The Notebook

Love is something magical, if only you ever felt that. It makes you go crazy about the other person. But sometimes people lose their beloved due to some reason and they end up losing faith in love. Apparently, many writers have told such stories, but the story of Noah and Allie is different. They do separate but eventually end up making The Notebook one of the emotional and beautiful stories I have read so far. Spoiler alert: this story might cause your emotions to unload themselves. 

The story begins with the narrator waking up to do his tasks for the day. He walks out of his room in the hospital and saunters along with the white tiles into a room. The atmosphere depicts that everyone knows him in that hospital. He sits in his chair in that room and desires for some miracle, and then he reads from his notebook. A guy named Noah Calhoun had restored some old house in New Bern, and this news had made its place in Raleigh's daily. Noah enjoys the evenings while sitting on his porch with his dog Clem, who had lost her leg in a car accident, and his guitar, remembering his father. He remembers his old days. He met a girl after his graduation at a festival, his friends, Fin and Sarah, made that happen. They grew fond of each other, talked about their dreams and made love. Three weeks later she left, taking a part of him with her. Ever since she left, her memories have been haunting him like a ghost. He is waiting for his present best friend Gus but to no avail. Somewhere far away, she was having second thoughts about her fiance, Lon. Allie was Noah's only girlfriend who made an everlasting impression on him. To forget her, he had left New Bern, worked at a scrapyard, made some new friends, and served at the war. When the war came to an end, he inherited the money from the sale of that scrapyard as his name was mentioned in that will, and then he bought the present house which appeared in the news. Allie got uncomfortable after reading the news, and for some reason, she wanted to know the answers to many of her questions, therefore, she left her house to meet Noah for one last time. When they meet, Noah treats her as if nothing has changed. He remembers every detail. They remember their good old times. Allie tells him about her engagement, and despite that, she keeps on seeing him and avoids calls from her husband at the inn. After going out on a date one afternoon, they return in wet clothes and relive their moment. Noah had expected a thunderstorm but Allie insisted on going there. Lon, her fiance, was an intelligent man and a lawyer. He is sceptical about something and finally discovers her reason behind that visit. He skips his ongoing case and leaves for her hotel to be acquainted with the truth. Meanwhile, Allie's mother visits Noah's home, knowing her daughter very well, but she carries those letters, sent by him years ago, she had secretly stored them away from her daughter. Allie leaves after her mother and Noah yet again feels broken. Allie goes back to her hotel with that bundle of letters, and before she leaves her car in the parking below, she reads that last letter of Noah from that bundle and with a cluster of thoughts, she leaves to confront her fiance. What will be her decision? Do you think she will have the courage to choose her first love? Like Gus suggested that you will always carry your first love with you, will this love make her stay with Noah?

The man who has been reading this story closes his notebook, creating suspense for his only audience, the lady. The lady, who seems to have trouble remembering this person in front of him, knows that this person is a regular visitor. She asks him how does the story end? He replies, 'you will know by the end of the day.'  

Nicholas Sparks writes tales that you could read in that winter evening on that couch placed near those fireworks with a hot cup of espresso. Many of his books have been directed into movies but reading his books has its own perks. Rather than watching its movie, you should read the book. His writing style for the romance genre is different. I appreciate the style with which the plot leads into the happy yet devastating ending. It is his style that keeps you engaged throughout, and I wouldn't be surprised if you read his books in one sitting. Mr Sparks has beautifully romanticized the reunion of our couple. You will be a part of their date amidst that picturesque landscape out in that thunder. Also, Sparks has mocked this society with their story as Allie's parents thought Noah wasn't part of their rich class, yet he bought the house in New Bern and got famous. This fiction discusses the madness and the repercussions of true love. It speaks about first love and those memories because 'no matter what you do, she(or he) will stay with you forever,' in your heart. In the words of the narrator, 'the romantics would call this a love story, the cynics would call it a tragedy. In my mind, it's a little bit of both.'