I think it was about 6-7 years ago when I first read this book. I picked it up from the school's library bookshelves and finished reading it within a few days time. It was quite an accomplishment back then as I had only started reading English books for not too long. I also remember claiming to have fallen in love with it. And soon, I watched the movie which was made based on it (but I thought it wasn't as nice as the book itself).
But if u ask me - what's so nice about this book? Truth to be told, I wouldn't have been able to answer u. And I can't recall if I have read any other novels by Nicholas Sparks. I think I DID, but I have no memory of the storyline, characters or whatsoever etc That says something, right? (Don't tell me that I am getting older!) Hence, that explains my intention to reread this book to find out what was so special about it and why I loved it so much back then.
Then I spent longer time than I probably did in the past to finish reading this book. And I think I understand why I loved it so much back then. U see.. 6-7 years ago I was still in my teens and I happened to be quite a sucker for sappy romance books. That alone could be the primary reason. Now u might want to ask me - do u enjoy it for the second time? The answer nahhh, is not so much.
I do love the setting though. Beaufort, North Caroline in the 50s.
It was the kind of place where the humidity rose so high in the summer that walking out to get the mail made a person feel as if he needed a shower, and kids walked around barefoot from April through October beneath oak trees draped in Spanish moss. People waved from their cars whenever they saw someone on the street whether they knew him or not, and the air smelled of pine, salt, and sea, a scent unique to the Carolinas.
And I find myself relate more to Landon carter instead of the selfless and religious girl, Jamie Sullivan. Truth to be told, if only I knew one of the main themes is Christian faith, I would have thought twice before reading it. Nevertheless, there are still some scenes of the story I found myself laugh, i.e Landon's dilemma to ask Jamie to the dance.
It was then that I realized something terrible, something absolutely frightening. Carey Dennison, I suddenly realized, was probably doing the exact same thing I was doing right now. He was probably looking through the yearbook, too! He was weird, but he wasn't the kind of guy who liked cleaning up puke, either, and if you'd seen his mother, you'd know that his choice was even worse than mine. What if he asked Jamie first? Jamie wouldn't say no to him, and realistically she was the only option he had. No one besides her would be caught dead with him. Jamie helped everyone-she was one of those equal opportunity saints. She'd probably listen to Carey's squeaky voice, see the goodness radiating from his heart, and accept right off the bat.
Overall, it could make a simple, good (and hopefully not too unmemorable) read but if u are looking for something more unpredictable, then u might be disappointed.
