One of the most popular ‘chick lit’ novels to have been written over the last fifteen years, The Notebook can be described in just four words – a bittersweet love story.
The book follows Noah and Allie, who had a passionate summer romance as teenagers but never forgot each other. Three weeks before Allie is to marry her lawyer fiancé, she sees an article about Noah in the newspaper. Old feelings for Noah arise, and Allie decides to visit him. Of course, he has always been in love with her, so Allie becomes torn between two men.
This love triangle has been recorded in a notebook, and is read aloud by a little old man to his beloved wife, who now has advanced Alzheimer’s. No prizes for guessing who the old man and lady actually are...
Having seen the movie, but never read the book (shame on me!), I was intrigued and excited to find a beaten-up old copy at my local library. After reading the book, I think the movie does a better job at capturing Noah and Allie’s summer romance and demonstrating step-by-step how they actually fell in love. The book only touches on the initial romance, and prefers to focus on Allie returning to Noah for one last time. Having said that, the book does a far better job at exploring Alzheimer’s disease – the initial symptoms and diagnosis, to the rapid downward spiral of forgetting who you are, and how to do simple daily activities such as eating, showering, and dressing.
Like most of Sparks’ pieces, The Notebook is heavy on the melodramatic language and romantic rendezvous. However, if you look past this, it is worth the read simply for the information about Alzheimer’s. Sure, we all know it is a debilitating disease, but I think the book gives us a rare insight into how it also affects the wife or husband who has to see their partner rapidly decline right before their eyes.
4 out of 5 stars.
I haven't read the book, but I saw the movie when I was pregnant with my first child. I was suitably emotional to find it AMAZING (am not sure I would think so now?). Guess what I ended up naming my baby boy?
ReplyDeleteA very nice name and very well-chosen! It is a great movie though, and I must admit I cried throughout it! It did do the book justice, unlike many other movies these days.
ReplyDeleteXO