Nicholas SparksThe Notebook

Sooo, I read this book in 2003 when I was in high school at age 17. As soon as I finished the book I knew my life had been impacted forever. The idea of an EPIC love grew within me and it changed the way I viewed relationships in our modern world. I grew up and stopped dating my high school sweetheart, Lester.In 2008 tragedy struck his life and has been away in a distant land separated from home and his loved ones. I think that ever since then I've avoided even watching the motion picture. Told myself that Epic Love is only written in Nicholas Sparks books and became angry at the men that came into my life.Well, throughout the years i always thought of that sad boy and what became of his life. All along I craved a love so pure and genuine like Lesters but never found it. We are now 34 years old. On June 14th, 2020 Lester came rushing back into my life. Well more like, I came rushing in like a hurricane if you ask him, bringing back old memories of a safer easier time.Our story began with a letter from him when we were 14 years old. Asking me if I wanted to speak on our parent's house phone. I was an overprotected child and if my mother found out I was speaking to a boy, she would make sure that I cut all connections with him. So we kept our (young love) a secret. We went to different high schools so he would sometimes ask his mom to drop him off at my high school so he could say hi and see me for 5 minutes. One day, Lester showed up with his mother wanting to speak with my mother about allowing us to date of course while always having a chaperone around us. My mother was soooo upset, but his boldness won her over and she agreed as long as we were being supervised. Years passed and we turned 17 and I wanted to experience different things. So we ended things and went separate ways.19 years later, we are in a loving relationship. As soon as we reconnected we just knew God had made us for each other. Our story is definitely not The Notebook, but it's a reminder that Epic Love does exist and it can withstand time and circumstances. We are also going to be writing our love story and how God rushed in and saved us both from living empty lonely lives. Right now, we are believing God for a miracle.In the meantime, while we wait for our circumstances to change and for God's mercy over his life. I sent him The Notebook. Noah and Allies story has brought a timeless love back to us. Through Nicholas Sparks words, we get to read about faith and destiny. To believe in the power of love and how two people so lost can find each other once again. I know Lester will be coming home sooner than we anticipated. This book meant everything to me while growing up. It gave me hope.I hope you guys enjoy your love stories. And if it hasn't happened yet, don't worry, your Epic Love Story will arrive and you will be glad you never settled.

A great love story! Oh the wonders of youth and the energy it brings then to have it so rudely taken as one ages. The lesson to enjoy life to fullest without regrets.

i had never read the book but have seen the movie numerous times ! the book, no doubt, is always better than the movie! i loved every word of the book

Great novel, but very disappointed in the size of the book. I prefer hardcovered books, but in this case, I should have ordered the softcover for half the price.

LOVE my book !!! It came fast as describe.

It was a most exciting love story ever, with a few ups and downs going on, until they finally got together after all👍💚❤️💜🩷

Love this book and movie!

I did enjoy the concept of this book without having seen the movie but it could have been oh so much better. There is so much more that should have been done to make this a great story. Maybe it's me, but the glaring resemblances to Titanic were so astounding I had to double check that the book hadn't been written prior to 1997 when Titanic came out. I mean, in many ways it's IDENTICAL. Compare Allie to Titanic Rose: both rich, socialite girls forced into marriages of financial security; both engaged and in a quandary over whether to do what their mothers want or follow their hearts; invitations to a socialite wedding have been sent out thus adding to the dilemma of whether or not to cancel a somewhat arranged marriage; an old Allie/Rose in old age recalling (or being read) the story of her life's greatest love who happens to be not an artist like Jack but a musician/poet also from the wrong side of the tracks who she inexplicably falls head over heels in love with. The similarities are mind boggling.There is Lon, the parallel Cal. The mother coming after both Rose and Allie to convince her not to change wedding plans. Noah asking Allie, 'Do you love him?' Jack asking Rose, "It's a simple question, do you love the guy or not?" Almost verbatim.And the final scene in Titanic: is Rose dreaming or has she died? The final scene in Notebook: Has Allie come out of her dementia for good because of his enduring love and commitment or will she return to her amnesiac state in the morning? My heart will go on??I did like the concept of an old man trying to regain his wife's memory by telling her the story of their life together but this wasn't exactly that. We never learn why they loved each other so much or what held them together through the years. Magic? Real relationships just do not work this way, sorry. I'm as romantic as the next girl but there is reality and then there is pure, sappy, corny fairy tale. The dialogue, though almost none, is contrived. Even in the 30s and 40s, people did not speak this way. I would have loved to have read more dialogue in flashback to explain why their bond was so strong, not just a couple repeated lines in long narrative stating how much they adored each other for no obvious reason. One of the basics of good writing is 'don't tell, show.' This book is basically someone telling you they were soulmates destined to die in each other's arms but never shows you how or why.The characters are such stereotyped clichés. Blonde, green eyed, flawless girl who's intelligent, educated etc. Really? Wasn't she supposed to have been in college during the Depression? Did women often go to college in the early 40s? I thought this was unlikely even for a girl with money considering the time period. And Noah. Where to begin? Every woman's dream, right? Handsome as hell, muscular, mysterious, rugged, manly in every way you could imagine while being able to cite complex poetry and serenade his lady love while with a guitar while sitting under an oak tree.Wow. Cornball, anyone?The only reason I didn't hate this story is because I really did like the premise of old Noah trying to awaken old Allie. I admit that I did shudder when Allie French kisses him at the end but I guess the point there was made, however disturbing.In summary, if you ever wondered what would have happened had Jack Dawson not died on the Titanic, this pretty much explains it.