The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

*WARNING* CONTAINS SPOILERS

I always make a point of reading the book before seeing the cinematic adaption but obviously The Notebook is one of the biggest 'chick flicks' around at the moment so I knew a little about the story.

It's fairly predictable in the sense that you know Noah and Allie will end up together which is the same as most romance novels. I was however, hoping that there would be a little more than what I got. The description was excessive but at the same time it wasn't very detailed. There is one part where Allie is getting ready to see Noah again for the firsst time in fourteen years and Sparks writes about her clothing choice. We're told she's wearing a yellow dress, and gold, hooped earrings, and this, and that...and then I fell asleep. No, really. What is it with certain authors needing to write about every detail but making it so boring and dreary?!

The rest of the novel wasn't too bad but it left me wanting more. The book cuts out as though Sparks ran out of ideas. One minute we're about to find out what Allie will tell Lon when she sees him, the next we're in a nursing home learning about Allie's disease, and how Allie did actually choose Noah in the end. I'm not sure why it was split like this as it didn't really work.

I'm not sure whether it's just me or not, but I also couldn't relate to any of the characters. I disliked Allie as I saw no reason for visiting Noah to tell him about her engagement other than she wanted to start an affair. After fourteen years of not speaking to eachother there was no need to then go all the way to his new home to explain she was getting married.

Noah is extremely unrealistic as male's go. No man would spend fourteen years in love with someone but not do anything about it. He would have either moved on or tried to contact Allie.

It's a pretty story that a lot of women will love but this woman was bored half-way through.