute, don't pick this one up.

quite possibly the sweetest love story ever. I wept like a baby.

As an author, I learned that this romantic, simple style is not my cup of tea. Although I enjoy cheesy comedies (the work of Capra springs to mind), I don't yearn to write them myself. The original love story of this novel was a little too pat and plain-- it was too clear that this was the love of a lifetime. Perhaps I'm jaded, but I really think a lifetime of love is more irritating-- after all, no two people can be absolutely perfect for each other. In fact, that irritation and friction, and learning how to live with each other is what impresses me so much about long term relationships. I'm amazed that my parents are still together 29 years later because I know they've annoyed the hell out of each other-- and yet they were willing to work through that frustration because they believed their relationship (and our family) was worth it. The writing style in the beginning of the novel reminded me of my own writing during high school-- that rush of first love, that hope that you've found that one person to complete you and make your life worthwhile.

For me, the most interesting, compelling part of The Notebook was the last segment. (If you haven't read the book, be aware that rest of this review will contain spoilers.) When the main character's love for his wife of forty-nine years triumphs even through Alzheimer's relentless blanket of memories, I was inspired. More than their love for each other, and the miracle that was their relationship, I was touched by Noah's willingness to live life in the present moment. At the end of their life together, Noah's goal each day is to fall in love with his wife again, even though she doesn't remember him. Even if he never sees that flash of recognition in her eyes, he is satisfied, as shown by this passage:

There is beauty where we sit this afternoon, Allie and I. This is the pinnacle of my life. They are here at the creek: the birds, the geese, my friends. Their bodies float on the cool water, which reflects bits and pieces of their colors and make them seem larger than they really are. Allie too is taken in by their wonder, and little by little we get to know each other again.

My goal is to say and truly believe that line in the middle every day: "This is the pinnacle of my life." That is the best lesson of the novel: to find happiness in simply being alive and appreciating the beauty and love around us.

(What? I read a cheesy book! You'd BETTER expect a cheesy review!)