A BOOK REVIEW ON NICHOLAS SPARKS’

A BOOK REVIEW ON NICHOLAS SPARKS’

THE NOTEBOOK

By Andrew Diaz Villar

IV- Sir Isaac Newton

I. Introduction

Nicholas Sparks’ “The Notebook” is an American romantic novel which was later adapted into a popular romance film loved by many. This was the first published novel by Nicholas Sparks and the third written after The Passing of Wind and The Royal Murders, which were never published. Sparks is a well-known writer who often uses the themes of love, tragedy, and fate in his stories. The Notebook was followed by such famous works as Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember, and was based on the lives of his wife’s beloved grandparents. This was the #1 New York Times bestselling novels,
Inspiration for the film The Notebook.

II. Summary of the Content

Noah Taylor Calhoun

Noah is the narrator in the book. He is a blue-collar worker who spends an unexpected inheritance on restoring a beautiful plantation home. He is a hard worker in whatever he engages himself, but will never be sucked into a job that keeps him away from nature and the beauty of poetry. He is passionately in love with Allie fourteen years befre the novel opens. It is the most wonderful thing about him that he is true to his words and honest with his deeds.

Allison Nelson

She is the young woman who faces the challenge of defying the life she has been told she must live in order to connect with her soul mate, Noah Calhoun. She spends a wonderful summer with him, loses her virginity to him, and then loses him for fourteen years. She was the one and only love of Noah’s life and it is such a queer thing of her that after all her decisions which led her to Lon, she still chose to stay I love with Noah and there, they stand on to their choices and decided to love each other until the end of time.

The Notebook is an epic love story centered on an old man who reads aloud to an older, invalid woman whom he regularly visits. From a faded notebook, the old man's words bring to life the story about a couple who is separated by World War II, and is then passionately reunited, seven years later, after they have taken different paths. Though her memory has faded, his words give her the chance to relive her turbulent youth and the unforgettable love they shared.

Noah and Allie are two passionate lovers. They truly have the greatest love a couple could ever possess. They are very much into the thoughts of loving each other but time is not in favor yet of their relationship by the time they have decided to live by each other. Noah used to visit Allie in the home where she was living and as time passes by, they had to stay closer and closer. It is not in their plans that they would part ways because Noah had to work and that Allie’s mother is not in favor of their propensity. And so by fate, they were brought into separate journeys. Allie had to fall for someone who was unwaveringly liked by her mother because of the riches that he had. He was Lon Hamilton. Later, they were engaged and he became Allie’s fiancé. Time rages just like the wind and Allie tries to forget memories of Noah by and by. She thought she could but every time she tries to, it is but the pictures of them when they were still together. It was never easy for her but since that was what is happening, she just have to hide what she truly feels and turn her attention to the love being proposed to her by Lon.

Although the decree of fate was not in Noah’s hands at first, when the time comes that they meet again, it was such an inevitable thing that they continue their heartwarming words of romance. They began acting as how they were like before, when they were still making the happiest of their times and they consequently fought for their love and until the time they get weary, they swore not to leave each other. Sweetest and the most powerful birds as they may be, until the time when Allie is struck by an Alzheimer’s disease, Noah didn’t move farther away from her. Instead, he always visited her and with his thorough understanding and the patience of bringing back Allie’s memories, he continued to shower Allie his love and care.

The first and most important theme is: ‘Love conquers all’. Although this idea is sometimes overworked, in this particular work, it is the most prevalent theme of all. No matter how many setbacks Allie and Noah faced, their love always brought them together again.

The second theme is: Follow your heart. Allie had spent fourteen years in fear of hurting her family and friends if she deviated from the standard way of living for her social class. It was only when she realized that she and Noah were meant to be together that she made the right decision and followed her heart.

A final theme tells us that you cannot live your life in fear of hurting others. Allie nearly learned this hard way when she almost gave in to her fear of hurting her family and friends by choosing Noah. Only with the reading of his final letter to her written twelve years before was she able to see that it was her life to live, and no one should be able to force her in a direction she didn’t want to go.

III. Analysis of the Text

The writer’s style is obviously seen. The Notebook is written with simplicity. It incorporates simple but revealing and heart touching themes and lessons. It is but so ideal that you would do the entire possible way just to bring back the happy times when you were with your loved one the only love of your life. It is clear that Sparks wanted us to feel how hard it is to wait, to sacrifice, and how recovering it is when you have already succeeded in your task. The task you promised to do as a thing for the one great thing that had happened to you. This was full of emotional scenes but every part was truly pleasing. Not one was overworked. All was fitted and pleased. This is such one big impact on our literary lives and the lessons being taught and the experience being opened to younger minds.

The mood is at times troubling and even quite sad, because of the disease that is claiming Allie’s mind. However, there is a sense of victory, in spite of the inevitability of Allie’s future, because in the end, love wins, no matter how hard life tries to make it not so.

IV. Evaluation of the Text

All in all, I can say that The Notebook is, indeed, a fantastic work of fiction by Nicholas Sparks. I liked it much for it illustrated a lot of the probable things that could happen in one’s life. It is very inspirational and full of ruling concepts. By this, I was able to figure out how a worried heart goes on when it is far from the person who holds it tight and takes care of it. It has left out a mark on my mind, which, I think would always remind me that in every turn of the world, though different from the first, if some things are really meant for you, you would still meet all over again. You just have to stay real to yourself and take care of the past, which you can feel, would lead you in the future toward the perfect guy/ lady for you.