A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Blurb (on back of book):
Every April, when the wind blows from the sea and mingles with the scent of lilacs, Landon Carter remembers his last year at Beaufort High. It was 1958, and Landon had already dated a girl or two. He even swore that he had once been in love. Certainly the last person in town he thought he'd fall for was Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town's Baptist minister.
A quiet girl who always carried a Bible with her schoolbooks, Jamie seemed content living in a world apart from the other teens. She took care of her widowed father, rescued hurt animals, and helped out at the local orphanage. No boy had ever asked her out. Landon would never have dreamed of it.
Then a twist of fate made Jamie his partner for the homecoming dance, and Landon Carter's life would never be the same. Being with Jamie would show him the depths of the human heart and lead him to a decision so stunning it would send him irrevocably on the road to manhood...
Did You Know?-
That Jamie was named after Nicholas's editor, Jamie Raab?
That Landon is the name of his third son?
That Nicholas Sparks recorded his own reading for the audio version of the novel?
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
MY OPINION: ****
This is my first ever Nicholas Sparks novel. I have watched this movie at least three times, and it's definitely one of my favorite romance chick-flick films! I think because of that, the book disappointed me. I feel as if I had read it first and then watched the movie, it would have been the other way around but since the movie is already such a treasure in my life, the book wasn't as amazing.
I did cry, as expected. The ending was as sad as ever, even though I already knew what was coming.
After reading this, I'm definitely going to rewatch it for the 3489028230 time.
Landon Carter is a "bad boy". It's set in the fifties, so a bad boy didn't constitute too much at these times. He hung out with the popular crowd, wasn't the most reverent of people, and made fun of the reverend and his daughter sometimes. He never thought that he would end up falling in love with said reverend's daughter.
Jamie Sullivan is the sweetest, most devoted and respectful girl ever. She's nice to everybody. It doesn't matter if they don't like or if they treat her horribly: she believes that it's the Lord's will to treat everybody with kindness. She's always cheerful and carries a Bible with her everywhere she goes. Because of her good-girl vibe, the other students make fun of her behind her back, Landon included.
However, Landon and Jamie are cast as the leads in a Christmas play written by Jamie's father as a representation of his own life. All of a sudden, Landon and Jamie are speaking and they're almost... friends?? Landon sees Jamie in a whole new light and suddenly he realizes that she's beautiful and that there's more to her than there seems. She's like everybody else: she has weaknesses and vulnerabilities and fears, despite what he once thought.
Landon starts to fall in love with Jamie, despite everything that he's previously said or believed. The ending was incredibly tragic, especially since it all felt as if Landon was just a month too late.
The movie made things sadder with additional scenes that I wish had been originally a part of the book. I was not expecting such a large change. I felt as if the chemistry was missing for a good portion of the book, but maybe that's just me.
The things Landon did for her made me cry. He was so kind and caring up until the very end. I really appreciated the character growth from the start to the end.
If this had been written now, it would be considered cliche. However, I truly believe that this is one of the books that MADE the cliche.
I would recommend this book to readers looking for a sad, beautiful romance novel.
Main Character: Landon
Sidekick(s): Jamie, etc
Villain(s): Death, sickness, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book was real to life.
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