May
11
A couple of days ago I finished this book by Nicholas Sparks and along with his other two, The Notebook and The Wedding, I particularly enjoyed this one. It was different, not exactly a novel, I think it had memoir written on the front cover. It is the story of a three week trip he took with his older brother a few years ago; an incredible type around the world trip to see places like Machu Picchu in Peru, Easter Island, the Australian Outback, & the Taj Mahal. Interwoven with the travelogue is the story of their family, his childhood years and the tragedies that he faced as a young adult. He and his brother had always been close but were now the only surviving members of their family and the trip was a time to heal, bond, and remember.
I have had several people comment over the last few years that they wondered how a man could write such books as what he has written, with such feeling and depth of emotion is what I took them to mean. But after reading this book and seeing what he went through in his childhood and young adult life, it is easier to understand. He writes what he knows about, what he has experienced and it seems that so much of his personal experiences are the inspiration for his books. The parts of the book that were about his family are the best parts of this book. I would enjoy seeing exotic places like they toured but he didn’t give as much detail about those as you might expect but I think maybe this was to be more about his personal life and the healing that they do than about the trip itself. It was a really good book and if you enjoy his other books, this is one that you should read as well.
May 11th, 2006 at 9:05 am
I also absolutely loved this book. I’ve always enjoyed Nicholas Sparks books, and the Notebook and the Wedding are my other favorites of his. But, I thought this was in a totally different stratosphere, this book. I think it’s definitely one of my most favorite books ever, and one of the two best I have read in the last couple of years.
I’m so glad you finally got it and were able to read it. I’ve been telling Tim that I want him to read it, and I bet Don would enjoy it too! Them, having brothers, I think they could really relate to it. 🙂
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:39 pm
I’m glad I stopped by here. My mother recommended this book to me and I forgot about it. Going to add it to my list right now. Thanks for the prompting.