By: Zeela Shoaib
“The Notebook” is Nicholas Sparks’s debut novel and one that made its way into people’s hearts. It is a poignant, romance novel characterised by a love story which is more than just extraordinary. The story has been skilfully written by weaving the past into the present itself as the writer did not only show the beginning, but also crafted a beautiful yet sad ending.
The story revolves around a country boy, Noah Calhoun, who lived in New Bern and Allie who was from a well-to-do family with political connections. Their union was a difficult one as the story took place in the early nineties, when the aristocratic system was more than common.
Noah and Allie met at a carnival and spent one summer together which was enough to develop a strong bond between them. But even when the summer ended and Allie left New Bern, Noah never forgot her and for the next fourteen years, distance kept them apart but their love remained.
After fourteen years when Allie showed up at Noah’s doorstep while she was visiting New Bern for two days, their bond emerged as something stronger. This turn of events catches the reader’s attention as Allie was engaged to a successful lawyer. Hence, staying with Noah meant abandoning a stable life that came with marrying a successful lawyer. However, Allie listened to her heart and stayed with Noah; where she was meant to be.
The unique feature that sets this story different from other love stories is that the depth of Noah and Allie’s love has been painted through the future as well. As the end of their journey together draws near, Allie is hit by the deadliest of diseases i.e. Alzheimer. Both Noah and Allie shift to a nursing home where they spend the last days of their life. Noah and Allie had decided to write their love story in a notebook before her disease had become severe and it is this notebook that occasionally revived Allie’s memory and allowed her to fall in love with Noah all over again.
This story has the ability to play with emotions because somehow, people can relate to it. Alzheimer is a disease that robs people and takes away their memories. It is also a disease that affects people around the patient. This has been illustrated in the story as Allie is not the only one suffering. Noah, regardless of having his own health issues, reads to Allie every day only because he has this unending hope and seeing Allie fall in love with him when he reads to her keeps him going. This aspect of the story is as tragic as it is heart-warming and really sets apart the novel from other stories.
It can't be denied that “the Notebook” is a masterpiece however, it could be said that the section of the book depicting Noah and Allie’s past is quite brief. It does not fail to show the bond that they developed but the writer could have extended it by adding more events and details. By showing and illustrating more scenes of their past, the writer could have developed an even stronger bond between the reader and the characters.
Needless to say, “the Notebook” is a memorable novel and is highly recommended for readers who are fond of reading love stories that are closely knitted to reality. It is a heart-warming novel; and one that will leave an everlasting impression on those who tend to understand it and feel it.
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