A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of A Walk to Remember
Book Review: A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Summary: 4 Stars
I never knew who Nicholas Sparks was before, never read his books. Maybe I have seen them on bookshelves but they looked to me as part of a literary land of sobs and love I have never cared about much in my life. It was horror thrillers, psychological thrillers for me. Nicholas Sparks never fell under those categories.
But one thing I did do was watch the movies that his books were the basis for. Not surprisingly, since I had a close friend who took in such movies like they were collectibles. The first movie I came in contact with, watched in earnest one stuffy, humid evening, was A Walk to Remember, which touched me with the innocence and tenderness of teenage love and the sadness and tragedy of unrealized life. It broke something within me and made me realize the potential of romance fiction, if done in a way that made the goals of the characters seemingly unattainable. Broken relationships, tight family circumstances that would hinder lovers, you name it. Such has been done before, but never in the way have I seen in A Walk to Remember.
So I started to hunt down the book. Got it finally on a day in town and I tore into it. Took no more than a couple of days and, yes, it does have its differences from the movie (or vice versa, rather). After finishing it and many times when I was knee deep in the story, I had tinges of regret, having already watched the movie. The movie spoiled many of the heart tugging moments I would have had if I never watched it. It does have much of the same tenderness the film had but this book feels like it has its own soul and life.
What can be said about Nicholas' descriptions, both about the characters and the locales, other than that they are surprisingly sparse for descriptions, allowing for much of the miscellaneous details to happen instead in our vivid imaginations. Perhaps that could be a technique he employs to allow for better resonance, but one could argue how this could simply be Nicholas' style of writing. He prefers to let the story be about heart matters. Emotional factors are far more important to Nicholas than the details of a character's clothing. However, whatever detail he put in there about the characters only serves the purpose of driving the story to an emotional level that Nicholas wants the readers to be. One perfect example would be the descriptions of Jamie Sullivan, the normal and yet immensely beautiful main character who manages to find true love (and it could be true, if you leave a little bit of room for disbelief). She turns from a perfectly normal looking girl to someone almost painful to imagine as a skinny, bony girl. This only brings the reader to tears, as it did for me.
Dozen of moments in the book can make your heart yearn to turn the pages, tender moments like Jamie and Scott falling in love, the degrees of love they go through, from bring friends to being co-actors in a play to being eventually together forever. Poignant love and special friendship are the important undertones for the book as it goes along at pages at a time. But one can't help to realize that the special relationship between Scott and Jamie isn't all that unlikely. Uncommon would be a better description.
Nicholas could have added a little more flavor in the dialogue too and that would have pushed A Walk to Remember to being a five star book. Instances when Scott could've articulate something more likely than a mere "I'm afraid, too" or "How can you say that?" What's worse is that this lack of depth in dialogue runs all through the book.
One thing: never watch the movie before reading A Walk to Remember. It made me cry and I'm not afraid to say that as a male reader. If there is a perfect introduction to the heartbreak and sobby genre (haha) or to Nicholas' work in general, this must be it. The premise seems interesting enough and it has the ability to gobble up chunks of your time while giving you an escape of unbridled romance. If it won over a hardened reader such as me, I guarantee it doesn't sound as corny as my review lets on.
Book Review: A book to remember
Summary: 5 Stars
This remains one of my favorite books by Nicholas Sparks -the master of spinning tearjerkers. Sure, many of his books do follow a familiar formula, but for me, there is something different about this one. Perhaps it has to do with the main characters, caught between the innocent trappings of youth and standing on the brink of adulthood. Some may think the love story of Landon and Jamie is sappy, hard-to-comprehend. They wonder how Landon, a self-absorbed kid with no purpose, could fall for sweet, ordinary, Bible-toting Jamie. Did I mention there's a strong Christian theme here? Not only is Jamie the daughter of a Baptist preacher, she outwardly lives her faith on a daily basis. That's what sets her apart from her peers, and that is what ultimately hooks Landon. Never underestimate the power of God. He can do marvelous things through His servants. This is not just a love story, but one of complete life transformation. I was fascinated at the personal changes in this young man as he struggled to find his true potential in life. This was one of those rare books that made me reflect on many things long after I had turned the last page......the love of God, the natural cycle of life and death, but mostly, our purpose here on Earth.Book Review: A book to remember
Summary: 5 Stars
I must admit that when I began reading this book I was not all that interested; but thankfully I didn't. I was told that it was a wonderful book and a must-read, so I continued. By the time I finished it, I think I had also finished off a box of tissue.
Nicholas Sparks has a knack for writing beautiful novels (I would also recommend The Notebook and Message in a Bottle). This is definitely, in my opinion, his best yet. By the time I reached the 3rd or 4th chapter, I was hooked. I could not put it down. I had not seen the movie yet, so I really did not know the story except for the plot I read on Amazon's page.
This book is not only for teenagers, but adults will love it as well. If you like to read romantic novels, this is one you will never forget. I know I never will. Also, if you do read this book, have a box of tissues by your side. You'll know why after finishing the book.
Book Review: A book you will remember
Summary: 4 Stars
I adore this book, which was the second book I read by Nicholas Sparks. This book was so breath taking and well written that I got caught up in the story line. Sparks' abilities to get you attached to the characters is such a rare gift these days and one he uses well. This is a love story and tragic, if you found the movie interesting this will take you further. I am to this day smitten by Sparks' character Landon and what a development he goes through.
Not gonna pep talk any longer, go ahead and buy and read this book!
Book Review: A good novel for all
Summary: 4 Stars
Although I usually tend to go for the romance novels, this one had so much more packed in the pages. Nicolas Sparks tells a story that many high schoolers can relate to. I remember reading this as a young freshman and thinking about how he seemed to know exactly what a kid my age would be going through.
The story centers on a troubled teen named Landon Carter who is having difficulties with the fact that his dad walked out on his mom and him and figuring out which group he "belonged" to at his high school. He thought he had everything figured out until he was forced to join the drama club after an unfortunate turn of events.
That's where his world began unraveling. Having difficulties memorizing his lines, he has to turn to the one person he and his friends teased the most, Jamie Sullivan. Though he didn't find out for a while, her life was not all roses like the front she put on.
This book is a good read for all, but I think that middle and high school aged students can get a lot out of it. It deals with the issues that most students struggle with: friends, relationships, family, and essentially who they are and what their purpose in life is.