Book Review: The Notebook (aka sobfest 2006)

Our souls were one, if you must know
and never shall they be apart;
With splendid dawn, your face aglow,
I reach for you and find my heart.

Not having seen the movie, but hearing about a bit of the hoopla, I borrowed The Notebook from Lora thinking it would be a quick and easy read. Throughout the first half of the book, all I could think of was Harlequin Romance meets Bridges of Madison County. Basically, it was fluff, just some good pass the time reading. Then right about 2/3 into it, it took me for a loop. My sobbing like a school girl began on the bus, sitting next to a woman that works at the DNA with DG. I figured if I used her scarf to blow my nose, she would understand, because she saw that I was reading "The Notebook". Every few lines I had to put the book down, take deep breaths and tell myself it was just a story. Finally in lieu of making a scene, I put it away and tried to SuDoku. I went to bed at 8:00pm that night to finish it and took Mr. Gibson with me for support. Again the waterworks began after one sentence. DG came in to check on me and found a complete mess. I am not a big cryer and though I may tear up once in awhile, it is rare for me to have a sob fest. Through sniffles and sobs, I relayed the stupid old story of The Notebook, (and then *sob*....and then *sniff* *gulp for air*) and how it used stardard trite heart wrenching themes to elicit this waterfall in me. I felt it was an unfair trick. It's like in the end of Pay it Forward when in lieu of creating an ending that would bring the movie round full circle, some Uppity Up in Hollywood decides to kill off Haley Joel Osment in an attempt to contrive some sense of emotion from the audience. It was a cheap and dirty way out. Beyond my hating to cry, I ended up enjoying the book. It went from a love story into a true love forever ever story, into the nursing home forever, and that's where it got me. I would recommend reading it, of course in the privacy of your own home.