All the red roses are dying and the cards have been recycled – yes the post Valentine’s period is upon us *sigh of relief*. Having spent my Valentine’s watching movies, I’ve decided that the perfect man is Nicholas Sparks. For those of you who don’t recognise the name, he is the author numerous romance novels. It’s fine if you’re not an avid reader, as I’m sure you’ve seen the movies: The Vow, A Walk to Remember and, of course, a movie that has been seen by nearly every female in the world – The Notebook. So why it is that his fictional characters appeal to women, and men, so much?
The Notebook
The movie follows the relationship between a husband and wife, and how they overcame the adverse circumstances they find themselves in. I presume it’s okay to spoil the ending because you’ve surely seen it at this stage! The movie also cemented Ryan Gosling into our hearts as the perfect guy forever. According to a quick Google search, it appears this is our generations Casablanca. But what is it that makes it so appealing, especially to women? It seems to me that any novel/play/book that shows how love always triumphs over adversity will be a huge success. Here the protagonists defy socio-economic mores, and their love stands the test of time. The setting is beautiful and so are the characters. This is, of course, a real tearjerker, which reminds us that love trumps over everything else in life *sigh*.
A Walk to Remember
Yet another of Sparks’ novel-turned-blockbuster that’ll get you all in a fluster. It’s about the growth of love between a virginal good-girl and a, well, less-than-chaste macho guy. They both grow and evolve together, resulting in a seemingly idyllic marriage. Obviously it’s not a happily ever after for them both, but there is still hope at the end. True love once again triumphs over dissuasion, jealousy and an overtly Christian father. Aside from a truly heart-warming read and stunning cast what makes us love this story? As with The Notebook, love overcomes everything. Even though the love story isn’t perfect here, we have hope in the fact that people can change for the better, and love was the main catalyst.
Dear John
This that tells the love story that develops between an Iraqi soldier and his sweetheart. In the movie, Channing Tatum plays the protagonist and, my God, does he play it well *swoon*. As with the other novels their love doesn’t have a straightforward happily ever after. They have a less than simple love affair, which is filled with complications and interventions.
Having looked at a sample of just some of Sparks’ novels, it’s clear he is not promoting the idyllic white-picket-fence lifestyle that one would expect from a romance novel. However this begs the question: why do we love them so much if they don’t have perfect endings? It’s simple! I suppose we can all relate to these novels; like real life, nothing is perfect. However, despite things being less than wonderful, we are given hope – hope in the fact that love actually exists and, no matter how brief or fleeting an experience of love is, one should be thankful to have experienced it. My advice? If you’re going to venture into the wonderful world of Nicholas Sparks, bear in mind you may need Kleenex tissues and, unfortunately, he is happily married.