The Notebook

By: Nicholas Sparks

Narrated by: Barry Bostwick

Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Experience the unforgettable, heartbreaking love story set in post-World War II North Carolina about a young socialite and the boy who once stole her heart—one of PBS's "Great American Reads".

Every so often a love story so captures our hearts that it becomes more than a story—it becomes an experience to remember forever. The Notebook is such a book. It is a celebration of how passion can be ageless and timeless, a tale that moves us to laughter and tears and makes us believe in true love all over again . . .

At thirty-one, Noah Calhoun, back in coastal North Carolina after World War II, is haunted by images of the girl he lost more than a decade earlier. At twenty-nine, socialite Allie Nelson is about to marry a wealthy lawyer, but she cannot stop thinking about the boy who long ago stole her heart. Thus begins the story of a love so enduring and deep it can turn tragedy into triumph, and may even have the power to create a miracle . . .

©1996 Nicholas Sparks (P)2004 Time Warner Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"A classic tale of love."—Christian Science Monitor

"A one-night read . . . If you are in need of a good cry, The Notebook is absolutely the right book."—USA Today

"The lyrical beauty of this touching love story . . . will captivate the heart of every reader."—Denver Rocky Mountain News

history is now

sappy. that describes this title. i love sappy. some more pragmatic people will stay far away.
this may be nicholas sparks best work. i have read some other titles of his. the movie that was made from the book was a very good movie. however i think this type of work is most appreciated in read format. this is where you can 'read' yourself into the story. identify moods and situations from your own life. it is a well conceived and well written novel. as a novel it has many similarities to real life. i think you will love or hate.

AMAZING!

I LOVE THIS STORY!!! I love the movie! I love everything about this book. I would recommend this book to anyone I know! No matter how many times I read this book or watch the movie, I still cry every single time.

Ahhhh, true love...

A good listen about true love...the movie portrayed the chemistry a bit better, I thought.

Wow!!!!!

This is so sweet so tender such a great book. A true to life love story. Love love loved this book . I will read it the second time just for the beautiful story and to see what I miss the first time around.

Never read a book like this before.

Never read about older couples in love before. The book was both beautiful and captivating. A love like Aly and Noah’s is the kid of love we dream of as little girls. I love this book, I love all his books. I just realized that he is the author of a lot of other books I truly love.

My favorite book so far

I read the book, listened to book and saw the movie. My favorite so far is the audio-version. Highly recommended. Much better than the rescue which I find a little far-fetched and overly gooey.

Blind sided big-time by this one

My daughter was a big fan of Sparks in her late teens so I was expecting some mushy, romance novel, but being a part-time resident in the setting of the story in New Bern, NC I had to give it a whirl. All the places are real in the book but I was never so blind-sided by the depth of emotion that came from Sparks, who must have been a young 32-34 when he wrote this. How someone that age can come up with a story like this is mind blowing. Men, this isn't a "chick" book, believe me it's bigger than you are! The ultimate tradgedy, but somehow you are left with good feelings about the value of a good life/family and being true to what matter in life. In the end, the movie was good but no comparison to the audio book.

An Intense Romance Everyone Can Relate With!

I have always been a big fan of the movie! Growing up it was the main romance novel everyone talked about! So I was very excited to see how the novel compares! It's very intimate. Focusing on the sections that the movie took very lightly but hold great value. It is the love between two older individuals and how they overcame status if only to be with one another. I admit that there were moments that I was on the verge of tears and the imagery is incredible, but I do wish I could have learned more about their relationship as teenagers so I could be even more impacted when they reunited. Overall, still a terrific novel. The narration also feels as though it is older Noah the entire time which has its ups and downs. Still, it was impactful toward the end and I still thoughly enjoyed it!

Lovely little story but hard to listen to at times

When the reader whispers for one speaker and speaks louder for another in the same conversation, you either can’t hear the whisperer or get blasted by the next speaker

The Best Book Ever!

This is my favorite book. I could read it one million times. It is a story of pure love that is so beautiful! A must read!