Nicholas Sparks

[TariNumenesse]

Poor romance novels looked lonely.

Nicholas Sparks' novels are taking romance readers and the movie world by storm - have you read any of his books? What did you think of them?

[oceanflower]

I've neither read the books nor seen the movies. Have you, Tari? What are they about? DO you recommend any of them?

[TariNumenesse]

I am a huge fan of the movies 'A Walk To Remember' and 'The Notebook'. I figured that since I liked the movies, I should try the books. I cried through most of Walk to Remember, but after the emotional detactment, I realised that they are not very good books. The stories are well enough, but they are very badly written. I am now scared to go near 'The Notebook' in case it turns out like 'A Walk to Remember'. There was some information that he left too late to introduce, and added it in by saying, 'oh, by the way...'. It was extremely out of place. The beginning also wasn't necessary, with the remembering back when he was young bit. It is the first time that I have liked the movie better than the book. The movie is simply better constructed and has more interest. But for romance novels, they are very touching.
Just for reference, he also wrote 'Message in a Bottle'.

[Jezebel]

I've only seen A Walk to Remember and I really liked the movie so I figured I'd give the book a shot because the books are usually ten times better than the movies but not so in this case. I couldn't even finish the book. I didn't really feel any emotional attachment to any of the characters instead the story just seemed flat and boring.

[oceanflower]

Here's a review from the Washington Post of Nicholas Spark's new book:

washingtonpost.com (http://www.washingtonpost.com/)
No Love Lost Here
By Barbara Feinman Todd,
who teaches journalism at Georgetown University
Wednesday, October 19, 2005; C03




AT FIRST SIGHT

By Nicholas Sparks

Warner Books. 277 pp. $24.95

Nicholas Sparks, the author of such blockbusters as "The Notebook," "Message in a Bottle" and "Nights in Rodanthe," has gained almost mythic status among female readers, and among moviegoers as well. Three of his books have been made into films. His international bestsellers are published in 30 languages.

Which has me wondering if I should learn a few new languages. Perhaps he's better in, say, Tagalog or Uzbek. Setting aside the writing for a moment -- readers can sometimes forgive even the purplest prose if a writer constructs a compelling plot -- here's what we get in Sparks's new novel, "At First Sight": Jeremy Marsh doesn't trust his fiancee, Lexie Darnell, who is pregnant with his child. He sees her holding hands with a former love interest who is now dating Lexie's best friend, who shortly after the hand-holding incident mysteriously disappears. Jeremy begins to receive frightening anonymous e-mails about Lexie's fidelity. They discover that their unborn child is suffering from a rare condition called amniotic band syndrome and could be born with abnormalities. Did I mention the psychic grandmother?

Sparks is so calculating in his desire to appeal to female readers that much of the novel reads like a man thinks a woman thinks a man thinks: "Like most men, he assumed that hormones were the explanation for every emotional outburst, but in this instance it really seemed to be true." Sparks seems to have fashioned Jeremy, who was also the main character of his previous novel, "True Believer," by steeping himself in back issues of Cosmopolitan and Redbook: "But if there was one thing he'd learned from his first marriage, it was never to complain about the frequency of sex. In this, men and women were different. Women sometimes wanted; men always needed."

Throughout the book, as Jeremy struggles to understand Lexie, examining their relationship from every possible angle, readers are subjected to the literary equivalent of Chinese water torture. Jeremy is meant to be a sensitive metrosexual, but he usually sounds like a peevish dork.

"Still, there were some things that took getting used to. For example, now that theirs was a permanent arrangement, Jeremy wasn't sure how much cuddling he was expected to do. While Lexie seemed content to cuddle constantly, Jeremy could think of other more gratifying forms of intimacy. Still, he wanted to keep her happy. Which meant . . . what? How much was enough? Did they have to cuddle every night? How long? And in what position? Was he supposed to nuzzle too? He was doing his best to figure out all the intricacies of Lexie's desires, but it was confusing."

And their relationship! It's trying to be tormented and turbulent, but it comes off as tedious and . . . well, gooey: "The gloomy weather did nothing to dampen the renewed passion Lexie and Jeremy felt for each other. On the night he'd returned, they made love with an intensity that surprised them both, and he could vividly recall the electric feel of her skin against his own. It was as if, in their lovemaking, they were trying to erase all of the pain and betrayals, the secrets and anger, of the past few months."

Oh, if only they would pause long enough in their lovemaking to erase some of the pain of reading this. I enjoy a good romance as much as the next gal, but this isn't one. And the author's clumsy foreshadowing in the final paragraph of most chapters is maddening: "When he looked at Lexie now, he knew he had never cared for anyone as deeply. What he didn't know, what he couldn't know, was that the hardest days were yet to come." Harder still for those who read about it.


© 2005 The Washington Post Company

[kid at heart]

I agree with the other readers who said Nicholas Sparks is not a great writer. The first book of his I tried to read was The Notebook, which I hated so much I quit about halfway through. Years later i saw the movie and enjoyed it. In the book you hardly got to know the characters at all, but in the movie they were much better developed. I saw the movie A Walk to Remember and really enjoyed it. I read the book a couple years later and thought it was good too, but not as good as the film. The writing was too easy. It is definitely more geared to teens. I don't have any desire right now to read any of his other books. I have not seen the movie Message in a Bottle. Has anyone see it? What is your opinion?

[oceanflower]

I rentedthemovie The Notebook when I couldn't think of anything else to rent. I was happily surprised to find that I enjoyed it...I actaully shed quite a few tears. :)

[Silverfalcon]

Nicholas Sparks's books are mostly enjoyed by women but I am big fan of it even though I'm a guy. Of course, there's nothing wrong with this but most people, for some reason, believe that romance = women. I disagree.

Anyway, as for his books, I don't know if they're not written well. They're very easy to read. I read A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, A Message in a Bottle, The Wedding, and A Bend in the Road. My favorite one has to be A Message in a Bottle mainly because the story has unique plot and although ending was somewhat easy to predict, it was still different from normal Sparks books. I'm not trying to being critic (as I said, I enjoyed his books) but his books are very "well-known" stories. For instance, take A Walk to Remember. The story of a girl and boy falling in love (that seem very unlikely; but who says love is always likely?) and at the end, a girl dies because of a disease. This type of story is repeated many many many times. It's just that Nicholas Sparks added some "extra" componenents and fixed some "characters."

[Dahlia]

I read The Notebook and did not enjoy it, as someone said, the characters were under-developed. I saw the movie version which was better than the book, but it was still too predictable for me. Maybe I'm not as romantic as I like to think I am.

[Silverfalcon]

Maybe I'm not as romantic as I like to think I am.

Well.. I think a lot of people feel this way. The romance in Sparks is clearly fictional. Whole "love" and "romance" seem pretty impossible for people. It's not that people won't appreciate such love (for instance, wouldn't women like to have husbands who remember them and give equal love as they did on the first sight? ;) ) but reality is bit different from the book.

So, whenever read Spark book, just imagine that this is possible. :D

[Durga]

Well.. I think a lot of people feel this way. The romance in Sparks is clearly fictional. Whole "love" and "romance" seem pretty impossible for people.

So, whenever read Spark book, just imagine that this is possible. :D

That's what i'm doing. And i believe that since someone's mind is working like mine (i mean Sparks) that means it REALLY IS POSSIBLE :D

[Silverfalcon]

Anyone read At First Sight?I'm reading this book and well, I didn't read True Believer which is a prequel but this book seems to be boring.

But then, it's a process of getting married and since I'm only 16, that doesn't interest me.

[oceanflower]

But then, it's a process of getting married and since I'm only 16, that doesn't interest me.

Thank goodness! ;)

[Anti-Prefix]

I liked the movie version of "A Walk To Remember." I should probably read some other material of his. Any recommendations?

[TariNumenesse]

I liked the movie version of "A Walk To Remember." I should probably read some other material of his. Any recommendations?

I read A Walk to Remember, expecting it to be as good as or better than the movie, and I must admit (though I cried) it was very badly written. I found the movie version has better characters, a more coherent plot, and is better presented. I would never touch another of Nicholas Sparks' books after that. But that is just my opinion, after all.

[Silverfalcon]

I liked the movie version of "A Walk To Remember." I should probably read some other material of his. Any recommendations?

My personal favorite one has to be Message in Bottle. I'm big fan of romance books that has good chance of reality but most Sparks books do not have this quality. Message in Bottle is better one of them I think.

Don't take my word for it though. Many people have different point of view.

If you're married person, I suggest Wedding as well. That was pretty good book even for a teenager to read. :D

[LilWickedJester]

This is EireFaerie I am logged on a friends computer...

I LOVE Nicholas Sparks...he is one of my favorites. I have read and own most of his novels. I ALWAYS cry. I read him only when I am in a lovingly depressed mood. I have yet to see his movie 'Message in a Bottle', but I have seen 'The Notebook'. I really loved it.

Anyways...it's REALLY sappy...yeah.....

[Silverfalcon]

I just finished The Rescue. It is highly recommended! Very good!

This book was awesome on displaying changes on human's minds. It was a great book with happy lalalala ending. :D

[zonato]

I haven't read any of his novels, but I watched The Notebook and Message in a Bottle. Nice premises, but the endings got rather predictable. The Notebook was a tear-jerker, even though I didn't like the ending. Message in a Bottle was okay, but the main guy ( Garrett/Kevin Costner) got a little scary sometimes with his obsession about keeping everything in place. Not that Theresa was much better.

All in all, The Notebook is memorable.

[oceanflower]

Spark's new novel, Dear John, has just hit the shelves. Here's a synopsis:

From Publishers Weekly
Hot on the heels of True Believer and sequel At First Sight, Sparks returns with the story of ne'er-do-well-turned-army-enlistee John Tyree, 23, and well-to-do University of North Carolina special education major Savannah Lynn Curtis. John, who narrates, has been raised by a socially backward single postal-worker dad obsessed with coin collecting (he has Asperger's syndrome). John bypasses college for the overseas infantry; Savannah spends her college summers volunteering. When they meet, he's on leave, and she's working with Habitat for Humanity (he rescues her sinking purse at the beach). John has a history of one-night stands; Savannah's a virgin. He's an on-and-off drinker; she's a teetotaler. Attraction and values conflict the rest of the summer, but the deal does not close. Savannah longs for John to come home; her friend Tim longs to have a relationship with her. On the brink of John and Savannah's finally getting together, 9/11 happens, and John re-ups. Savannah's letters come less and less frequently, and before you know it, he receives the expected "Dear John" letter. Sparks's novel brims with longing.

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/0446528056.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V51630094_.jpg

[Silverfalcon]

Funny thing that the previous poster mentioned that because while I was volunteering in local library today, that's the book I came across! Haha... Cool.

Interestingly, I do not remember what At First Sight was... I didn't think I read it but my past posts said that I did. Hmm.. :p

[RhymesWithOrange]

I admit, I've read the vast majority of what he's written. I'm a hopelessly romantic sap, so I love the stories. I recommend The Rescue; it's my favorite from what I've read.

[lovelorn21]

I've read almost all his novels, my favorites are A Walk To Remember, The Notebook and Message in the Bottle...Until now, I have his novels on my list of books to read... Not tired of shedding tears for it. It's all worth it. :)

[Phantom Paragrapher]

I love Nicholas Sparks , Ive read all of his books . I also Own the dvds of The Notebook and A Walk to remember and have watched Message in a Bottle and Nights at Rodanthe. Can't wait for the movies Dear John ( starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried ) and The Last Song ( starring Liam Hensworth and Miley Cyrus) to hit the big screens.