The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks

Kat says: "Many would say that The Notebook is a syrupy, sappy, romantic chick flick, and book, and to some, I suppose it is. But I for one, found it refreshing to have a love story in which the power of love is explored and expressed to the point where it shows that it truly can conquer all."

Tess chimes in: "Oh how I wanted to like this book, I really did. I'm usually a sucker for this kind of thing, in both books and movies. Love stories that endure into old age, mmmm, there's nothing more lovely. But The Notebook was a huge disappointment."

Jewel says: "A "great story" should enfold you, wrap you in the emotions of the characters, evoke empathy and provide fresh insight into your own life as well. Whether we are watching the unfolding of the Cleopatra and Anthony story as told by Shakespeare or Dryden, we are engrossed by the emotions and find ourselves hoping the outcome, thought we know better, will be different this time. I found all of these attributes of a great story lacking in The Notebook. I actually ended reading with a big "So...?"

Tess has even stronger opinions: "First of all, I feel the need to visit the dentist, for the pages are just dripping with maudlin sweetness that turns the stomach and must surely produce cavities just from reading it. This is a forgivable sin. In fact, it's probably necessary in a love story. But to put this book in the neighborhood of "good" we needed a much bigger story. More real, less perfect. In forty-nine years of marriage these two people never had a cross word? Never had doubts? Never did anything but moon over each other and write sickening love letters to one another?"

Kat asserts: "It may not always be the way things turn out in real life, but there is nothing wrong with believing and knowing, that sometimes it does!"

Tess replies: "What a promisingly romantic premise! A devoted husband must watch his wife succumb to Alzheimer's disease and in the twilight of their years must endure the fact that she doesn't remember the great love they shared--yet even that is handled as though the writer were in a hurry to just get the damn book overwith so he could get on with other things. We get a couple of not-particularly-heartbreaking scenes with the elderly couple, and the man's rather cheerful narrative of them, and it's all wrapped up with an embarrassingly unlikely sex scene."

Kat says: "(But) what makes this basic story so intriguing is, the amazing chemistry between the two leads. You want to them to be with one another and the mysterious relationship between the storyteller and the elderly woman makes the film and book all the more absorbing."

Jewel says: "I will grant that The Notebook is a love story and that it does contain elements which we need to discuss in modern times. The themes of loss are universal in great literature. The other component of loss is the conflict the characters feel over this loss. We are told about Noah’s loss. The closest we get to being shown the depths of this loss is in his relationship with a waitress from a local diner in New Jersey. However, she is not even granted the status of having a name. Over and over again Sparks violates the "show don’t tell" concept. We are told that Allie is agitated. We are told Lon is upset. The closest we get to being shown anything about Lon is that he leaves his law practice in the middle of a trial to travel to see Allie. Without the internal and external struggles of the characters being exemplified and without feeling any of the conflict, I ended the first half of the book not really caring who Allie chose, if either one."

Tess agrees: "In the back story, we get some promising suspense--the woman's fiance vows that he will not let her go and he cancels his day in court to go and confront her with his rival. Yes, finally some conflict to be resolved. Some ugly human emotion to witness. But no, it is resolved away from the eye of the reader and we are told the fiance took it well, he understood and went away quietly without any fireworks or regret. How nice for them, but how boring for the reader!"

Tess continues: "We get a surprise visit from the woman's mother, who interrupts their little tryst to inform her that her fiance is on his way. Here's some potential for drama. How about an emotional scene where the mother tells them off for shacking up and committing what basically amounts to adultery without the maturity of calling off the wedding first? Nah, Mom gives her blessing and goes on her way."

Jewel chimes in: "The second half of the book is better. It does show some of the effects of Alzheimer's. However, again, I felt the conflict missing and therefore missed the passion with which Noah approached his devotion to Allie. Tess agrees: "And the years go by. Some tragedy is alluded to but not described, but it seems it would be a perfect place to put some tension between the lovers. Did they make the right choice? Did she ever regret, even for a moment, the prosperous marriage she gave up? Did he ever wonder whether he should have let her go? Apparently not enough to merit more than a passing phrase or two."

Jewel adds: "There are only hints that Noah mourns this loss before loss and the unfairness of it."

Tess says: "Where is the narrator's emotional breakdown scene where he expresses the pain and anger he must be feeling over the loss of his wife who has not died? He barely touches on any negative emotions he's feeling, and just appears to be stoic and resigned to introducing himself to his beloved wife as a stranger day after day and telling her their wonderful love story over and over. Ho-de-hum."

Jewel agrees: "Noah's caring for Allie is "sweet." His hope that "tomorrow will be better" is evident. The hours in the middle of the night when he knows that all will not be better are ambivalent. Even when Noah suffers a stroke I did not feel with him that his worst regret was that he was prevented from being with Allie. We do not know what he thinks, feels or regrets. In fact, I felt a retreat from the emotional potential of this part of the book by Sparks. We only see hints of Allie's confusion, the impotence of Noah, and the rejection of their children of the situation as a whole."

Jewel continues: "Yes, we need stories that deal with our modern losses. But we need to be able to taste, touch, see, and hear these stories. We need to feel the conflicts and take them into our own lives. We need to be able to read the story and come away with new insights into our own daily existence."

Tess remarks: "I must say, if I ever lose my mind and fail to recognize the man who loves me as much as this man loved his wife, then let it be known, I expect him to be QUITE PISSED OFF about it! If my beloved husband ever narrates our story, I expect him to shed just a few more tears than this man did. And yes, okay, I also expect to be able to wrap my arthritic old legs around my man and get it on right there in the nursing home like they did, even after I've lost my mind. But hey, I'm a Sex Kitten. We can't expect that kind of performance from just any woman, can we?"

So, ladies, what's the bottom line?

Tess exclaims "Oh my god, what a horrible novel!"

Jewel says "Sparks' The Notebook has the potential to be a great love story. However, I found the shortcomings in the book’s structure to hinder that potential. I was told too much and did not see enough. For me, it was a nice afternoon’s reading."

Kat declares "Unless Cupid has never even once shot his arrow through your heart, this is a movie and/or book that everyone should see or read."