Customer Reviews

The Notebook

5 star:		(1,004)
4 star:		(236)
3 star:		(83)
2 star:		(86)
1 star:		(196)

 

 

Nicholas Sparks has become famous for writing the sweet and tender love story that appeals to the romantic in all of us. He doesn't disappoint with "The Notebook" as he weaves the tale of two teenagers, Noah and Allie, who meet one fateful summer and fall in love. Since the course of true love is never smooth, it should come as no surprise that Allie's parents do not approve of her relationship with Noah. He does not have the education, money, or social prominence they wish for their daughter. Allie and her parents move away and Noah writes to her for years, but after never receiving an answer gives up. WWII comes, lives change, but one thing remains constant---neither Allie nor Noah can forget the other. As Noah's friend Gus tells him, first love changes your life forever and no matter what else happens in your life, the memory of it stays with you. And so it is that fourteen years later and three weeks before her wedding, Allie finds herself driving to New Bern to find Noah for reasons she herself does not fully understand. Their reunion proves once again that they are true soulmates, but it that enough? Can Allie forsake the "perfect mate" who has not only her love but also the approval of her parents? Can she walk out on Noah for a second time? Will Noah let her go? The story then skips to the nursing home where an 80-year old Noah resides and spends his time reading poetry to his fellow residents. But down the hall is a very special woman. The reader will be overcome with emotion as this relationship unfolds and the missing pieces of Noah and Allie's story are revealed in the notebook he carries with him. Intensely romantic and a tribute to the power of true love, "The Notebook" will leave you emotionally spent and thankful to be so.

I borrowed this book since "Message in a Bottle" was unavailable at the library. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I brought it to work which was a major faux pas. The story touched my heart and spoke to me in a very strong way. The expressions of love, the devotion, and respect that the characters had for one another reminded me so very much of my relationship with my fiance. A few passages brought tears to my eyes, much to the consternation of my fellow workers and clients.

I so loved the simple, yet deep love story that Nicholas Sparks brought to life that I went out and purchased a copy for my fiance. I will give it to him on our wedding day and hope that our love like that of Noah and Allie will stand the test of time.

Incidentally I loaned a copy of this book to my younger sister and warned her to find a private place to read "The Notebook". She didn't listen to my advice and read it on the subway - much to the consternation of the other commuters. She in turn loaned it to her sister-in-law with the same warning...

After reading a Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks, I had to dash off to the library and read The Notebook, which I read in one sitting. What can I say about the quintessential love story? Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, parents separate them and then they meet again years later, get married, and live happily ever after.

Only with Nicholas Sparks as the author, this story is different. You are immediately captivated into the story, reliving it, feeling it and savoring each and every emotion. It is a sensory experience reading this story and you feel like you become Noah or Allie, the main characters, the soul mates. By the end of the book, tears are sure to be shed, deep sighs emitted and then one is left thinking is such a love possible and where does one find a love like this?

This is a beautiful love story, with all the emotions to hook you from the get-go. The sensitivity of the author is clearly portrayed in Noah and Allie. Nicolas Sparks weaves his magic with this story, which is based on his wife's "beloved grandparents."

I absolutely loved this story and I am not a big romance reader. But I do love Nicholas Sparks' books and now have read all of them. If you are a hopeless or a hopeful romantic, then this book is a must read! As with all of Nicholas Sparks' books, keep a box of Kleenex handy - you are sure to use them!

Beautiful story of love that lives forever. Nicholas Sparks once again writes a little quick read story about love in a fairly common situation. Unlike "A Walk to Remember" the author gives the characters and the story a lot more depth.

Sparks has the ability to describe scenery and characters to my satisfaction. He doesn't get bogged down in useless characterizations or drawn out plots. He doesn't overwhelm the reader with excess research. He keeps his stories easy to read and not too complicated. As with his other books this is a couple hour read that allows the reader a little escapism without much thought.

I really enjoyed meeting Noah the local country boy who kept his past summer love in his heart and Allie who returned the love. It was also enjoyable to read about the lessons Noah's father had given him to help him mature into a real man. What can you say about a man who likes John Wayne, reads poetry and appreciates the small things in life, has a fit body and truely loves girl? What can you say about a girl who is a painter, comes from an upper crest family and appreciates the love others have for her?

When you have finished reading this story you will wipe your eyes of the welled up tears and realize you're smiling all along. It's a beautiful love story and a good read.

I started to read The Notebook book only because my neighbor forced it upon me, and I had to stop at page 50. I know that since I am not a romantic person, it was not a good idea to read it, but i wanted to please my neighbor, so i tried and, believe me I TRIED to finish it (or AT LEAST get to page 100)! Nicholas Sparks' writing style horrified me! I felt I was reading a C-students narrative in Junior High!I can now fully understand why a lot of his books are made into movies; many directors and writers are looking for a book that they won't have to rewrite to make a movie. I felt like I was reading a script, it was all dialogue and actions, and, oh yeah, more ACTIONS! He was barely able to describe anything at all! I will never again read a book by Nicholas Sparks, or even let alone THINK about doing it!

My God! Where did all those 10's come from? Is the first non-Harlequin romance these people have ever read? It makes "Bridges" look like "gritty realism" which I didn't think possible. Let's see if I have these one-dimensional characters straight. He is a poetry-reading, guitar-playing guy with no flaws whatsoever and a "flat stomach". When sexually excited, he feels "his loins begin to stir". She on the other hand, is totally different. She is a beautiful world-class artist who also has no flaws whatsoever. However, whereas he has a "flat stomach", she has a "stomach flat". Can you believe this? This is typical of the writing: "His shirt was unbuttoned at the top, and she could see his chest muscles flex with every stroke. His sleeves were rolled up, too, and she could see the muscles in his arms bulging." Please! For this, a 10? I agree with the reviewer below who said that those who were so swept away by this thing must have lots of problems with their own love lives

I have to admit, when I neared the end of the book, I was looking for more information about what happened in between the initial romance and the ending days of their lives. But I realize now that the book needed to leave that less understood because it gave an easy to guess story a little more excitement and room for speculation. This has to be one of the most touching love stories that I have ever read. If you have ever encountered Alzheimer's within your family, this book may hit so close to home that it will scare you. Sparks is masterful at creating the perfect beginning to a love story. But his real genious is in the ending of the love story. You look at the whole situation in the storyline and can safely say that these two people had what most people can only find by reading a book like this: emotional, passionate, exciting, overwhelming love. I am so pleased that someone finally wrote a love story that actually feels like it could be real.

What intrigues me is the number of five-star reviewers who seem to think that folks like me who dislike this book are hopeless, heartless cynics who have obviously never been in love. I might gently suggest that a lot of these reviewers are confusing giddy teenage infatuation with the idea of being in love to real, mature love. Mature love is not about magically finding your one "soulmate" (to use the currently fashionable blather) among the six billion on this planet. (We're supposed to give up Santa and Cinderella at eight.) Rather, it is about caring, willful commitment to people we occasionally can't even stand. If, as a number of reviewers have suggested, this book represents deep insight into the "true heart of a woman", the feminists must be beyond despair, and there are going to be a lot of disappointed lives out there.

What escapes a lot of enthusiasts for this book is that the author is essentially telling the poor drudges over at Iowa Writer's to forget their MFA's; if you want to be a successful (as opposed to great or even good) writer, get your MBA-marketing. Ironically (admittedly a distant concept to this author), that is exactly the advice philistine Lon would give Sensitive Poet Noah, while Allie sulks petulantly downstage right. Now, that's cynicism!

My dissatisfaction with this book may stem from the fact that I'm listening to it on tape, and thus can't skim through the dull bits and eruptions of poor writing.

In the first two tapes, the phrase, "S/he ran his/her hand through his/her hair" is repeated at least 5 times. Many other uninteresting, repetitive details choke the recitation of this wooden tale.

There may be a good story hiding in here, but it is decked over with stereotypes ("emerald-eyed" Allie, "muscular" Noah), poor writing (all that messed-up hair!), and miscellaneous goop. The only remotely interesting character is Clem the 3-legged dog, but even she can't give this dull book some "legs."

Some women I work with recommended this book and said it was sure to make me cry. I read it with amazement that anyone would find this thin, heavily cliched writing worth crying over. It almost makes me cry to think that this bland mush is so popular. I was hoping for a story with character development, one that would demonstrate how love develops and lasts. Instead the writer keeps telling the reader how much Noah and Allie love each other without making the characters interesting or compelling in any way. They fall in love at first sight for some mystical reason, and keep their love strong (apparently without any conficlts for 49 years except Allie's final illness). The writer really cheated here. Instad of writing dialog that showed the depth of character of his protagonists, he fell back on hackneyed expressions that were not even well written. If you are easily amused and have time on your hands that you want to kill, read this book.