The Notebook (The Notebook, #1) in Pick-a-Shelf

Jun 09, 2010 Jayme(theghostreader) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library-books-read, 5-star-books

I saw thew movie recently and wanted to read the book. I enjoyed the movie and I am pleased the book didn't disappoint. It is such a great story of undying, unconditional love. At times it is heartbreaking. You have a man who is married to a woman with Altimeizer's and everyday she falls in love with him over again. How hard that must be to be married to someone who doesn't remember you and yet he never gives up. ...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Agustin rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I love the graphic novel Watchmen and I try to spread it around to other people whenever I get the chance. With that being said, I was able to convince a co-worker of mine to read it...with the condition that I read The Notebook.

I sighed deeply having heard so much about the movie from other women (note, the MOVIE, not the BOOK) and took this on feeling it was worth it in the name of Watchmen.

I guess I was partial to disliking it from the beginning because of this but that's not to say that I g I love the graphic novel Watchmen and I try to spread it around to other people whenever I get the chance. With that being said, I was able to convince a co-worker of mine to read it...with the condition that I read The Notebook.

I sighed deeply having heard so much about the movie from other women (note, the MOVIE, not the BOOK) and took this on feeling it was worth it in the name of Watchmen.

I guess I was partial to disliking it from the beginning because of this but that's not to say that I genuinely didn't try to enjoy it. The fact is I tried REALLY REALLY hard, but I just couldn't. The following are some reasons.

1) It was ridiculously cliche. By page 10, after the first chapter where you find out that he's in a retirement home, I immediately knew what the rest of the book would consist of.

2) The writing style is elementary. I just felt like any kid with a decent vocabulary could have accomplished this feat of "Best selling novel". You know how kids books have big font and the words are all spaced out? This is how this book felt and that really just drove me nuts. The only good thing about this is that it made it a really quick read.

3) It was too sappy? I know I'll get people reading this that will say "but that's what makes it such a great love story!!". Yeah, that's awesome and all but I DON'T need to read 100+ pages of description of memories, or description of Noah's hard body or the CONSTANT explanation of how they haven't changed all of these years...yet they have. It's bullshit and REALLY frustrating.

With those reasons being said, I hope people realize I'm not some cold-hearted male who is too afraid to admit he enjoyed a love story (as I'm sure my co-worker will try and tell me) but the fact is this novel had the potential to be something great in my eyes. It has the pieces that could make it truly touching for me but the constant repetition of annoying themes, kiddie writing style and lack of creativeness in piecing it all together gives it a two.

I know someday I will watch the movie and maybe it will be much better executed than the book. We shall see ...more

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