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The Notebook #1
The Notebook
Set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast begins the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner recently returned from 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.
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.
227 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 1996
12554 people are currently reading
678668 people want to read
About the author
Nicholas Sparks
362books235kfollowersNicholas Sparks is one of the world’s most beloved storytellers. All of his books have been New York Times bestsellers, with over 130 million copies sold worldwide, in more than 50 languages, including over 92 million copies in the United States alone.
Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories, The Notebook, over a period of six months at age 28. It was published in 1996 and he followed with the novels Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), True Believer (2005) and its sequel, At First Sight (2005), Dear John (2006), The Choice (2007), The Lucky One (2008), The Last Song (2009), Safe Haven (2010), The Best of Me (2011), The Longest Ride (2013), See Me (2015), Two by Two (2016), Every Breath (2018), The Return (2020), The Wish (2021), and Dreamland (2022), as well as the 2004 non-fiction memoir Three Weeks With My Brother, co-written with his brother Micah. His twenty-fourth novel, Counting Miracles, will be published on September 24, 2024.
Film adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels, including The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven (on all of which he served as a producer), The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song, have had a cumulative worldwide gross of over three-quarters of a billion dollars. The Notebook has also been adapted into a Broadway musical, featuring music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson.
Sparks lives in North Carolina. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually. He co-founded The Epiphany School in New Bern, North Carolina in 2006. As a former full scholarship athlete (he still holds a track and field record at the University of Notre Dame) he also spent four years coaching track and field athletes at the local public high school. In 2009, the team he coached at New Bern High School set a World Junior Indoor Record in the 4×400 meters, as well as US High School National Records in the 800 Medley and 1600 Medley. .
The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in 2011, to provide scholarships and fund educational programs for underprivileged and disadvantaged youth. Between the foundation, and the personal gifts of the Sparks family, more than $15 million dollars have been distributed to deserving charities, scholarship programs, and projects. Because the Sparks family covers all operational expenses of the foundation, 100% of donations are devoted to programs.
Sparks wrote one of his best-known stories, The Notebook, over a period of six months at age 28. It was published in 1996 and he followed with the novels Message in a Bottle (1998), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Rescue (2000), A Bend in the Road (2001), Nights in Rodanthe (2002), The Guardian (2003), The Wedding (2003), True Believer (2005) and its sequel, At First Sight (2005), Dear John (2006), The Choice (2007), The Lucky One (2008), The Last Song (2009), Safe Haven (2010), The Best of Me (2011), The Longest Ride (2013), See Me (2015), Two by Two (2016), Every Breath (2018), The Return (2020), The Wish (2021), and Dreamland (2022), as well as the 2004 non-fiction memoir Three Weeks With My Brother, co-written with his brother Micah. His twenty-fourth novel, Counting Miracles, will be published on September 24, 2024.
Film adaptations of Nicholas Sparks novels, including The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven (on all of which he served as a producer), The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song, have had a cumulative worldwide gross of over three-quarters of a billion dollars. The Notebook has also been adapted into a Broadway musical, featuring music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson.
Sparks lives in North Carolina. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually. He co-founded The Epiphany School in New Bern, North Carolina in 2006. As a former full scholarship athlete (he still holds a track and field record at the University of Notre Dame) he also spent four years coaching track and field athletes at the local public high school. In 2009, the team he coached at New Bern High School set a World Junior Indoor Record in the 4×400 meters, as well as US High School National Records in the 800 Medley and 1600 Medley. .
The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in 2011, to provide scholarships and fund educational programs for underprivileged and disadvantaged youth. Between the foundation, and the personal gifts of the Sparks family, more than $15 million dollars have been distributed to deserving charities, scholarship programs, and projects. Because the Sparks family covers all operational expenses of the foundation, 100% of donations are devoted to programs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 27,816 reviews
October 6, 2011
I love the movie, but if you think that was sappy, do not pick up this book. I heard Nicholas Sparks had a knack for sap, but I almost drowned in it and felt no spark at all. The book was so frustratingly simple and obvious and laid out. The dialoque droned. I'll come back and add a real quote, but it was something like this:
"Do you want to stay for dinner?" he asked, wondering what she would say.
"Okay," she said, and than asked, "What should we eat?"
"Crabs," he said.
She never had crabs. They began to cook the crabs... etc.
There is a "quiver in his loins" when he sees her in her transparent white dress as well.
Oh and "the two become one" when they make love.
And then she is forced to leave when her fiance pays a surprise visit to down and she struggles to drive through her tears, but fights through the blurry vision because she is a strong woman like her mother... lalalalala. Could the book be any more contrived and gimicky? Who rated this above a one? And please enlighten me.
Gag, gag, awful writing, what a frustrating bore. He left nothing to the imagination. Unless you like getting dumber by the minute, don't pick this one up.
"Do you want to stay for dinner?" he asked, wondering what she would say.
"Okay," she said, and than asked, "What should we eat?"
"Crabs," he said.
She never had crabs. They began to cook the crabs... etc.
There is a "quiver in his loins" when he sees her in her transparent white dress as well.
Oh and "the two become one" when they make love.
And then she is forced to leave when her fiance pays a surprise visit to down and she struggles to drive through her tears, but fights through the blurry vision because she is a strong woman like her mother... lalalalala. Could the book be any more contrived and gimicky? Who rated this above a one? And please enlighten me.
Gag, gag, awful writing, what a frustrating bore. He left nothing to the imagination. Unless you like getting dumber by the minute, don't pick this one up.
Read
January 15, 2022my heart is too shriveled for this
August 6, 2007
I read this book on a train from Italy to somewhere else in Europe after graduating from college. I was unfortunate enough to be forced to buy it because there were no other English Language novels to choose from.
I know this is a beloved book, by a beloved author, but if I could give it any sort of negative rating, I would. The "Gag me with a spoon" category is almost too kind. My apologies to any one who likes Nicholas Sparks - if you're able to find the genius in his writing, more power to you!
When I heard the plot - an old man is reliving his personal history with the love of his life as she suffers from dementia - I had much hope for a touching story. Esh - I was sorely disappointed.
My favorite memory is reading the scene between the two young (and I'm assuming attractive) lovers...they are in a boat on a lake, romantic setting, yes? It starts to rain. She's wearing a white dress. "We have to get you inside where it's warm...better remove those wet clothes, you'll catch a cold..." Commence eye-rolling now.
After reading the book, I passed it on to my now husband, who was also on the train. Keep in mind, there were no other English options! He starts to comment, "Oh, they're on the lake in a boat...okay, it's raining...oh geeze, why do you girls read this crap?"
And that's what I think about this book...why would anyone read this (unless there were no other choices)?!?
I know this is a beloved book, by a beloved author, but if I could give it any sort of negative rating, I would. The "Gag me with a spoon" category is almost too kind. My apologies to any one who likes Nicholas Sparks - if you're able to find the genius in his writing, more power to you!
When I heard the plot - an old man is reliving his personal history with the love of his life as she suffers from dementia - I had much hope for a touching story. Esh - I was sorely disappointed.
My favorite memory is reading the scene between the two young (and I'm assuming attractive) lovers...they are in a boat on a lake, romantic setting, yes? It starts to rain. She's wearing a white dress. "We have to get you inside where it's warm...better remove those wet clothes, you'll catch a cold..." Commence eye-rolling now.
After reading the book, I passed it on to my now husband, who was also on the train. Keep in mind, there were no other English options! He starts to comment, "Oh, they're on the lake in a boat...okay, it's raining...oh geeze, why do you girls read this crap?"
And that's what I think about this book...why would anyone read this (unless there were no other choices)?!?
May 12, 2020
well, i was promised tears and, unfortunately, my eyes are as dry as the sahara.
i will say that i think the story itself has an unbelievable amount of potential - its the execution that leaves much to be desired. i just couldnt believe the connection between noah and allie and i think its because we dont see any of their history. sure, the reader gets the jist of it as noah is sitting on his porch and thinking about the past - but its all dry facts told to the reader, not first hand experience.
this novel takes place over a day and a half in the present, 14 years after noah and allie meet/separate. this should have started when noah and allie first met. i want to experience their summer together. i want to see what happens when allie leaves. i want to worry for noah as he goes off to war. and i want to know what they have been doing these past 14 years. everything is just so underdeveloped.
i havent seen the film, but i have seen the trailer, and that has more emotion than this entire book put together because it actually tells the story of noah and allie. which is what this book should have done.
� 3 stars
i will say that i think the story itself has an unbelievable amount of potential - its the execution that leaves much to be desired. i just couldnt believe the connection between noah and allie and i think its because we dont see any of their history. sure, the reader gets the jist of it as noah is sitting on his porch and thinking about the past - but its all dry facts told to the reader, not first hand experience.
this novel takes place over a day and a half in the present, 14 years after noah and allie meet/separate. this should have started when noah and allie first met. i want to experience their summer together. i want to see what happens when allie leaves. i want to worry for noah as he goes off to war. and i want to know what they have been doing these past 14 years. everything is just so underdeveloped.
i havent seen the film, but i have seen the trailer, and that has more emotion than this entire book put together because it actually tells the story of noah and allie. which is what this book should have done.
� 3 stars
May 3, 2017
Seriously, what the fuck was this?
Read
April 7, 2014This is the worst book I have EVER READ. And the fact that this guy is so popular continues to astound me. I would give it less than zero stars if I could. My sister tricked me into reading this book, and I wish I could gain that time back into my life so I could read a different book. This book teaches you that ANYONE could write a bestseller. Just be sappy and corny and have one big-ass deus ex machina and you're all set for stardom. As you can tell, I don't read shit that I think I won't like. I have rated many books as a 4 or 5, and this book pisses me off to no end because it had the audacity to waste my time as a reader.
October 23, 2007
quite possibly the sweetest love story ever. I wept like a baby.
October 31, 2010
Have you ever come across something so undeniably cute that you feel like you may be crushed by the weight of squee that’s about to explode from you chest.
Kind of like when you see this?
That’s what reading The Notebook was like. The romantic tone of The Notebook was both its greatest asset and biggest downfall. Nobody wants to be crushed by squee anymore
than they want to drown in their own tears and The Notebook wants to destroy you. Never doubt that. Whether it’s leaching your bodily liquids out of you until you resemble The Ice Man or boring you to death.
Really, those are the only two options you’ve got with this book. Who can stand to see something as cute as that kitten up there all day every day? You need something not so cute to break up the boredom. Similarly, in The Notebook, the long, romantic verses filled with poetry and stunning imagery will ultimately become tiresome the longer you read it.
Probably it’s just me. In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m not exactly the most romantic person out there. In my relationship it’s my husband who is the romantic. He’s the one that makes me breakfast in bed every single morning and puts a rose from the garden on my tray. He’s the one that calls me to see how my day’s gone and sends me soppy, romantic messages.
If you’re a sentimental, sweet kind of person (two adjectives nobody has ever applied to me) then I’m sure you’d like this book and it would do you justice. For those who like a little more “action� in the literary sack then this book may tend to waffle on and be overly mushy.
Now THAT’S more like it!
Kind of like when you see this?
That’s what reading The Notebook was like. The romantic tone of The Notebook was both its greatest asset and biggest downfall. Nobody wants to be crushed by squee anymore
than they want to drown in their own tears and The Notebook wants to destroy you. Never doubt that. Whether it’s leaching your bodily liquids out of you until you resemble The Ice Man or boring you to death.
Really, those are the only two options you’ve got with this book. Who can stand to see something as cute as that kitten up there all day every day? You need something not so cute to break up the boredom. Similarly, in The Notebook, the long, romantic verses filled with poetry and stunning imagery will ultimately become tiresome the longer you read it.
Probably it’s just me. In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m not exactly the most romantic person out there. In my relationship it’s my husband who is the romantic. He’s the one that makes me breakfast in bed every single morning and puts a rose from the garden on my tray. He’s the one that calls me to see how my day’s gone and sends me soppy, romantic messages.
If you’re a sentimental, sweet kind of person (two adjectives nobody has ever applied to me) then I’m sure you’d like this book and it would do you justice. For those who like a little more “action� in the literary sack then this book may tend to waffle on and be overly mushy.
Now THAT’S more like it!
December 4, 2013
4 Stars -
Also reviewed at:
Sweet and romantic, but I liked the movie much more. In fact, I LOVED the movie and watched it before reading this. In the movie, the characters of Noah and Allie had more intensity and passion. It is one of those rare moments, for me, when the movie was better than the book.
There are some great quotes in this book though. These were my favourite:
"I am a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough."
"We sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence. It is a waste, for silence is pure. Silence is holy. It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking."
"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that's what you've given to me..."
"We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has only happened once, and that's why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I'll never forget a single moment of it."
"So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday."
"I love you. I am who I am because of you. You are every reason, every hope, and every dream I've ever had, and no matter what happens to us in the future, everyday we are together is the greatest day of my life. I will always be yours."
Sweet and romantic, but I liked the movie much more. In fact, I LOVED the movie and watched it before reading this. In the movie, the characters of Noah and Allie had more intensity and passion. It is one of those rare moments, for me, when the movie was better than the book.
There are some great quotes in this book though. These were my favourite:
"I am a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough."
"We sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence. It is a waste, for silence is pure. Silence is holy. It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking."
"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that's what you've given to me..."
"We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has only happened once, and that's why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I'll never forget a single moment of it."
"So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday."
"I love you. I am who I am because of you. You are every reason, every hope, and every dream I've ever had, and no matter what happens to us in the future, everyday we are together is the greatest day of my life. I will always be yours."
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: I do not hold the copyright to any of the images used in this review. They are posted to add visuals to the review and for fun. If any of these images are yours and you would like me to remove them, please let me know, and I will do so as soon as possible. If I can identify the copyright, I will do so.
August 12, 2024
Would Allie have loved Noah if he lived in a cramped apartment?
When the movie came out, I was a teenager, clueless about love and the ways of the world, I absolutely loved The Notebook.
However, now that I just read the book, I am convinced Allie made the wrong choice!
Allie talks about how she thinks Noah is swoon-worthy because other people don’t take enough time to enjoy the things that make life worth living. That’s rich coming from Allie.
She appears to have no job other than complaining.
Sparks is brilliant because he essentially took a modern take on The Great Gatsby where Allie doesn’t consider Noah a potential life partner until she discovers his very nice house.
This book does resonant in some ways. Allie and Noah are at an inflection point � they aren’t just picking a partner but a lifetime. They have to guess what The Ghost of Christmas Future will be.
The prose isn’t my favorite with a very short sentence structures.
Probably just ignore this review from an admittedly romantic cynic.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
Connect With Me!
When the movie came out, I was a teenager, clueless about love and the ways of the world, I absolutely loved The Notebook.
However, now that I just read the book, I am convinced Allie made the wrong choice!
Allie talks about how she thinks Noah is swoon-worthy because other people don’t take enough time to enjoy the things that make life worth living. That’s rich coming from Allie.
She appears to have no job other than complaining.
Sparks is brilliant because he essentially took a modern take on The Great Gatsby where Allie doesn’t consider Noah a potential life partner until she discovers his very nice house.
This book does resonant in some ways. Allie and Noah are at an inflection point � they aren’t just picking a partner but a lifetime. They have to guess what The Ghost of Christmas Future will be.
The prose isn’t my favorite with a very short sentence structures.
Probably just ignore this review from an admittedly romantic cynic.
2025 Reading Schedule
Jan A Town Like Alice
Feb Birdsong
Mar Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
Apr War and Peace
May The Woman in White
Jun Atonement
Jul The Shadow of the Wind
Aug Jude the Obscure
Sep Ulysses
Oct Vanity Fair
Nov A Fine Balance
Dec Germinal
Connect With Me!
February 7, 2025
* ੈ♡‧₊˚ “� 𝒶𝓂 𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓈𝓅𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒶𝓁, 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝐼 𝒶𝓂 𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒. 𝐼 𝒶𝓂 𝒶 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓂𝑜𝓃 𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓂𝑜𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼'𝓋𝑒 𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝒶 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓂𝑜𝓃 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒. 𝒯𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑜 𝓂𝑜𝓃𝓊𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈 𝒹𝑒𝒹𝒾𝒸𝒶𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓂𝓎 𝓃𝒶𝓂𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓈𝑜𝑜𝓃 𝒷𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑔𝑜𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓃, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝐼'𝓋𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓂𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓁, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝑒, 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒷𝑒𝑒𝓃 𝑒𝓃𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽..� ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـﮩ�
˗ˏˋ � ˎˊ˗ 𝔸𝕝𝕝. 𝕋𝕙𝕖. 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤. ˗ˏˋ★‿︵� ˚ ₊⊹
In The Notebook, we follow the story of Noah and Allie who meet and fall in love as teenagers in the 1940s. They are separated when Allie’s family returns home and after writing letters for two years that go unanswered, Noah decides he needs to move on.
Fourteen years later, after seeing Noah in the newspaper for building his house, Allie decides to leave her fiancé at home while she goes to visit Noah in secret. When Noah and Allie meet again, sparks fly and the romance and passion they shared is still there but how can Allie choose one man over the other without someone getting hurt?
The story is told by an old man living in a nursing home with his wife. She has dementia and he reads her the story of Noah and Allie. How they met and fell in love, what happens after Allie leaves and the lives they go on to have in the future.
I can't believe this is the first time I'm reading the book lol. I've been a really long time fan of the movie- this is one of those stories that has been with me and comforted me in some pretty terrible times, and some really wonderful ones.
This is such a love letter, in the purest rawest form. The way that these two love each other and are connected is so freaking beautiful I can't help but get all choked up. It really makes you believe that true love never dies, that it endures and it survives.
It's so tender and steadfast- yet also passionate and fiery when they were younger. It's one of my all time favorite love stories.
The Notebook is ultimately an epic love story, where the underlying and most lasting message is that true love never dies. I highly recommended you to both read and watch this enchanting love story and get lost in the competing worlds of both language and imagery. Both are sure to impress.
“𝒮� 𝒾𝓉'𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑔𝑜𝓃𝓃𝒶 𝒷𝑒 𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓎. 𝐼𝓉'𝓈 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹; 𝓌𝑒'𝓇𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝓃𝓃𝒶 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓀 𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝒹𝒶𝓎, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊. 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇, 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝒹𝒶𝓎. 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓂𝑒... 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝒹𝒶𝓎.�
“𝒴𝑜� 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝒷𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓈 𝓌𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝓎 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝒹𝑜 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝐼 𝑒𝓃𝒿𝑜𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉. 𝐼 𝓉𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒 𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽 𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒, 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝓈 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝑔𝑒𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇.�
⋆✴︎˚｡� ˗ˏˋ★‿︵� ˚ ₊⊹
˗ˏˋ � ˎˊ˗ 𝔸𝕝𝕝. 𝕋𝕙𝕖. 𝕊𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤. ˗ˏˋ★‿︵� ˚ ₊⊹
In The Notebook, we follow the story of Noah and Allie who meet and fall in love as teenagers in the 1940s. They are separated when Allie’s family returns home and after writing letters for two years that go unanswered, Noah decides he needs to move on.
Fourteen years later, after seeing Noah in the newspaper for building his house, Allie decides to leave her fiancé at home while she goes to visit Noah in secret. When Noah and Allie meet again, sparks fly and the romance and passion they shared is still there but how can Allie choose one man over the other without someone getting hurt?
The story is told by an old man living in a nursing home with his wife. She has dementia and he reads her the story of Noah and Allie. How they met and fell in love, what happens after Allie leaves and the lives they go on to have in the future.
I can't believe this is the first time I'm reading the book lol. I've been a really long time fan of the movie- this is one of those stories that has been with me and comforted me in some pretty terrible times, and some really wonderful ones.
This is such a love letter, in the purest rawest form. The way that these two love each other and are connected is so freaking beautiful I can't help but get all choked up. It really makes you believe that true love never dies, that it endures and it survives.
It's so tender and steadfast- yet also passionate and fiery when they were younger. It's one of my all time favorite love stories.
The Notebook is ultimately an epic love story, where the underlying and most lasting message is that true love never dies. I highly recommended you to both read and watch this enchanting love story and get lost in the competing worlds of both language and imagery. Both are sure to impress.
“𝒮� 𝒾𝓉'𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝑔𝑜𝓃𝓃𝒶 𝒷𝑒 𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓎. 𝐼𝓉'𝓈 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝒷𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎 𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹; 𝓌𝑒'𝓇𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝓃𝓃𝒶 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓀 𝒶𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝒹𝒶𝓎, 𝒷𝓊𝓉 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒹𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊. 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇, 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝒹𝒶𝓎. 𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓂𝑒... 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎𝒹𝒶𝓎.�
“𝒴𝑜� 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝒷𝑒𝓈𝓉 𝒻𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓈 𝓌𝑒𝓁𝓁 𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝓎 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝐼 𝒹𝑜 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝒸𝒽 𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝐼 𝑒𝓃𝒿𝑜𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓈𝓉. 𝐼 𝓉𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒 𝑒𝒶𝒸𝒽 𝓈𝒾𝒹𝑒, 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝓈 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓈𝓊𝓇𝑒𝒹 𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓁𝒾𝒻𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝑔𝑒𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇.�
⋆✴︎˚｡� ˗ˏˋ★‿︵� ˚ ₊⊹
December 9, 2020
The tears...oh the angsty teen tears. Check out my video for all the juicy details.
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Thanks for watching!
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October 24, 2019
“I am nothing special; of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.�
A beautiful, emotional, intense and passionate love story 💖 💖!
A beautiful, emotional, intense and passionate love story 💖 💖!
January 5, 2023
No need for the tissue box here! 🤷♀�
My eyes welled a few times, I admit, but this book didn’t turn on the waterworks for me. So callous, I know�
If I had to pick this book’s biggest fault it would be its length. Although beefy reads can be intimidating to start, the payout is worth it if it holds a great story. This could have been that had it been longer than about 200 pages. The story could have easily been 400. A lot of things were glossed over and initial chemistry was skipped altogether and that’s where I feel a romance can truly shine.
As is expected when reading a Nicholas Sparks book, the cheese is at a 10 at all times. Some lines really made me blush.
“He felt his loins begin to stir� If I enjoy anything about loins being stirred we better be talking about pork loins!
This was a minor nuisance as it fit that category of ‘lust story� not ‘love story�. We are told alllll about Allie’s amazing fiancé, Lon. He’s handsome, rich, kind and romantic and she loves him. His biggest flaws are his demanding job and reluctance to talk about his emotions. Shortly after leaning this we have this paragraph in regards to Noah:
“He exuded sexuality in everything he did, everything he was, and she caught herself thinking of him in a way that an engaged woman shouldn’t. She tried not to stare and glanced away often, but the easy way he moved his body made it hard for her to keep her eyes from him for long.�
You’re considering throwing away a relationship you built for years that has minimal downsides for the hot guy you had a fling with a summer 14 years prior and haven’t seen since? That didn’t seem very likely and I had to suspend belief for a moment there.
I would like to add that my thoughts may be biased as I have seen the movie half a dozen times and I enjoy it. In my personal and honest opinion, the movie did it better especially in regards to the ending. I didn’t dislike this ending however, I enjoyed the movie’s version more.
My eyes welled a few times, I admit, but this book didn’t turn on the waterworks for me. So callous, I know�
If I had to pick this book’s biggest fault it would be its length. Although beefy reads can be intimidating to start, the payout is worth it if it holds a great story. This could have been that had it been longer than about 200 pages. The story could have easily been 400. A lot of things were glossed over and initial chemistry was skipped altogether and that’s where I feel a romance can truly shine.
As is expected when reading a Nicholas Sparks book, the cheese is at a 10 at all times. Some lines really made me blush.
“He felt his loins begin to stir� If I enjoy anything about loins being stirred we better be talking about pork loins!
This was a minor nuisance as it fit that category of ‘lust story� not ‘love story�. We are told alllll about Allie’s amazing fiancé, Lon. He’s handsome, rich, kind and romantic and she loves him. His biggest flaws are his demanding job and reluctance to talk about his emotions. Shortly after leaning this we have this paragraph in regards to Noah:
“He exuded sexuality in everything he did, everything he was, and she caught herself thinking of him in a way that an engaged woman shouldn’t. She tried not to stare and glanced away often, but the easy way he moved his body made it hard for her to keep her eyes from him for long.�
You’re considering throwing away a relationship you built for years that has minimal downsides for the hot guy you had a fling with a summer 14 years prior and haven’t seen since? That didn’t seem very likely and I had to suspend belief for a moment there.
I would like to add that my thoughts may be biased as I have seen the movie half a dozen times and I enjoy it. In my personal and honest opinion, the movie did it better especially in regards to the ending. I didn’t dislike this ending however, I enjoyed the movie’s version more.
January 18, 2025
� 4 stars �
What to Expect:
� First Love
� Forbidden Love
� Second Chance
� Different World’s
� Enduring Love
� First Person POV
As I’ve been organizing my thoughts on this book, the thing I keep coming back to is how closely the movie followed the plot of the book. Perhaps this was possible because of the book’s relatively short length, but it could very nearly have doubled for a script. The question I’ve been asking myself with each Nicholas Sparks book I’ve read is, which is better, the movie or the book? You might think it would be a hard call to make this time because of their similarities, but in this particular case, the movie was the very clear winner for me.
It’s a great story either way, but the movie is just so beautifully made and well cast. The plots are nearly identical, but the characters didn’t inspire the same level of emotion while reading as they did when I watched the film. I also think Sparks uses some strange verbiage at times which earned him a few lip curls from me. Sometimes it almost felt like I was reading a regency novel or something when he mentions character’s bosoms or loins stirring or describes a character as “aroused sexually.� Isn’t “sexually”already implied? 😅 The wording just feels kind of clinical and on the nose at times in my opinion.
At the end of the day, I’m still really glad I read this even if it was slightly upstaged by the film. Sparks definitely gave the directors a lot of great material to work with! I count this as a classic and think it’s still a must read book for any who are interested.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ �
Pre-read: Every time I complete a “last, now, next� template, it pretty much guarantees I won’t want to read the book I’ve said I’m reading next. 😅
That being said, I’m starting this, but don’t be alarmed if I start another book in like an hour because I’m really not in the mood. 🫠
What to Expect:
� First Love
� Forbidden Love
� Second Chance
� Different World’s
� Enduring Love
� First Person POV
As I’ve been organizing my thoughts on this book, the thing I keep coming back to is how closely the movie followed the plot of the book. Perhaps this was possible because of the book’s relatively short length, but it could very nearly have doubled for a script. The question I’ve been asking myself with each Nicholas Sparks book I’ve read is, which is better, the movie or the book? You might think it would be a hard call to make this time because of their similarities, but in this particular case, the movie was the very clear winner for me.
It’s a great story either way, but the movie is just so beautifully made and well cast. The plots are nearly identical, but the characters didn’t inspire the same level of emotion while reading as they did when I watched the film. I also think Sparks uses some strange verbiage at times which earned him a few lip curls from me. Sometimes it almost felt like I was reading a regency novel or something when he mentions character’s bosoms or loins stirring or describes a character as “aroused sexually.� Isn’t “sexually”already implied? 😅 The wording just feels kind of clinical and on the nose at times in my opinion.
At the end of the day, I’m still really glad I read this even if it was slightly upstaged by the film. Sparks definitely gave the directors a lot of great material to work with! I count this as a classic and think it’s still a must read book for any who are interested.
✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ ✼ ҉ �
Pre-read: Every time I complete a “last, now, next� template, it pretty much guarantees I won’t want to read the book I’ve said I’m reading next. 😅
That being said, I’m starting this, but don’t be alarmed if I start another book in like an hour because I’m really not in the mood. 🫠
December 14, 2007
I read this book because my sister loved it. It made me sad. Not because it was a sad story, but because it was so poorly written.
This Sparks character had a fantastic idea for a story, a truly painful and passionate story of love and devotion. But the book? It was like my 14 year old nephew watched this brilliant movie, then tried to write about it on his myspace blog. It was butchered by an appalling lack adjectives and an appalling lack of emotion. Sad.
The fact that so many people are willing to overlook Sparks' lack of creativity and inability to, well, write, is also sad. Sad, I say.
Sorry Tracy.
This Sparks character had a fantastic idea for a story, a truly painful and passionate story of love and devotion. But the book? It was like my 14 year old nephew watched this brilliant movie, then tried to write about it on his myspace blog. It was butchered by an appalling lack adjectives and an appalling lack of emotion. Sad.
The fact that so many people are willing to overlook Sparks' lack of creativity and inability to, well, write, is also sad. Sad, I say.
Sorry Tracy.
January 21, 2011
Vanessa bought me this book after I watched Fracture and developed a serious crush on Ryan Gosling. Well, that led me to this movie and, unfortunately, this book. How does this man have a career as a writer?! Who is paying him to write stories with the most obvious choices in plot/dialogue/decisions. Wow. Lowest common denominator.
May 25, 2022
“We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has only happened once, and that's why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I'll never forget a single moment of it.�
----
This book is the reason why I’m an hopeless romantic and I was never more proud to be one. Considering the fact that I love the movie and cried like a baby while watching it, I should’ve been prepared for this book. In fact, I knew I would love the story the second I thrifted the book. But still, I was not prepared for the last 60 pages. at. all.
In the beginning we follow Noah Calhoun and Allison Nelson in the 1940s in North Carolina. One summer they meet � and obviously - this summer is becoming a dream for both of them. But in the end they still live in different social strata and have to figure out what they want their life to look like.
Yes, this story is no new invention, but that’s good, because it was never the aim of the book to create something new.
“I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough..�
The notebook is about love, but not about the basic love you find in other books, it’s about real, deep and indestructible love. The love with which Noah loved Allie and Allie loved Noah.
Written in the most incredible heart-warming and heart-breaking way, we follow their relationship, through good times, bad times, sickness and health.
Noah and Allie cherish each other so much. Reading about their love and also reading about how hard it actually is to love someone, was just incredible. All the things you endure for the other. I’m still tearing up now, because in my mind I’m still in the last 60 pages of the book. I want to find this love in my life, I want to have a Noah, who talks about me the way he did about Allie.
I won’t spoil too much of the book, because I’m selfish and want you all to read it. And please do actually read it, I swear you won’t regret it. The notebook has now become one of my favourite books.
<33
----
This book is the reason why I’m an hopeless romantic and I was never more proud to be one. Considering the fact that I love the movie and cried like a baby while watching it, I should’ve been prepared for this book. In fact, I knew I would love the story the second I thrifted the book. But still, I was not prepared for the last 60 pages. at. all.
In the beginning we follow Noah Calhoun and Allison Nelson in the 1940s in North Carolina. One summer they meet � and obviously - this summer is becoming a dream for both of them. But in the end they still live in different social strata and have to figure out what they want their life to look like.
Yes, this story is no new invention, but that’s good, because it was never the aim of the book to create something new.
“I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I've loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough..�
The notebook is about love, but not about the basic love you find in other books, it’s about real, deep and indestructible love. The love with which Noah loved Allie and Allie loved Noah.
Written in the most incredible heart-warming and heart-breaking way, we follow their relationship, through good times, bad times, sickness and health.
Noah and Allie cherish each other so much. Reading about their love and also reading about how hard it actually is to love someone, was just incredible. All the things you endure for the other. I’m still tearing up now, because in my mind I’m still in the last 60 pages of the book. I want to find this love in my life, I want to have a Noah, who talks about me the way he did about Allie.
I won’t spoil too much of the book, because I’m selfish and want you all to read it. And please do actually read it, I swear you won’t regret it. The notebook has now become one of my favourite books.
<33
February 22, 2012
كالعادة نيكولاس سباركس يطلع لينا لسانه
ويقول
ضحكت عليكم وثبتكم
الراجل دا ليه بيعمل معانا كدا؟؟
ليه عاوزانا نصدق ف حاجات مريبة
زي الحب
والصدق
والوفاء
والزواج
لي
يكونش ماسوني؟؟؟
الغريب ودي علامة ف كل كتبه
هو ملتزم بشدة متلقيش شتيمة
ولا مشهد عاطفي حار
مع ان مفيش رواية كتبها الا وتستحمل
لكن هو عامل كنترول لوحده
ولا قالك
الدراما تتطلب دا
ولا اتفذلك ولا شئ
وعرف يوصل اللي هو عاوزه
مش قصدي ان اللي بيعمل عكس دا زباله
لا خالص
بس انا بتغاظ ان فيه روايات بتبقي عبارة مشاهد ابيحة
تحتوي علي رواية
او مشاهد مقحومة لا لشئ غير اهو هو كدا
قصة بسيطة وسهلة
من غير احداث او تفاصيل
ومن غير كعبلة
ما بين بنت و ولد
يفرق ما بينهم القدر
المشكلة اني لو حكيت هبقي حاسس اني بقول
تتر مسلسل عربي
الرواية لازم تتقرأ
انا مشوفتش الفيلم
ف مش عارف هما مرمطوا الرواية ولا التزموا بيها
رواية لازم تقرأها احسنلك
علشان تفتكر انك لسه انسان
[image error]
ويقول
ضحكت عليكم وثبتكم
الراجل دا ليه بيعمل معانا كدا؟؟
ليه عاوزانا نصدق ف حاجات مريبة
زي الحب
والصدق
والوفاء
والزواج
لي
يكونش ماسوني؟؟؟
الغريب ودي علامة ف كل كتبه
هو ملتزم بشدة متلقيش شتيمة
ولا مشهد عاطفي حار
مع ان مفيش رواية كتبها الا وتستحمل
لكن هو عامل كنترول لوحده
ولا قالك
الدراما تتطلب دا
ولا اتفذلك ولا شئ
وعرف يوصل اللي هو عاوزه
مش قصدي ان اللي بيعمل عكس دا زباله
لا خالص
بس انا بتغاظ ان فيه روايات بتبقي عبارة مشاهد ابيحة
تحتوي علي رواية
او مشاهد مقحومة لا لشئ غير اهو هو كدا
قصة بسيطة وسهلة
من غير احداث او تفاصيل
ومن غير كعبلة
ما بين بنت و ولد
يفرق ما بينهم القدر
المشكلة اني لو حكيت هبقي حاسس اني بقول
تتر مسلسل عربي
الرواية لازم تتقرأ
انا مشوفتش الفيلم
ف مش عارف هما مرمطوا الرواية ولا التزموا بيها
رواية لازم تقرأها احسنلك
علشان تفتكر انك لسه انسان
[image error]
May 5, 2019
4.5 STARS
I first read this book when I was about 15 so this was almost not memorable for me though I’ve watched the movie thousands of times. (Even in the middle of reading this book this time around just because I wanted to double up being all in my feels.)
This book is just.... beautiful. The way Allie and Noah’s love for each other just spills out of the pages is just magical. I feel just so grateful to be able to read their story. Letter writing really knows how to tear at my heart strings. I’m a big letter writer and just think it’s such a wonderful way to articulate the way you feel so to read about it... ugh. My heart.
The letter Allie writes Noah made me sob. My girlfriend looks over and here I am at 8pm crying on the couch into these pages that I never wanted to end. Wonderful book. I am so glad that I read this again and I know I will a lot more in the future!!
I first read this book when I was about 15 so this was almost not memorable for me though I’ve watched the movie thousands of times. (Even in the middle of reading this book this time around just because I wanted to double up being all in my feels.)
This book is just.... beautiful. The way Allie and Noah’s love for each other just spills out of the pages is just magical. I feel just so grateful to be able to read their story. Letter writing really knows how to tear at my heart strings. I’m a big letter writer and just think it’s such a wonderful way to articulate the way you feel so to read about it... ugh. My heart.
The letter Allie writes Noah made me sob. My girlfriend looks over and here I am at 8pm crying on the couch into these pages that I never wanted to end. Wonderful book. I am so glad that I read this again and I know I will a lot more in the future!!
September 17, 2020
EXCERPT: His best friend these days was Gus, a seventy year old black man who lived down the road. They had met a couple of weeks after Noah had bought the house, when Gus had shown up with some homemade liquor and Brunswick stew, and the two had spent their first evening together getting drunk and telling stories.
Now Gus would show up a couple of nights a week, usually around eight. With four kids and eleven grandchildren in the house, he needed to get out of the house now and then, and Noah couldn't blame him. Usually Gus would bring his harmonica, and after talking for a little while, they'd play a few songs together. Sometimes they played for hours.
He'd come to regard Gus as family. There really wasn't anyone else, at least not since his father died last year. He was an only child; his mother had died of influenza when he was two, and though he had wanted to at one time, he had never married.
But he had been in love once, that he knew. Once and only once, and a long time ago. And it had changed him forever. Perfect love did that to a person, and this had been perfect.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast begins the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner recently returned from 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.
MY THOUGHTS: I had just written this review, hit enter . . . and it disappeared - 'Poof!' So here we go again . . .
Although I am not particularly fond of the story, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks holds a very special place in my heart. This was the very first book that my now husband ever gave me. I like to take it out every now and then and reread it, not because of the story, but because of the precious memories it inspires.
Books can do that. Bring back wonderful memories. If I was rating The Notebook on that alone, it would earn 5 stars plus from me. But as for the actual story, it earns a little over three stars. It is a bit too sweet for my taste, but perfect for those times when you want a read that you can enjoy without having to think too much.
BTW, this is not the book he would choose for me now. He is the romantic in this relationship. He cries every time he watches 'Titanic'. I have yet to sit through it.
***.2
THE AUTHOR: Sparks lives in North Carolina. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually.
DISCLOSURE: I own my copy of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, published by Grand Central Publishing. It definitely isn't in pristine condition; it is well traveled and well loved. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my ŷ.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.Wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Instagram and my webpage
Now Gus would show up a couple of nights a week, usually around eight. With four kids and eleven grandchildren in the house, he needed to get out of the house now and then, and Noah couldn't blame him. Usually Gus would bring his harmonica, and after talking for a little while, they'd play a few songs together. Sometimes they played for hours.
He'd come to regard Gus as family. There really wasn't anyone else, at least not since his father died last year. He was an only child; his mother had died of influenza when he was two, and though he had wanted to at one time, he had never married.
But he had been in love once, that he knew. Once and only once, and a long time ago. And it had changed him forever. Perfect love did that to a person, and this had been perfect.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Set amid the austere beauty of the North Carolina coast begins the story of Noah Calhoun, a rural Southerner recently returned from 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.
MY THOUGHTS: I had just written this review, hit enter . . . and it disappeared - 'Poof!' So here we go again . . .
Although I am not particularly fond of the story, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks holds a very special place in my heart. This was the very first book that my now husband ever gave me. I like to take it out every now and then and reread it, not because of the story, but because of the precious memories it inspires.
Books can do that. Bring back wonderful memories. If I was rating The Notebook on that alone, it would earn 5 stars plus from me. But as for the actual story, it earns a little over three stars. It is a bit too sweet for my taste, but perfect for those times when you want a read that you can enjoy without having to think too much.
BTW, this is not the book he would choose for me now. He is the romantic in this relationship. He cries every time he watches 'Titanic'. I have yet to sit through it.
***.2
THE AUTHOR: Sparks lives in North Carolina. He contributes to a variety of local and national charities, and is a major contributor to the Creative Writing Program (MFA) at the University of Notre Dame, where he provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship annually.
DISCLOSURE: I own my copy of The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, published by Grand Central Publishing. It definitely isn't in pristine condition; it is well traveled and well loved. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my ŷ.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.Wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Instagram and my webpage
November 4, 2023
and just as a reminder, cheating on your fiancé won't propel you in a fantastically romantic love story, it will simply make a horrible person out of you !
July 15, 2016
Besides the awful writing style (just to mention unimaginative, spiritless and full of clichés), I found the story just a little too contrived and far too predictable. I couldn't get over the premise where Noah and Allie meet when they are teenagers, spend one summer together and meet again after 14 years to realise they are still utterly in love?! What?!
It irritated me to no end that Sparks felt the need to not leave anything unexplained, describing things in excruciating detail, boring me but more so putting me off reading any of his other books. In the end it just felt like it was dragging on and on and on - I just wanted it to end.
Also, since I listened to the audio version I must say that the choice for the reader of the audio book isn't the most brilliant one. His voice is kind of suited for the old Noah but his imitation of a young Allie is just really off-putting. Plus, he's got that kind of voice that makes me want to fall asleep straight away. Combine that with the terrible style and plot, this book can only be described as indigestible. No more Nicholas Sparks for me, thank you!
It irritated me to no end that Sparks felt the need to not leave anything unexplained, describing things in excruciating detail, boring me but more so putting me off reading any of his other books. In the end it just felt like it was dragging on and on and on - I just wanted it to end.
Also, since I listened to the audio version I must say that the choice for the reader of the audio book isn't the most brilliant one. His voice is kind of suited for the old Noah but his imitation of a young Allie is just really off-putting. Plus, he's got that kind of voice that makes me want to fall asleep straight away. Combine that with the terrible style and plot, this book can only be described as indigestible. No more Nicholas Sparks for me, thank you!
May 31, 2025
Nicholas Sparks', The Notebook, written in 1994 and published in 1996, I enjoyed. I had not read any of his novels prior to this one, and this was his first widely successful effort. He did have two prior unpublished novels he had written, and one published, with modest success, he notes, that are stored in an attic, but the concept of a romance story, based loosely on the 60-year relationship of his wife's grandparents, formed the plot of the love story with Alzheimer's creating the tragedy of the same per Sparks.
Noah and Allie spend a memorable, romantic summer together in 1932 after being introduced by common friends, Finn and Sarah, but part ways as she relocates with her parents and he goes to work, first at a shipyard sorting scrap metal, and then to serve in World War II. Upon his return, he is awarded a sum of money from his former employer for his eight-year work valor that allows Noah to afford to purchase and renovate a plantation house in New Bern, North Carolina. He and Allie eventually reunite when she reads of the newsworthy renovation in a Raleigh local newspaper where she lives and at the time she is engaged to Lon to be married.
Allie drives to New Bern to visit her former romantic interest after 14 years apart, Noah, and the few days they spend together write the end of them both really as they fall in love yet again and she eventually is ultimately at a crossroads to choose between spending her life with Lon, whom she claims treated her fine, but had less deep feelings for, than those she had for Noah.
During the conflict of interest scenes where Allie struggles choosing with whom to spend her life, Lon or Noah, I liked Noah's admonition to Allie that she "not live her life for others, but to do what was best for her, even if it meant hurting those she loved," as Allie dealt with pressure from her parents, both of whom favored her marriage to Lon, yet Noah was the one she cared for the most.
The story fast forwards 49 years later as Noah narrates describing himself in a healthcare facility for Alzheimer's patients as he tells his story from his notebook to a patient relating to her that he went on to marry, have four children, and achieve nearly a 50-year anniversary milestone with her, now at 49 years. The question looms in the reader's mind (and the patient) whether that long marriage was with Allie or if she chose to be with Lon?
It soon becomes revealed that Allie did end up choosing to marry Noah and break her engagement to Lon and the patient, in fact, is Allie herself. Allie has developed Alzheimer's and is soon to lose all recollection of their marriage, the years spent together, and the memories of the four children they raised. Noah shares letters with Allie, those written to one another in past years, that serve to document, remind, and solidify the feelings they had for one another. To complicate the situation further, Noah suffers a stroke and it is evident that the enchanted relationship is now quickly approaching its twilight and together their health declines and they both succumb to a collective demise.
Earlier in the novel, Noah describes his newly renovated plantation home and quotes his father who would describe the "sounds of crickets and the rustling of leaves" as "God's music," which attests to the peaceful setting of the novel. Too, the beautiful epistemology sparsely used throughout the novel between Allie and Noah defined their love for one another, the kind of medicine desperately needed from which to benefit and spiritually heal where the poison of infighting might exist with some romantic couples.
The Notebook is a pleasant novel written in mild mannered prose with mild spoken characters, which read poetically (Noah the poet himself and Allie the artist) in a peaceful lakeside, New Bern, North Carolina, rural setting. The story is seemingly therapeutic given an often hectic, chaotic real world outside the fictional world and relationship Noah poetically wrote and Allie thoughtfully painted for themselves together. If you like romance, this is simply a great one!
📖 Dicer Heist:
🎙️Reloxi Music:
Noah and Allie spend a memorable, romantic summer together in 1932 after being introduced by common friends, Finn and Sarah, but part ways as she relocates with her parents and he goes to work, first at a shipyard sorting scrap metal, and then to serve in World War II. Upon his return, he is awarded a sum of money from his former employer for his eight-year work valor that allows Noah to afford to purchase and renovate a plantation house in New Bern, North Carolina. He and Allie eventually reunite when she reads of the newsworthy renovation in a Raleigh local newspaper where she lives and at the time she is engaged to Lon to be married.
Allie drives to New Bern to visit her former romantic interest after 14 years apart, Noah, and the few days they spend together write the end of them both really as they fall in love yet again and she eventually is ultimately at a crossroads to choose between spending her life with Lon, whom she claims treated her fine, but had less deep feelings for, than those she had for Noah.
During the conflict of interest scenes where Allie struggles choosing with whom to spend her life, Lon or Noah, I liked Noah's admonition to Allie that she "not live her life for others, but to do what was best for her, even if it meant hurting those she loved," as Allie dealt with pressure from her parents, both of whom favored her marriage to Lon, yet Noah was the one she cared for the most.
The story fast forwards 49 years later as Noah narrates describing himself in a healthcare facility for Alzheimer's patients as he tells his story from his notebook to a patient relating to her that he went on to marry, have four children, and achieve nearly a 50-year anniversary milestone with her, now at 49 years. The question looms in the reader's mind (and the patient) whether that long marriage was with Allie or if she chose to be with Lon?
It soon becomes revealed that Allie did end up choosing to marry Noah and break her engagement to Lon and the patient, in fact, is Allie herself. Allie has developed Alzheimer's and is soon to lose all recollection of their marriage, the years spent together, and the memories of the four children they raised. Noah shares letters with Allie, those written to one another in past years, that serve to document, remind, and solidify the feelings they had for one another. To complicate the situation further, Noah suffers a stroke and it is evident that the enchanted relationship is now quickly approaching its twilight and together their health declines and they both succumb to a collective demise.
Earlier in the novel, Noah describes his newly renovated plantation home and quotes his father who would describe the "sounds of crickets and the rustling of leaves" as "God's music," which attests to the peaceful setting of the novel. Too, the beautiful epistemology sparsely used throughout the novel between Allie and Noah defined their love for one another, the kind of medicine desperately needed from which to benefit and spiritually heal where the poison of infighting might exist with some romantic couples.
The Notebook is a pleasant novel written in mild mannered prose with mild spoken characters, which read poetically (Noah the poet himself and Allie the artist) in a peaceful lakeside, New Bern, North Carolina, rural setting. The story is seemingly therapeutic given an often hectic, chaotic real world outside the fictional world and relationship Noah poetically wrote and Allie thoughtfully painted for themselves together. If you like romance, this is simply a great one!
📖 Dicer Heist:
🎙️Reloxi Music:
December 28, 2019
Sure, pleasant story, but just too sweet and a too limited challenge for me I'm afraid. Although I also have my moments that I just want to enjoy a romantic story without too much thought. We can't always be reading high top unreadable literature... ;-) It's the ideal mix, tailormade to what the reader mind wants at a certain point in time. Two stars, therefore.
April 9, 2025
*re-read
The one and probably only time that I will say that the movie was better than the book.
The one and probably only time that I will say that the movie was better than the book.
January 11, 2022
Primero vi la película y me emocioné con el final. Guardaba un recuerdo precioso de la historia hasta que un buen amigo me dijo que la peli tiene una escena (cuando Noah se cuelga de la noria y amenaza a Allie con tirarse si no le da una cita) que es la antítesis del romanticismo. Noah manipula a Allie coaccionándola y eso no es romántico... eso es algo muy tóxico.
A raíz de la conversación con mi amigo me surgió la duda de si Nicholas Sparks también escribió la misma escena o no. He leído El cuaderno de Noah y no hay noria ni nada similar.
La novela es cortita, el amor entre los protagonistas es indestructible y me volvió a ocurrir que la parte en la que ambos son ancianos me pareció mucho más conmovedora y emotiva que cuando ambos están en la flor de la vida. Amor sempiterno �.
A raíz de la conversación con mi amigo me surgió la duda de si Nicholas Sparks también escribió la misma escena o no. He leído El cuaderno de Noah y no hay noria ni nada similar.
La novela es cortita, el amor entre los protagonistas es indestructible y me volvió a ocurrir que la parte en la que ambos son ancianos me pareció mucho más conmovedora y emotiva que cuando ambos están en la flor de la vida. Amor sempiterno �.
October 23, 2019
Either my Nicholas Sparks times are over or this book is just not to my liking in general. It's a touching story but it didn't quite catch me. Not at all, actually. Nicholas Sparks' books all blur together in my head to one big sappy and somewhat unlikely love story that is so eye-rolling I'd rather watch newly in love couples making out on the underground train.
April 10, 2008
So, I didn't love this book, even though every other girl on planet earth does. Here's the deal: it's an old guy at the end of his life, showing how undyingly committed and in love he is with his elderly wife, who is dying of Alzheimer's. Sweet, right? Except here is how he shows his love: every day, he reads her the story of their love. It involves hooking up as teenagers, then being apart without communication for years and years, yet yearning for one another while sleeping around with other people, then getting back together to fornicate like crazy and cheat on her fiance and break up her soon to be wedding. If that is not eternal and undying love, I don't know what is. There is no way you can go wrong picking a life partner if you are horny and running away from responsibility and commitment, as this book clearly shows. That is the only way to find a man who will love you and change your diapers for you when you get old.
Okay, so he wasn't changing her diapers, but you get the point. I try to go with the romance of the book, and it is romantic in the eldery love sort of way (hence the 3 stars, because I figure eventually they grew up), but I can't help but think the main characters are sleazy. The end. Throw tomatoes at me now.
Okay, so he wasn't changing her diapers, but you get the point. I try to go with the romance of the book, and it is romantic in the eldery love sort of way (hence the 3 stars, because I figure eventually they grew up), but I can't help but think the main characters are sleazy. The end. Throw tomatoes at me now.
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