Helpful Score: 11
I know, I know. Almost everyone has already read this little book, but I needed a quick read and, although I knew the plot b/c of the film, I was still struck by the heart-wrenching narrative, especially toward the end. As usual with a Sparks book, I even shed a few tears. Took me about 4 hours to read, maybe less.
Helpful Score: 9
In 1932, two North Carolina teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks fall in love. Spending one idyllic summer together in the small town of New Bern, Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson do not meet again for 14 years. Noah has returned from WWII to restore the house of his dreams, having inherited a large sum of money. Allie, programmed by family and the "caste system of the South" to marry an ambitious, prosperous man, has become engaged to powerful attorney Lon Hammond. When she reads a newspaper story about Noah's restoration project, she shows up on his porch step, re-entering his life for two days. Will Allie leave Lon for Noah? The book's slim dimensions and cliche-ridden prose will make comparisons to The Bridges of Madison County inevitable. What renders Sparks's (Wokini: A Lakota Journey of Happiness and Self-Understanding) sentimental story somewhat distinctive are two chapters, which take place in a nursing home in the '90s, that frame the central story. The first sets the stage for the reading of the eponymous notebook, while the later one takes the characters into the land beyond happily ever after, a future rarely examined in books of this nature. Early on, Noah claims that theirs may be either a tragedy or a love story, depending on the perspective. Ultimately, the judgment is up to readers?be they cynics or romantics. For the latter, this will be a weeper.
Helpful Score: 8
Made me CRY! I read this book in one sitting, then called my best friend and made her go get it immediately! She finished it that night and called me to yell at me the next morning because her eyes were still puffy!
Helpful Score: 8
This is an older book, but if you read one great book this year-let this be the one. Good things come in small packages. A short novel of excellent quality. This was made into a movie-but as always, the book is better. A celebration of passion. An enduring love. This one will make you cry. A book you will not forget.....ever. This is one of those books that you must read before you die. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a standard romance, because it is not. A must read for everyone, regardless of what type of book you enjoy.
Helpful Score: 5
I'm not usually a fan of books that jump around in time, but this one is an exception. The leaps from present-day into memory take the reader on an incredible journey into life and love.
