The Notebook (The Notebook, #1) in Reading with Style

Mar 20, 2011 Deidre rated it it was ok

This is a bit of a tricky book to review, honestly. In moments like this, when I find myself caught between giving a lower rating because two stars seems too generous but there were some redeeming qualities that I do appreciate and one star doesn't seem to recognize that, I really wish Goodreads offered half stars..

Guess I'll just come out and give my "unofficial" rating of 1.5 stars, even if Goodreads doesn't have the awesomely convenient option of 1/2 star.

I think this book has become as popu This is a bit of a tricky book to review, honestly. In moments like this, when I find myself caught between giving a lower rating because two stars seems too generous but there were some redeeming qualities that I do appreciate and one star doesn't seem to recognize that, I really wish Goodreads offered half stars..

Guess I'll just come out and give my "unofficial" rating of 1.5 stars, even if Goodreads doesn't have the awesomely convenient option of 1/2 star.

I think this book has become as popular as it has for one reason: Everyone in their lifetime of relationships and loving someone else can identify with the idea of a "Noah" or an "Allie" to some degree. Everyone can look back in their past and find someone who the felt fit just right, but managed to get away, for whatever reason; sometimes, that person manages to find their way back, and sometimes they don't, but on some level, everyone has the emotional connection to a personal memory of "the one that got away".

That audience identification aspect (and the fact that the book is pretty short), are really what must have saved Sparks, because the book itself is not that great. The focus on Noah and Allie and their struggles as an older couple was actually the best part of the book, because there really aren't many books that are written that can give some light to the struggles of the elderly, and the heartbreak that comes with the aging. It's a pity, though, that that managed to get lost with the incredibly flowery description of Noah and Allie when they met again after 14 years. Really, they spent two days together in the book, and it was filled with a lot of breast tingling, heat flushing in various erogenous zones, and many, many other over-the-top fluffy descriptions of two people who are charging full-tilt ahead, hearts and genitals bared.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for stories that involve love and two people being right for each other, and somehow making it all work, because love can conquer all. I'm a hopeless romantic, and I know that there are certain things about special people that are unexplainable, and a magnetism that just happens, without reason, insight, or definition. There can be "the one" person that just resonates without reason, and I understand that.

This is a basic story that tries to explain that magnetism, but there's no struggle to somehow make things work, save for Allie having to return to her fiance and explain things. Their meeting again was simple, easy, and there isn't any description of the life that followed, saved the brief times it's touched up on letter. They fell in love again based on a dinner and a few shared moments outside. They might have known each other the fourteen years before, but I really don't believe they could easily fall in love again after two days with someone who would have changed entirely, and keep that love going without any issue over the next 49 years; that's not how real relationships work.

The entire story is all a piece of super-fruity cake with extra whipped cream on top. Which is quite tasty, but in reality, that cake probably was put in the oven a bit too long, so the bottom might be a bit more brown than it should, and the whipped cream melted too quickly. This story showed no burned bottoms, which is simply not realistic, and I couldn't identify with the young Noah and Allie at all.

Now, I realize that since the novel is pretty short, Sparks' goal was more likely to show the more pleasurable and ultimately more appealing sides of love that lasts long-term, and just skip over the rough parts, because those would take too long to flesh out. But in reality, those rough parts are the parts that create the appealing ones (that is how reality works, after all), and ultimately create a much better connection with the readers to the story. The only part of the story that I was connected to was the end, and that's more likely because I worked in a nursing home as a CNA, and saw first-hand how hard it can be for the elderly as they struggle in the last part of their lives. It had nothing to do with Sparks' ability to flesh out his characters and gives them enough background and history to be relatable.

So moral of the story here? If you're a 12 year-old girl who thinks that love is all about the the most appealing aspects of love, then you'll love this book. If you're an adult with the mindset of a 12 year-old girl, you'll love this book. If you're an adult who's been through relationships and lived the reality of making them work around the struggles that life throws your way, you'll probably be largely disconnected and annoyed with this book.
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Apr 25, 2011 Maryam rated it really liked it

An old man starts reading a story written on a notebook to a woman in her late years who’s suffering from amnesia...

He tells a story about two young lovers at the age of 17... And the way Noah approaches Ally on their first meeting at the carnival shows the great bond that erupted as soon as their eyes met. Also, Ally’s way of acting so hard-to-get means they’ll end up together eventually.

Then, the relationship goes on a more serious and faster progress with what spending almost every second of An old man starts reading a story written on a notebook to a woman in her late years who’s suffering from amnesia...

He tells a story about two young lovers at the age of 17... And the way Noah approaches Ally on their first meeting at the carnival shows the great bond that erupted as soon as their eyes met. Also, Ally’s way of acting so hard-to-get means they’ll end up together eventually.

Then, the relationship goes on a more serious and faster progress with what spending almost every second of the day together. One day, Noah takes Ally to his dream house and farm and gets carried away in talking about his future plans, meanwhile, Ally’s conservative parents call out the police to look for her and things change from there onwards.

Seeing as how Noah was a poor man and Ally comes from a rich and educated family, her mother presses in this idea on the same night, saying that he’s not the right man for her daughter and she shouldn’t be seeing him again. Noah, in the next room, hears this and walks out of the house, with important things to think about.

Ally follows him and a huge fight was the cause of their separation. Before Ally knew it, the next day itself, her family wants to leave home.

Throughout an entire year, Noah keeps writing and sending letters to Ally without getting a single response. After 365 days, Noah decides to stop writing and join in the army. Ally, on the other hand, have gotten into med school and nurses army men when she meets Lon, the guy she agrees to marry.

Noah comes back, and with the help of his father, he buys the house he always wanted to have and starts to build it all over again, giving it the modern and renewed look with the addition of the white balcony he promised Ally to make.

While Ally prepares for her wedding, she sees the paper featuring Noah building his house from scratch and goes back to him and realizes that she can’t run away again and makes a decision…

The old man then stops reading the story and memories come back to the sick woman at the hospital and know that Noah and Ally will live together and that she was, all along, Ally and her doctor was Noah, trying to help her regain her lost memories. It's actually amazing how after all these years, Noah still is at Ally's side.

An incredible story line that simply shows the miracles love can make if only it was as powerful as Noah and Ally’s.

Note: Noah’s character can’t get any dreamier than it already is, that much I can assure you.
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Dec 20, 2011 Mounica Srinivas rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-tym-favourites

We dont come across books about undying love daily.And this book is one of them.
Most of the people in the world believe in love,but very small amount believe in undying love.This book is for the people of second type.Such and extra ordinary love.
I am so glad that i read this book and i wish i shouldhave read it long back.

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