I first "read" this when my sister-in-law and I were taking our infant daughters on a four hour trip to Mackinac Island. We rented a couple audio books for the road. This was the first one we listened to. In the beginning, we were laughing, having fun, half-heartedly listening to the words. By the middle, we were listening intently and completely quiet. By the end, we had pulled over on the side of the highway, tears streaming down our faces, holding hands, laughing and crying.

Plot and Characters:

The story begins with Noah Calhoun picking up a faded and well-worn notebook as he begins reading to a frail elderly woman, his voice recalling the heartbreaking story of two star-crossed lovers and their bittersweet journey of finding each other, losing each other, and the rest of the story that brings us to this point of reading The Notebook. So begins this touching novel that is a dual tale of love lost and found, and of a man's gentle battle to reach an aging woman who cannot remember the most cherished moments of her life. Noah and Allie Nelson meet one summer when they are both "Young Adults" and they fall in love. Allie is from a well to do family who doesn't think young Noah is right for their princess. They serve as the biggest factor keeping the two lovers apart as they push her to marry Lon, a respectable, kind lawyer.

A short while before her wedding to Lon, Allie feels a strong need to go back and see Noah one last time. Of course, it’s not hard to rekindle passion that was never really quenched in the first place and the time comes when Allie must make a hard and life changing choice, breaking one man's heart. In the beginning, when we meet Noah as an old man, we don't know Allie's choice. We don't know if Noah is just meeting her again after loving her once upon a time, or if they have been together all these long years.
The story begins with these words, giving the reader the impression that you may never know the whole story: Who am I? And how, I wonder, will this story end?

Happy reading to find out exactly how the story does end!

Writing / Audio Style:

Now that I have both listened to the novel and read it, I must say there is something magical in listening to the story of this man and woman’s love read by Kate Nelligan and Campbell Scott. It simply enhances the already lyrical quality of Sparks's novel. The audio book I listened to is an Abridged version copyrighted by Time Warner Audiobooks. Yes, I hate Abridgements, but their performances makes this one well worth it.

Like Sparks’ other novels, this reads very quickly (usually within a few hours for me). He writes very beautiful, lyrical prose, filled with descriptions of all around: the landscape, the houses, the people, the heart.
Before Noah meets Allie again, he remembers her like this: 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.

My thoughts and recommendations:

I read somewhere that there are books that tell great stories, and there are books that are written with wonderful words, but when you find a book that fills both these ideals, that is a book to treasure. "The Notebook" is an amazing story. Great Literature? Not really. And yet, it is still on the one shelf in my library that I go back to time and time again, any time that I find myself without a new book to read.

The Notebook is the story of two ordinary people, brought together and bound together and made exceptional through that ever powerful emotion: love. Now, when I say that even men will enjoy this book, what I mean is this: If you're married and you happen to be driving on a longer trip with your wife, surprise her and rent it from your local library. It will spark some of that old passion and dreaminess from the "old days" and you really won't mind listening to it. I wouldn't, however run out and check this out on your own. The movie rights have sold, and we may as well label it a Chick Flick right now!





Recommended: Yes