Book vs Movie~ The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks

The Notebook

by Nicholas Sparks

Synopsis:
The Notebook is an epic love story centered around an older man who reads aloud to an older, invalid woman whom he regularly visits. From a faded notebook, the old man's words bring to life the story about a couple who is separated by World War II, and is then passionately reunited, seven years later, after they have taken different paths. Though her memory has faded, his words give her the chance to relive her turbulent youth and the unforgettable love they shared.

As teenagers, Allie (Rachel McAdams) and Noah (Ryan Gosling) begin a whirlwind courtship that soon blossoms into tender intimacy. The young couple is quickly separated by Allie's upper-class parents who insist that Noah isn't right for her. Several years pass, and, when they meet again, their passion is rekindled, forcing Allie to choose between her soul mate and class order. This beautiful tale has a particularly special meaning to an older gentleman (James Garner) who regularly reads the timeless love story to his aging companion (Gena Rowlands).


My thoughts:

I usually enjoy a book much more than the movie. With “The Notebook” I enjoyed the book but the movie remains my favorite way to enjoy such a great Love story. And it never fails, I get to that one certain part and the water works just automatically turn on.
Maybe it’s James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Ryan Gosling & Rachel McAdams. They bring these characters to life for me. I can’t imagine anyone else playing Noah & Allie. The one thing about the book that I really did enjoy were the letters that were written during their marriage. One of my favorite parts was in a letter that Allie wrote to Noah, it goes something like this:

"You are my best friend and lover. I'm not sure which I enjoy more." To me that is how it should be with any couple, but it's the rare few who actually find it.

For me the book was a roller coaster of emotions. Very few books leaves me laughing & crying within the span of just a few sentances. The Notebook did exactly that.

I would name Noah & Allie as my favorite on screen couple. They have that deep love for each other, they take the good with the bad. They know the other person isn’t perfect, but except them anyway. They can be brutally honest (he calls her a pain in the ass at one point and she calls him a son of a bitch) with each other, and it's ok.

Ok, one thing that kinda completely honked me off about the book was the ending. If you haven't read the book or watched the movie, first answer this...WHY NOT? Then, stop reading, because there are ***SPOILERS***down below....

In the book, it ends with Allie unbuttoning his shirt (and they are 78& 80) like they are getting ready to, well you know... Now I'm all for older people doing the, well, you know, mainly because I hope to be one of them some day, BUT. And here's the big BUT. I DO NOT WANT TO READ ABOUT IT, THINK ABOUT IT OR HAVE IT HINTED AT! Maybe when I'm pushing 80, reading about 80 years old doing, well, you know, will appeal to me, but not right now. That is one of the main things I would change about the book. I much, much, much prefer they die peacefully in their sleep together, because their love lets them do anything.