Morgano,+Shannon

**​​​The Notebook By: Nicholas Sparks** Wiki By: Shannon Morgano

Destiny Review
​ //The Notebook// by Nicholas Sparks, is an empowering novel that demonstrates just how strong love really is. It is a magical story of two people who reconnect with one another after fourteen years of separation. Sparks does an excellent job holding the reader's attention until the very end, keeping them wrapped up in the complicated story of Noah and Allie. He allows the reader inside the minds of each character, giving them the opportunity to understand how each one feels. It truly is a story centered on love, and the choices one must make in order to be happy. Overall I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fast pace story filled with various emotions.

Plot Summar y
​ ​ Set in North Carolina in the year 1946, //The Notebook// tells the story of Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson. After a summer of romance, both characters have been separated for nearly fourteen years. This is due to Allie's parents' disappoval of Noah and their desire for Allie to marry someone who is well known. Even after fighting in World War II, Noah cannont forget the feelings he had for Allie. He is a rather laid back man with a kind heart. Allie however is set to marry a rich lawyer, but she too is unable to keep Noah from her mind. She is a strong-willed young woman who does not let anything stop her. Now with only a few weeks until her wedding, Allie returns to the small town where she and Noah met, and is forced to make tremendous, life changing decisions.



About the Author
Nicholas Sparks was born on December 31,1965 in Omaha Nebraska. //The Notebook// was his first novel. Other works by Sparks include //The Last Song// (2009), //True Believer// (2005), //Nights in Rodanthe// (2003), and //A Walk to Remember// (1999). Many of his novels, including //The Notebook//, have been turned into films.

Analysis of Style
The title of this novel is definitely appropriate. //The Notebook// refers to a book that holds the story of two young people who are in love. In the beginning of the novel and elderly Noah is reading this romantic tale to a woman who can no longer remember anything around her. Through this notebook, Sparks launches into the main story of Allie and Noah, and the woman hears about the powerful feeling of love.
 * Title **

The novel is a good length and easy is to read. It is divided into several chapters, each given a name that reveals an important part of the plot. The chapters also switch viewpoints between the two main characters, revealing how each one is feeling at the same moment in time. Switching viewpoints within the chapters is a unique element in this novel that allows the reader to truly understand each person and their feelings.
 * Brevity/Length **

Flashbacks
Flashbacks are a key element in this novel. The story opens when Noah is eighty years old and living in a nursing home. As he begins to read from the notebook, however it flashes back to 1946 when he is in his early thirties. Sparks shows this drastic change in time because he is trying to give the reader the impression that the story is being retold rather than it happening in the present.

Throughout the novel the reader is able to see the characters develop and change over time. A lot of the story is told through the inner thoughts of each person, which reveals exactly how they feel in certain situations. The reader receives a good sense of their personalities and is able to relate to them over the course the entire novel.
 * Character Development **

​Sparks uses excellent description and detail in this novel. He draws from his own experiences of living in North Carolina, describing each scene with enough detail to keep the reader intrigued and feeling as though they are standing alongside the characters. He also goes to great lengths to describe each emotion that unfolds throughout the story. Overall, there is a lot of detail and, at times some of it is not necessary.
 * Description and Detail **

The conclusion to this novel was incredibly satisfying. It demonstrates just how powerful love really is and allows the reader to think about love and miracles in a whole new way. //The Notebook// has a sweet ending that is neither overpowering nor disappointing.
 * Conclusion **

Professional Reviews
 “ The book’s dimensions and cliché-ridden prose will make comparisons to //The Bridges of Madison County// inevitable. What renders Spark’s sentimental story somewhat distinctive are two chapters, which take place in a nursing home in the 90’s, that frames the central story.” -Publishers Weekly “I realize the odds, and science, are against me. But science is not the total answer; this I know, this I have learned in my lifetime. And that leaves me with the belief that miracles, no matter how inexplicable or unbelievable, are real and can occur without regard to the natural order of things. So once again, just as I do every day, I begin to read the notebook...” (Sparks 5)

"...and the novel's format focusing just on the dual beginnings of their love story and its denouemet, is intriguing." -Library Journal

"This is well within the confines of the romance genre-love conquers all, even Alzheimer's leaving the medical experts confounded... If you want to read an upscale Harlequin romance with great crossover appeal, then read //The Notebook."// -Kirkus Reviews