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I'm a big Nicholas Sparks fan, so I may be somewhat biased as I review this book. THE WEDDING is the sequel to THE NOTEBOOK, the love story of Noah and Allie: a love that almost didn't happen. Now, in THE WEDDING, we meet the next two generations of family members, and a somewhat complex story is told.
Noah is now living at Creekside, where he and Allie had moved toward the end of her life. He spends his time feeding a lone female swan, distinguished by a dark patch of color on her chest. Noah feels that this is Allie come back to him, and his children feel that he's lost touch with the world. Noah, however, never gives up on his theory and insists that it is his dear beloved wife.
Noah and Allie's oldest daughter, Jane, is married to Wilson Lewis. They've been married for nearly 30 years and have raised three children, all of whom are now adults. Jane and Wilson's story is told in flashbacks, as Wilson remembers what brought him and Jane together all those years ago. The reason for his reflections, though, is that he knows Jane is very unhappy with their marriage. So unhappy, that she leaves town for a few weeks to spend with their son Joseph. She doesn't say exactly why she left, but Wilson knows she needs to get away to think things over.
In the meantime, their oldest daughter Anna has announced that she and her boyfriend Keith plan to be married in a few weeks. She doesn't want anything fancy, and plans to marry at the justice of the peace. However, this is not what Jane wants for her daughter. Suddenly, Jane shows a new interest in life, and with the help of Wilson the two of them proceed to organize the best wedding any daughter ever had.
As the wedding plans take shape, Wilson keeps Noah up to date. During their visits, Wilson notes how Noah dotes on the swan, talking to her and sharing his thoughts with her. A few odd events almost convince Wilson that maybe this is indeed Allie reborn, but he always keeps these thoughts to himself. And all through these visits, Noah reminisces about his wife, while Wilson remembers his own first love Jane.
The title THE WEDDING is misleading, but this was Sparks' intention. Yes, the entire book is about the family getting ready for the big wedding, but the reader will realize by the end of the book that the story is much more than just THE WEDDING. The ending will surprise you, as it surprised some of the characters in the book. The story of the swan helps round out this tale of eternal love and may turn even the most cynical of persons into a romantic.
But then I noticed that Nicholas' books were gradually becoming tired and repetitive. I hated to admit it because I love his writing so much and I think he's a great guy. He was really the first author I found who could touch me emotionally in a very real way without his novels being filled with junk. And so I've stayed loyal to him, but I feel as his fans that we need to challenge him more.
All the stories are beginning to sound alike. And for the first time, with The Wedding, I didn't feel anything for the characters. I tried to because I want to have that excitement again of picking up a Sparks novel and getting sucked into it and feeling something deeply for 250 pages.
But it's not there anymore. And so rather than continue to simply applaud Nicholas for his efforts, I think we need to tell him that we expect more. He's making millions of dollars on every novel and if you were honest with yourself and picked up this book and didn't know it was by Nicholas, you'd struggle through it. And I'm afraid to say it but I think maybe he used the whole Notebook tie-in with Noah and Allie just to sell books because I didn't see how it was relevant to this story.
So I want to challenge my favorite author to perhaps pick a different setting, something that will help him write passionately again so we can feel the characters and the magic.
And I want to challenge my fellow Sparks fans to try some other authors who write with that passion and with an intensely human feel to their writing such as Richard Paul Evans and Kirk Martin. Check out richardpaulevans.com and kirkmartinbooks.com and see if you can feel that moving, personal human touch that first captivated you with Nicholas' work. If you don't absolutely love their novels, I would be shocked.
And Nicholas, please, please take your time with the next novel and let us feel the passion again!