Sparks, Nicholas ; The Notebook ; Informal Buddy Read ; Start Date 3 December 2014

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

What is a Buddy Read?

This is an "Informal Buddy Read"
An “Informal Buddy Read” doesn’t have a discussion leader and participants are asked to consider some generic questions when making comments about the book. An example is here.

Book synopsis
Set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast, The Notebook begins with the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner recently returned form the Second World War. Noah is restoring a plantation home to its former glory, and he is haunted by images of the beautiful girl he met fourteen years earlier, a girl he loved like no other. Unable to find her, yet unwilling to forget the summer they spent together, Noah is content to live with only memories...until she unexpectedly returns to his town to see him once again.
Like a puzzle within a puzzle, the story of Noah and Allie is just the beginning. As it unfolds, their tale miraculously becomes something different, with much higher stakes. The result is a deeply moving portrait of love itself, the tender moments and the fundamental changes that affect us all. It is a story of miracles and emotions that will stay with you forever

[Moderators of NBRC, Challenger-in-Chief]

reserved

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Tissues at the ready players!

[Nicole]

Oh my god, my first Nicholas Sparks book! I'm so looking forward to it.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Same here Nicole. I've watched two movies based on his books, but this will be my first read :o

[Tara]

Hmmmm....read this many years ago, so I may be tempted to join in if I can make room for it!

[RachelvlehcaR]

I just picked this book up. I think I'll join.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Great :)

[Margaret]

I can't resist....I will start this one with you all. I might start a few days ahead and then join in with the discussion.

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Awesome Margaret. I suspect our discussion to be a little different from C&P... haha

[Margaret]

I think so, we'll liven it up somewhat, right? lol

[Nicole]

Hahah. I reckon we'll be hard pressed not to. I have this on my shelves downstairs, actually, so I might start this one with you today also, Margaret.

[Margaret]

I downloaded it to my Kindle today....I am reading Olive Kittredge right now, I hope to finish it up by tomorrow and then I'll get started.

[Nicole]

Fair enough, I still have two books that are kinda unfinished and have been on my currently reading pile for a while anyway...

[Margaret]

Karen...I am taking a peek at your reviews and books and already I have found a book that sounds really good.....can't wait to try it out. It is thanks! lol

oops, my apologies if this thread is exclusive for discussing the book for this thread....I will behave myself :P

[Nicole]

Nah, don't even worry about it. You've just given me a new book idea, cause I"ve just realised I've only got two buddy reads in the next week :D:D

[Margaret]

ONLY TWO? what gives! lol

[Nicole]

I KNOW!! Hahah. I often read 4 or 5 books at the same time... It means I have 3 slots free ;)

So if anyone would like to read with me this week, that would be so ace! :D

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Margaret wrote: "Karen...I am taking a peek at your reviews and books and already I have found a book that sounds really good.....can't wait to try it out. It is [bookcover:The Doctor's Daughter: Journey to Justice..."

I really enjoyed that book and the author is absolutely lovely. I was so happy for her when she got that new cover as the old one was just not selling the book. I hope you like it! Nothing better than reading a book that gets buried by all the better promoted ones out there and discovering a great read :D

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

lol Nicole
I've read that one,.... I'll be interested in your thoughts

[Margaret]

Nicole...nope I think the book would fizzle in my hands, lol.

Karen: I can't wait to read it and I'll let you know. :)

I'll be starting on The Notebook tomorrow, I took a break in reading to watch The Fellowship of the Ring which I haven't seen in ages! awwwww

[Karla]

I'm going to jump in on this. I've owned the book long enough, I should probably read it already.

[Nicole]

Just about to start the Notebook now that I've finished another buddy read :D

[Karla]

I'm up to page 76, and so far I am a little disappointed. I really enjoyed the movie, especially the part where (view spoiler)[Allie finds out the Noah had written to her every day for a year before he gave up. It was so dramatic and romantic, (hide spoiler)] but in the book (view spoiler)[ Allie finds out about the letters too soon, and it was like "oh well, my mom thought it was for the best". It wasn't romantic at all (hide spoiler)] I hope it gets better.

[RachelvlehcaR]

I just started it. I'm on page 21. Just wanted to give a shout out I am here and reading it. :)

[Nicole]

I'm with you, Karla, except I didn't much like the movie and was hoping for the book to be better.

So far... not so much.

What are you thinking of it so far, Rachel?

[RachelvlehcaR]

Nicole I just finished the book. I'm disappointed by it. There were parts that I found okay, but then other parts I just didn't like at all.

I was hoping for the book to be better too. Way better. I honestly had no desire to read the book. I thought this is a genre I normally don't read, let me give it a shot. I'm disappointed. Still, it's always good to read a book like this because it will make wonderful more appreciated. :)

[RachelvlehcaR]

Karla wrote: "I'm up to page 76, and so far I am a little disappointed. I really enjoyed the movie, especially the part where [spoilers removed] but in the book [spoilers removed] I hope it gets better."

(view spoiler)[ Oh my goodness! When I read that part, I was like are you serious? Hello co-dependent! Like, how messed up is that like of reaction, especially if it was someone you thought was your soul mate? I would be so mad and steaming, like I'd be Godzilla out there stomping around kind of mad. So, that was just to messed up of a reaction for me. Like, oh no biggie she's been hiding them all these years. Mother knows best. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

I just started.... and Noah (to the dog but let's ignore that bit...) just said "hey girl...."



*swoon*

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Chapters 1-3

I'm finding it difficult to separate the movie and the book in my mind. I wonder if I had never watched the film what I would think of the book ; because the initial romance has not been explored yet at all and you are left to assume this amazing love story.
In saying that, I do think some of the descriptions Sparks uses are very good and the intensity of their feelings is well conveyed. Such a short book... certainly the ability to have things fleshed out a bit more

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Finished

I'm not sure how I feel about this actually! The story feels unfinished, or just a short story really. I'm not sure how it became so popular and I read some reviews where people felt it was 'magical', and I guess I understand that... but as someone that likes character driven novels this kind of missed the mark for me. I appreciate what Sparks did in only c.200 pages, but the book could have been so much more

[Nicole]

I am so not finishing this book. I was on the fence before, but you guys have just sealed it for me. I have so many more better books I would love to get to the end of instead.

[Srividya]

Margaret - As promised I started this one! :)

Chap 1-3

Karen I agree with you on the fact that Sparks does use his words well to convey a depth of meaning. However, this re-read has brought to front certain facts that I probably ignored when I first read it.

(view spoiler)[I never thought Allie to be selfish in the first read. It could be because I was caught up on the hint of romance and it does feel sad a little to see that she had to go away because of her parents. I could relate to that a little even today as here we are often forced to marry those who are chosen for us by our parents. I was lucky to marry the man I loved but not many are, in my part of the world, so I did feel a certain kind of sympathy towards her, at least initially.

however, as the evening drew on, I found her really selfish and self centered. It was as if Noah and his feelings held no importance to her and neither did Lon's. It had to be all her way and that was little too irritating in my opinion. As of now, despite the writing being good in parts, I am not liking it. Wonder how I gave it a 5 stars. Still cringing in shame, as it turns out that my teen self had no taste whatsoever!Lol (hide spoiler)]

[Belle]

I am not a fan of this book and having read it once, I won't do it again, but was interested reading your thoughts. My teenage daughter was a fan so I read it but found it to be...suitable for a teenage girl. My biggest issue, though, was how he handled Alzheimer's. Having had way too much experience with it I rankled about that. I guess suddenly recovering your mind at the end makes for good movies but it never happens like that.

[Srividya]

I just finished it! and it was a disappointment.. more because I guess my younger self was too engrossed in being a romantic than considering the truth about the story! :(

Belle I completely agree with what you said. He just hasn't handled Alzheimer's in a realistic way. It seems too romantic and unreal as opposed to what really happens and how each and every person dealing with it suffers. He does touch upon Noah's suffering a little but even that has a touch of 'miracle'! While the last chapter was actually progressing nicely, the end made me want to cry and not because it was emotional but because it was just too fairy-tale like in its presentation!

[Belle]

I actually was thinking of The Notebook as my mother lay dying. She had just had her 70th birthday. I kept thinking - maybe occasionally a miracle happens and they have a moment of lucidity and my mother will rally to tell me she is not mad at me for the hellish last years and I made the right decisions, etc. and absolve me of every caregiver's guilt, knowing full well it would not. And it didn't happen with my father-in-law and grandmother either, who had it at the same time.

[Srividya]

Belle I can only imagine your pain! And the anger that this book must have given you at that time..

My friend's mother had Alzheimer's and there is no lucidity whatsoever! I remember the pain through which my friend and his family went through during those days.. all those unfinished conversations, lying in hope for a last lucid moment.. This is why I didn't really like the way it was portrayed here. When I read it first, I had no clue about Alzheimer's, therefore I guess I was happy that they had this miracle but knowing more about it today, I feel that it was handled a tad bit insensitively! However, it is a story and like most stories, it needed a happy ending or whatever happy ending it could get in the process.. all's fair in fiction, I guess! I would have liked it better if he had stuck to reality instead of infusing miracles into it!

[Belle]

Yes, you have seen it too. I think early in the disease they have those moments but not in the late stages. Life is a piece of cake now! We saw a video the other day from 1997 and I was marveling at how much younger I looked but ultimately said I would not go back to that body if it meant I had those next five years ahead of me again. Hardest thing I have ever done. But I digress! I hijacked the thread so back to the book...

[Karla]

RachelvlehcaR wrote: "Karla wrote: "I'm up to page 76, and so far I am a little disappointed. I really enjoyed the movie, especially the part where [spoilers removed] but in the book [spoilers removed] I hope it gets be..."

I know! It was just so unbelievable! I would have freaked out if that had happened to me. I also had a problem with (view spoiler)[Noah's reaction when Allie showed up at his place. He just welcomed her back into his life, like it was no big deal that he had written to her everyday for TWO YEARS and hadn't heard from her once! I wanted him to be mad! "I haven't heard from you in 15(ish) years and you show up on my property to tell me you ENGAGED! WTF!" (hide spoiler)]

[Margaret]

Well, I am glad that I abandoned the book after all! After reading the posts so far I don't feel so bad, I left from the buddy read quietly so that I wouldn't discourage anyone. I did not like the writing, too pretentious for my taste. Fun tagging along to see what your perceptions are.

[Nicole]

Me too, Margaret!

[Margaret]

lol....good I am not alone :)

[Nicole]

.... I don't suppose anyone would like to see if A Walk to Remember by him is any better?

[Kelly]

Nicole wrote: ".... I don't suppose anyone would like to see if A Walk to Remember by him is any better?"

Oh, I loved that movie. I've been meaning to read the book.

[Srividya]

Oh no Nicole... I had loved that book and movie as well!! I am not sure if I am in for another round of disappointment! Lol

Margaret - that was pretty sneaky of you to drag me in and disappear! :) :)

[Margaret]

Srividya....I know, I know! lol...what were you thinking? (a little projection there) hehe

Nicole: Now, don't lure me into reading A walk to Remember, I get a feeling I'll have the same reaction. Maybe I'll stick to his movies, of which I have never seen, by the way. :D

[Srividya]

Margaret.. Lol. I have one disappointed read under my belt and now am wondering whether I should really revisit my old ratings to see what happens ;)

[Karen ⊰✿, Fiction Aficionado]

Lol Margaret!
I cried like a baby when I watched A Walk to Remember. I had free tickets and expected to find it a bit silly so I'm slightly embarrassed to admit I later bought the DVD and soundtrack.....hahaha

Belle - nice to see you here. Actually, Margaret found your book on my shelves and decided she was going to read it. And I love your new cover :)

[Kelly]

Karen wrote: "Lol Margaret!
I cried like a baby when I watched A Walk to Remember. I had free tickets and expected to find it a bit silly so I'm slightly embarrassed to admit I later bought the DVD and soundtrac..."

We used the song Dancing in the Moonlight as our wedding dance :)

[Karla]

Nicole wrote: ".... I don't suppose anyone would like to see if A Walk to Remember by him is any better?"

I read that book before the movie came out. I loved the book. When the movie came out, I was worried about Mandy Moore playing the lead because at the time I couldn't stand her. If anyone is interested in doing a Buddy Read, I'm in.