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The Notebook

*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!!)

death undone

"Sing out with joy for the brave little boy who was God, but he made himself nothing. Well he gave up his pride, and he came here to die like a man..."

(This song is from the best Christmas CD ever - Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb. Listen here.)

I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas!

homeschooled?

A bit of homeschool humor for us awesome homeschoolED kids. :)

Laura - a quick movie review

A murder mystery made in the forties?! I'm in!

Laura did not disappoint. Robin and I watched it this evening, and I loved it! Laura, a beautiful career-girl, is suddenly murdered. As Detective McPherson sets out to find the murderer, he finds that Laura had numerous lovers. Some dedicated, some perhaps not-so-dedicated. They all have their stories and alibies, but who is for real? As McPherson tries to unwind the mystery, he finds his own feelings getting tangled up with the murdered girl. Between hitting a dead end and his personal thoughts, how will he solve this mystery?

And then. It breaks open.

yay murder mysteries!