Feature Article

The romantics would call this a love story.
The cynics would call it a tragedy.

Browsing through “The Notebook”
A brief feature of the book-turned-movie “The Notebook”

Considered by many as one of the most poignant and compelling love stories ever written, The Notebook is a classic story of love found, lost, and regained. The chronicle was found on a festival night; lost three weeks after a summer spent together, and regained 14 years later, some time after World War II.

Rich girl and Poor Boy

The romance is on between country boy Noah Calhoun and city girl Allie Nelson. Contradictory to the Cinderella plot, Noah comes from a poor and simple family whereas Allie is bred in an almost stiff, aristocratic atmosphere. It was set on coastal New Bern of North Carolina. Despite the familiar conflict of rich-girl-loves-poor-boy-but-parents-do-not-agree, Sparks manages to sparkle in his story line. He did this by weaving little surprises in each chapter, making it difficult to guess correctly what happens next.

Distinctive of Sparks, this novelette boasts simplicity of words and form, making it easier to acquaint its reading crowd with. Descriptive paragraphs—another characteristic of Sparks—abound in 214 pages, flashing vivid images in the readers’ minds simultaneously. Unfortunately, this can also be seen as a weakness as it can be observed that sometimes the description of the setting uses more words than the conversations between the characters themselves.

Several poems written by Noah for Allie and love letters written by one another accentuate the latter parts of the book.

From Book to Screen

The book is remarkable and romantic like others of Sparks, with its own story and twists. Similar to his first two novels, Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember, which were likewise set into motion pictures, The Notebook movie version is a pleasant film any one can relate and cry to whether it’s Christmas or July.

Unfortunately, novels such as this set into the silver screen suffer from the adaptations made on the story line. Several romantic scenes, which were described convolutedly in the book, were gashed from the movie. Fortunately, these scenes were not of great relevance in comparison to those that remained. For his part, Director Nick Cassavetes attempted well to tint the movie. He chose precise episodes, slashed out the rest, and added just a bit of his own mind without changing the major flow of the novel.

Then… and Now

In the book, the story is chopped into two parts: the first recounting the adventures of the two star-crossed lovers in their youth (early 20s), and after a gruff cut, the two lovers in their late (50s), in the Home for the Aged with their grandchildren visiting them.

In the movie, Cassavetes employed flashback, opening the curtains with Noah and Allie in the Home for the Aged. At that time, Allie, did not remember anything about herself. Their children and grandchildren plopped in the grass around them, and then Noah began his tale.

The Verdict

With its heartrending course, The Notebook can tug people’s emotions, as proven by positive reviews by males and females alike. It is one of those few films one can watch on a cool stormy night and one can’t forget come summer, in a way the big hits Titanic and Romeo and Juliet were. It has the winning combination of A Walk to Remember’s simplicity and tragedy and of Message in a Bottle’s (both also by Sparks) romance letters and lines. Read the book if you specifically need a good cry; watch the movie for its serene backdrops and slick scenes.

Reviewer’s Favorite Line (in the book): I am nothing special; of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten, but I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me, this has always been enough.
Reviewer’s Pet Movie Scene: Noah and Allie riding the canoe moving through the lake, with Tundra swan and Canadian geese surrounding them. Also, the last scene where they lie dead in the ward’s bed, their fingers intertwined and their faces happy and serene.

Reviewer’s Pet Line (in the movie): “Do you think that love can create miracles?”
“Yes, I do. That’s what brings you back to me each time.” (Noah’s reply to Allie; speaking of
her Alzheimer’s.)
“I’ll be seeing you.” (Noah’s last words before they died.)