The Notebook

The Notebook Review
Ashlea Shaw

Genre:

Romance

Age Group:

Late teens onwards.

Stars:

Book 5 stars
Movie 5 stars

Book Review:

I must say I went into this task fairly dubious because The Notebook has been one of my all time favourite movies since its release in 2004. I was very pleasantly surprised. Actually, just like Allie and Noah, I fell in love. Nicolas Sparks truly has a way with words and he is able to capture emotion that I’ve never seen in any other writing. I generally don’t read romance since I’m admittedly a bit of a cynic when it comes to love, but I honestly couldn’t put this book down. I love the whole idea that the story has happened over a long period of time and that the two main characters will stop at nothing to preserve their memories and the experiences that they’ve shared throughout their life. It makes it even more personal that the narrator is one of the main characters and that he is telling the story to the woman he loves (corny, I know!) and that the reader is allowed to see something that would normally be so private and intimate. I really felt like I was there, having Noah read to me and not just me reading it to myself. Highly recommend that all readers, not just lovers of the romance genre, go and get your hands on a copy and be as dazzled and delighted as I was with every heartfelt page! Make this book a staple in your home and make sure you recommend it to others too. Everyone deserves the chance to get to read such a great book and to be able to have the chance to feel those emotions while reading.




Movie Review:


If this movie is not amongst your DVD collections, then please, go to the shops right now and purchase a copy of it! Oh, I just adore this movie and have felt this way about since the very first time watching it many years ago. I have watched it so many times I know every word and yet, I still cry at the exact same places and end up a blubbering mess by the end of it. My tally of how many times I’ve watched this hovers around the 60ish mark (quite sad, really!) and I’ve been known to watch it more than once in a day. The idea that love this powerful and epic could possibly exist in the world today is both thrilling and daunting, because it’s the type of love that you could never move on from (not that you’d want to I suppose). The thought of having someone care so deeply for you and you for them, that just by reading you a story they can cut through the sickness of Alzheimer’s is just so mind blowing! I know it’s just a story but it makes you wonder if something like that could actually happen in real life? Could two people love each other so deeply that their love could conquer anything? Hmm...

Comparison:

Overall my vote is pretty tied. If asked to choose between the two I don’t think I could do it...I’ve loved the movie for years and will now love the book for many years to come. There are so many different components that I like about both! The book is such a brilliant read and I can honestly see myself reading it over and over again as the years come, just as I know I will continue to watch the movie all the time. Both the book and the movie will always be staples in my life and no matter where I live there will always be a copy of each in my possession! So to conclude, we definitely have a tie between these two and it is the closest so far to a movie beating out the book in the reviews that I’ve done so far.