The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
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Book Reviews of The Choice
Book Review: excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
moving story which touches upon the issues of advance directives. this book can be a starting point for discussions of this very important topic among families.Book Review: A romantic fairy tale
Summary: 1 Stars
I found nothing in this book to be believable. The uncomplicated characters and overly dramatic plot are more suited to a fairy tale than to contemporary fiction.
The Prince Charming of the story is a handsome bachelor who, despite his job as a small-town veterinarian, can afford a house with a nice view, property with an even nicer view, a couple boats, a motorcycle, and much more. Oh, and he has traveled all over the world. And he has wonderful friends whom he's known since childhood, and the friends all have loving wives and cute toddlers. And the whole gang gets together often to go boating and have picnics on the beach. Have you gagged yet?
The Damsel in Distress is a physician's assistant who is bullied by her mother, sexually harassed by one of her employers, and neglected by her boyfriend. She moves into the house next door to the Prince, and they meet when she goes over to accuse him of letting his dog impregnate hers. Thus, their relationship gets off to a Rocky Start. But later, in the course of one long weekend, he realizes that he's found the One Thing that his life has been lacking, she realizes she's found a Good Listener, and the longtime boyfriend is history. The Prince and Damsel get married, build a house on the property with the even nicer view, have two daughters, and live happily ever after -- until Tragedy strikes, and the Prince is forced to make a Difficult Choice.
At this point the narrative leaves events and dialog behind and focuses on the guilt-ridden ruminations of the Prince as he decides what to do. In the interest of avoiding too many spoilers, I'll just say that ultimately the Prince bases his decision on True Love. And, this being a fairy tale, you can guess the ending.
Although this book's literary flaws are many, its worst fault is that it simplifies and trivializes a very complicated and heartbreaking choice that many people, including myself, have had to make. In the hands of a more capable author, this topic could've been developed into a thoughtful and moving story, rather than a trite and sappy fairy tale.