A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
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Book Reviews of A Walk to Remember
Book Review: A Walk To Remember
Summary: 5 Stars
Wonderful love story!! Have your Kleenex ready for sure, but you won't be sorry you read this sweet, lovely book.Book Review: Sparks Novel
Summary: 5 Stars
This was in great condition, and is a wonderful story. My daughter loves it! Thank you so much!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 great romance book
Summary: 4 Stars
A Walk to Remember is a passionate book filled with unique love between two of the main characters: Landon Carter and Jamie Sullivan. There were many reasons why this book is marvelous. Specifically, Nicholas Sparks, the author, gives grand explanation of each character mentioned in the book. For example, the book starts off by describing Hegbert, Jamie's father, in numerous detailed ways, explaining how he's used to be harassed, the connections with the Carter family, characteristics, jobs, etc. Meanwhile, the novel characterizes Landon's buddies significantly, while still incorporating Hegbert. Later, we get a clear understanding of what kind of person Jamie is and how much she adjusted throughout this classic literature. Moreover, she began as a shy girl that's never had a boyfriend, was never kissed, and always had a bun and sweater on. But, she transformed into a "stronger," "flirtier" girl that finally decided to take a risk. Landon, the "story teller," had a large amount of summary's about his past and what he wants to do with his future. Also, Landon is similar to Jamie because of the fact that he changes from a popular jerk to a boy that falls in love with a "nobody". Lastly, supporting characters had been involved as well, with little snippets of explanations about themselves from "here to there."
Theme- clearly describes the point and storyline of a book. A Walk to Remember clearly shows the theme of true love and perspectives, which make the novel such a hit seller. Love is a broad word, there are many versions of love, but what Landon and Jamie had was perhaps something special, causing the theme to be unique. Both main characters are like two opposing teams. Each obtains contrasting rankings, standards, personalities, characteristics, etc. Most importantly, Landon was in a friend group that made snotty jokes about other kids, especially Jamie. Though, she tried to not pay attention to what others thought of her, overall she had no social life, not including the orphanage. Once, they went to the homecoming dance together something clicked; the only problem was that Landon couldn't admit his feelings to Jamie because of what his peers would think. Before, Jamie was just a creep from the outside, until Landon got to know the true person that she is from seeing her and spending so much time with her. During the Christmas show Landon finally admitted, "You're beautiful," right to her while she showed herself as an angel. So, his original perspective was far from right "you can't judge a book by its cover." All of these little details inspired a tremendous theme that is so perfect in its own little way.
Finally, emotions were definitely teased when reading between the lines, making A Walk to Remember a true meaningful enjoyment to make a person feel like their part of the journeys. In the beginning, the plot doesn't really influence reader's emotions, but, once Landon and Jamie start seeing each other those feelings take you on a rollercoaster ride. From fights to make-ups, when a kiss occurs following up "I love you," there is no where to store those thoughts and excitements. Nonetheless, towards the end emotions drop into sadness and sorrow because the reader discovers Jamie is diagnosed with Leukemia. The way that Sparks encourages emotions results into a creation of a superb romance.
Overall, A Walk to Remember is advancement in literature with its description of characters, theme, and emotions. Personally, I adored A Walk to Remember, I believe this proficient work of romance is a must read between the teen and older society.
Book Review: Played my heartstrings like a fiddle
Summary: 4 Stars
For those who say the book wasn't written well, I disagree. It was just short, probably not even longer than a Harlequin romance, even though it was presented in a hardcover edition with large type. I wasn't fooled. Though the story is reminiscent of "Love Story" (without all the use of the Lord's name in vain) and "Charly" (minus the Mormon doctrine), and others, it's still a sweet story.
Perhaps, compared to all the other books out there, this doesn't deserve four stars, but when I rate items, I rate them for their enjoyability factor, not for their literary qualifications. "The Great Gatsby" may be considered a great book, but I wanted to hang myself with boredom, so is it really that great, or am I just a simpleton?
Probably both.
Anyway, this edition (with the New England autumn) is one I wouldn't be ashamed to have in my collection. I hate it when they re-release a book with the movie version's actors on it. It makes a book look cheap and tacky. Though a film may be based on a book (however close it may be to the text), it's still a completely different work of art (and I use the term art loosely). My imagination sure did a much better job conjuring up Landon and Jamie than the casting director did. Shane West was ugly, and though Mandy Moore is pretty, and did a good job, she wasn't right as Jamie, not to mention it completely lost something by setting it in the present day (just like they did with the "Flowers in the Attic" film).
I think, sadly, anymore, it's hard to write a sweet story set in modern times, because it comes across as false. There's just something innocent about the 1950's, or maybe that's just our perception. Hollywood had a lot to do with fostering it, creating family shows like "Father Knows Best" and "Leave it to Beaver". Pollyanna set in today's world would be laughed off the screen.
That this book has received many five star reviews isn't a bad thing (hey, if Sparks could write something as simple as this and not only it become a bestseller, but also a movie, I can do it), because this isn't a book for cynics. It's a book for those who still believe in true, lasting love, and that teenagers really can and do love as much, or more, as adults do. I was surprised that Landon never married again, but it's not unheard of (if you don't believe me, read the story of 1960's starlet, Dolores Hart).
Though Jamie was sort of too good to be true, she was also a minister's daughter in the 1950's, so I took that into consideration, and Landon wasn't a bad person like he was in the movie, he was just an immature teenage boy who grew up a lot in love.
I could read this story at least once a year (probably on Christmas), but I've watched the movie twice and don't care to ever watch it again, though I will say it was refreshing compared to most of the teen movies out there.