Rating: Summary: Three Strikes, You're Out! Review: Adios, Nicholas. Another repetitive, predictable story with manufactured emotion. There are so many other new writers who write with depth and originality. Nicholas will have to earn back my loyalty. Skip this one and reread The Notebook.
Rating: Summary: A quick read Review: If you are looking for a quick, easy read, with the possibilty of sheading a tear or two, you have just found the perfect book. Adriennes husband left her a few years ago for a younger woman and she is still dealing with the heartache and pain of the breakup. She decides to take her friend up on an offer to watch a bed & breakfast in Rodanthe NC while she is away. It is there that Adreinne meets up with Paul, a troubled surgeon who just sold his home and medical practice to join his estranged son in Eucador. Over the course of a few days Paul and Adreinne turn to each other for comfort and understanding. After their memorable weekend they each went their separate ways promising to meet again one year later but fate stepped in and changed the course of both their lives forever.
Rating: Summary: Not as good as the others Review: I love the writings of Nicholas Sparks and was really looking forward to NIGHTS IN RODANTHE. I'm glad I read the book but am disappointed in it. I felt it lacked the excitement that THE RESCUE and THE NOTEBOOK have. It is a small book and maybe I was expecting more from it based on his other writings. If someone is looking for a quick read love story then this is your book. If someone is looking for a book that really stays with you days after you've read it and find it hard to start another book then this isn't the one.
Rating: Summary: Been There, Done That... Review: I told myself that I would give Nicholas one more chance. I have always scoffed at his critics, but maybe they are right after all. How many times have we seen this before? A man and woman trying to escape their past, meeting and finding in each other a way to make a new future (Message, The Rescue, Bend in the Road, and now Rodanthe) set in a small North Carolina town with predictable romantic circumstances (alone at an inn with a storm outside and fire inside - haven't we seen that a few times)...it is enjoyable reading, but it isnt fresh or sharp or original anymore, and I don't think we should settle for that from a writer as good as Nicholas Sparks. I will wait for the paperback next time unless it's different from every other novel he has written. Please, Mr. Sparks, some originality again!!
Rating: Summary: Miffed! Review: I have been loyal to Nicholas since I read his very first book and used to tell all my friends to go out and by his books. But not anymore. I was hoping Nights in Rodanthe would be different from the others, but it's basically the same story yet again. I don't feel like he's putting that much work into it to give his fans an original, creative story to read. He's just recycling his characters and settings. This one didn't move me, didn't evoke anything except anger that he keeps extracting my hard earned money for predictable stories. That's wrong, Nicholas, you owe it to your fans, not your editor and publisher.
Rating: Summary: He's Lost It Review: The Notebook is my all-time favorite novel, but it seems Nicholas Sparks books have gone downhill since, especially lately. They are basically the same story retold with predictable storylines. I used to overlook his simple writing, but looking back I realize for the past few books he has written nothing more than strings of cliches and stereotyped characters. I used to look forward to his new releases. No more. He needs to earn back our loyalty.
Rating: Summary: Nights in Rodanthe Review: I was familiar with Nicholas sparks novel A walk to remember and realized he was an author I would enjoy reading somehting different rather then viewing A walk to remember over and over the way I had done since it first came out. I picked up Nights in Roadanthe and at first was a little skepticle as to wheather I should look around a little more or make it a solid decision. I payed for it and walked out, the next few days it sat on my nightstand not picked up. Finally I took it in my hands and turned to the first page, began reading, by the time i got to the 2nd chapter I was in confusion, characters seemed to be changing everywhere, maybe I wasnt focused enough. Little by little I began understanding the whole concept of his writing and began to appreciate the backward forward style of his pages. They brought an insight to parts of the story we wondered about and let out information we wanted to know. By the time I was in the middle of the book I began telling myself this is really a great book and I have to get the others. I finished reading it last night in tears and a newly found appreciation for the magic we all have in us but dont look deep enough to find. I recomended this book to at least 5 people in the last 2 days! This book gets my 5 stars from begining to end, and tommorow I'm going out to get the rest of his books for a nice relaxing weekend of reading and dreaming! Buy it, read it, enjoy it, pass it on!!! Also recommended: A walk to remember
Rating: Summary: Are second chances possible? Review: When I wrote my review of A Bend in the Road for Amazon, the subject line said, "Hooray - finally a Nicholas Sparks book I loved." I wish I could say the same about Sparks's newest book, Nights in Rodanthe. Unfortunately, I felt about this book the same way I felt about Sparks's other books, The Notebook, Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember. The plots, for the most part have been done before and better in addition to which the characters never grew for me and in the end I didn't care much about them either. The book, which I finished in a couple of hours, includes some standard Spark's literary devices which include the use of a flashback to tell the story and a bit of mystery as to how the book would end. And while the book had some glimmering moments, there just weren't enough for me to think much about once I closed the book. Adrienne begins this narrative at the age of 60, a divorced woman for 17 years and the mother of three grown children. In order to help her daughter, a recent widow at only 29, to cope with the future, Adrienne relates the following event in her life. We move back in time and meet Adrienne who is 45 and has recently been divorced. We also meet Paul, a newly divorced doctor, who has just left his practice in North Carolina and is estranged from his only child who is a doctor working in Ecuador. On his way to try and reconcile with his son, Paul stops off at a bed and breakfast in Rodanthe, North Carolina to meet with a former patient's family. And Adrienne, trying to make some extra money, is at this bed and breakfast helping out the owner. The stage is set and over a weekend when North Carolina is hit by a violent Nor'easter.................... I think you get the message. I find the premise of people falling in love so quickly a bit hard to understand and may be it does happen but Sparks didn't convince me in within the pages of this book. And an attempt at a second theme, which concerned Paul's former patient, did little to help out this book from being rather mediocre. As for the writing, I think Sparks tries too hard with too many flowery words to describe the landscape and the dialogue is almost always hard to believe. I imagine Sparks's loyal legions of fans will enjoy this book, but not me. I remain disappointed once again with his attempts to write a romantic novel. Maybe next time!
Rating: Summary: Severely Disappointed Review: This was a night of boredom and disappointment. Read The Notebook again, but not this. Has Nicholas grown so full of himself and successful that he and his editors don't demand excellence anymore? His fans deserve better.
Rating: Summary: More fresh voices Review: I still really enjoy Nicholas Sparks' works, though I admit my passion for each successive book has waned. I agree with many others here who are looking for fresh voices. Both Mary Alice Monroe (Beach House) and Kirk Martin (Shade of the Maple) write stories with great meaning that move you deeply, without the predictability of a Sparks novel. They paint pictures with words the way Nicholas does. I would recommend both highly, they have become my favorite authors.
|