True Believer
by Nicholas Sparks
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Book Summary Information
Author: Nicholas SparksEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-04-12
ISBN: 0446532436
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Book Reviews of True Believer
Book Review: (3.5) A Five Star Story Diminished by the Hurried Conclusion
Summary: 3 Stars
It is indeed unfortunate that after Nicholas Sparks spent so much time constructing a really interesting and nuanced storyline, he utilized it simply as the setup for the conclusion of a true "feel good" romance, with the final chapter best characterized as five-star schmaltz. Thus, while I realize that some of Sparks' readers will be delighted with a simple love story that eschews the bittersweet nature of much of his work, and I certainly enjoy a well written story examining the mystery of romance, my rating of only three stars reflects my reaction to a plot that had so much unrealized potential. If the author had put a little more effort into providing a conclusion consistent with the earlier complexity of the story and had also provided more closure regarding all the wonderful secondary characters who he made the effort to infuse with life for the reader, he would have made me into a TRUE BELIEVER that his story deserved a full five stars.
The universal question explored by this novel has been asked innumerable times before in story, play and verse - can a young man and woman of very different backgrounds and who have made very different lifestyle choices find enough common ground to experience more than a temporary attraction to each other? In this case specifically -what happens when Jeremy Marsh (a sophisticated and successful young scientific investigative reporter who enjoys life on the Upper West Side of New York City) travels to rural Boone Creek, North Carolina to debunk the supernatural explanation of ghostly lights that recurrently appear in a local cemetery and meets the charming and aloof Lexie Darnell? The setup is leisurely, interesting and complex, and Jeremy is soon drawn into the complex history of the town and finds himself increasingly as intrigued by Lexie as by the mystery which he professionally wants to explain. The inhabitants and their relationships are drawn well enough to make the town come alive, especially Doris McClellan, the aunt who had raised Lexie and whose letter had piqued Jeremy's interest and drawn him to Boone Creek. And while most of the humor is low key, there are a few real laugh-out-loud moments, mostly with regard to Jed, the local taxidermist and proprietor of Greenleaf Cottages, "the Museum of Natural history transformed into a horror movie and squeezed into a closet". As the novel proceeds, while the threads of the mystery are gradually being unraveled, the background details of Lexie's and Jeremy's previous romantic entanglements and their emotional baggage which remains add depth to the story.
So, what's not to like? There are interesting characters, some humor and a little mystery, to add color to a romantic backdrop. Unfortunately, it is the promise of all these elements which made the abrupt conclusion such a letdown for me. The table was set, a delicious meal served, and then the final course was an overly sweet confection with no substance. In addition, a further minor complaint involved was one major flaw in the rush to conclusion which should have been spotted and corrected by the editors, who were apparently in as much of a hurry to keep to the publishing schedule as was the author. I can't provide details without including a spoiler, but it was disappointing given the attention to detail throughout the rest of the book.
In comparison to Spark's other recent books which I have read, I much preferred this book to THE GUARDIAN (two star review 5/27/2003) but felt that it lacked the spareness, simplicity and emotional power of the excellent NIGHTS IN RODANTHE (four star review 10/24/2002). I also acknowledge that TRUE BELIEVER would make a wonderful movie with the right director and actors. My criticism would be less valid given the visual storytelling nature of that medium; such a goal may well explain Spark's rather summary conclusion. However, I in fact am disappointed by the increasing tendency of authors to shortchange their readers with books which are actually screenplays in disguise and hope that my suspicion is wrong in this case.
Finally, lest you think that my reactions are too ambivalent and criticisms overly harsh, the following statistics provide some indication that other reviewers share my conclusions. There are 81 reviews that have previously posted, certainly enough to provide a valid statistical sample. My observation (admittedly anecdotal) is that in most instances of a fiction bestseller by a popular (and noncontroversial) author, the reviews will be overwhelming favorable. Yet in this case the distribution is almost even, with only a few more five star reviews than the other categories and less than half the reviews being four or five stars. (The totals are 5*-21, 4*-16, 3*-16, 2*-14, 1*-14). Obviously, a lot of readers felt even more disappointed as I was.
Tucker Andersen
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