*GAG!!*Ok. Onto my review of Nicholas Sparks' book The Notebook. On a five-star scale, I rate it at ONE. Yeah. I was underwhelmed, to put it mildly.
Briefly, The Notebook is a not-so-epic, attempted-romance-novel gone wrong. By "not-so-epic," I mean simply that it's...well, lame. I think Sparks was aiming for a partially tragic, laugh-and-cry-at-all-the-right-places, unbelievably true, melt-your-heart love story. I felt more like I was reading what is known around here as a 'trashy romance novel.' The story was ho-hum, and the writing didn't exactly wow me.
The story is told from the perspective of Noah, who fell in love with a girl one summer when he was seventeen, and then didn't see her again for fourteen years. As a 29-year-0ld, engaged, well-to-do young lady, his past love looks him up and they spend two days together realizing that time couldn't stop the power of love, that they still had feelings for each other, etc. upon lame etc. It could be a cute story, but it revolves entirely around desire and what "feels good." It is totally acceptable and even condoned when they have a passionate evening at his house when she's stuck there because of a thunderstorm. Did I mention this gal is engaged? Not only is the story soaked with indecent actions, but it also gets much too graphic about said actions.
Don't misunderstand me, I am in no way bashing romance or amore or whatever it is. (I didn't meet my true love when I was seventeen -although I still have a few months! - so I wouldn't know.) But getting caught up in a fictitious, lucid novel about two people sinning (let's just call a spade a spade here) is not healthy, in my opinion. I think I would be much better off using my time more wisely - there are multitudes of wholesome, delightful books out there. (Ask me if you want a list. :)
And you? Have you read The Notebook or watched the movie? What do you think?
(P.S. I didn't even finish it.)
(P.S. 2 I just today realized why the movie Nights in Rodanthe, which I watched on the flight from San Diego to Kansas City, was so darn bad. It's based on a Nicholas Sparks novel!! Stay away from Nights in Rodanthe!!)
7 comments:
I've sorta wanted to see the movie, but now I will think twice. Yea, it's sad what our society thinks is okay. :/
I haven't met my true love either. lol.
I haven't seen the movie, but Kourtney and Kristina have. I'm not sure what they think. You'll have to ask them. But all that I have heard is "You'll need a fast-forward button". So I've decided not to watch it:)
I read part of the book, but didn't finish because I didn't think it was very good. I did read "a walk to remember" by Nicholas Sparks, and really liked that one.
lol! true loves. :p
I love the *Gag* to start the post off!!
You just about said it all!
There were parts of the movie that were sweet, but all of the trashy (or should I say passionate? That seems to be a more excepted word for the same kind of behavior) scenes kind of ruined it for me.
I mean it was bad enough when they were kids, but when they were in their twenties and thirties and she was engaged! It just made me mad! And the poor guy she dumped to go back to her "Summer fling" was so sweet.
And as Kay said you will DEFINITELY need a fast forward button!
So I'm with you on this one!
Not worth the time!
I did like the movie "A Walk To Remember" once you get past the first part.
Sooo i promised to comment :) - here we go...i was dragged into seeing the movie, and i think your description said it best: "Not-so-epic, attempted-romance gone wrong"...
Ok, full disclosure - i tend to not like romance movies anyway... BUT... this one was especially terrible in my opinion because of the fact that we're supposed to celebrate the fact that someone gets engaged, cheats on her fiancee, and then dumps him. Maybe i'm cold and heartless but that was a little bit of a stretch for me ;)... good review Miss Erica... i think you need to do a blog post with that list of books you do recommend...
I am SO not interested in reading/watching/having anything to do with The Notebook, I'm I'm incredibly excited to have found someone who agrees with me. Everyone (including our substitute pastor a few weeks ago- I'd like to hear a sermon about the BIBLE, thank you!) just gushes about the "sweet" film, and the film follows pretty closely along with the book from what I've heard. The Notebook and Twilight seem to be our culture's standard of romance right about now, and knowing what I know about both, that's pretty sad. I've never had any interest in The Notebook at all, and the stories I've heard about the... erm... "romantic" scenes and horrible writing have only strengthened my resolve not to have anything to do with the whole trashy thing. :\ It's nice to know there's at least one other person out there who agrees with me. :D
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