Nicholas Sparks is an author whose made it. He's written a lot of books, many of them bestsellers, and multiple of them have been turned into successful and iconic movies. Take A Walk to Remember as an example. Everyone has watched that movie, it's a classic. His stories have been translated into other languages, reaching people around the world. I'm an avid reader, and this summer I realized that I had never read a Sparks book. There's no specific reason for why I hadn't read any of his writing, I simply had never picked one up. So, on an early Saturday morning I took a trip to my library and checked out a handful of his books. A Bend in the Road, The Last Song, Two by Two, and The Longest Ride. I read and enjoyed all of them. As I read, I picked up on a few things. Sparks' books have bittersweet endings, cancer is a common topic for him to write about, there are Christian undertones, and he seems to like the South (I think North Carolina) for his setting. There's always romance, and some sort of family trouble that is resolved by the end. I enjoyed reading each book, so much so that I went back this week to the libray and checked out two more, Dear John and Dreamland.
Despite enjoying the books I've read by him so far, I don't think I will be rereading them. There are times when I read a book, and I know that I'm going to keep coming back to read it again. There are books that as I read I know I'll remember a character, a line, that something will stick with me long after reading it. Or there's a certain feeling that I get when I remember a certain book. Spark's books just don't do that for me. The stories and characters are cute to read about, but I don't find myself getting attached to them. And I find myself mixing up his books. His characters feel the same, I mix up their names and the plots blur together as well. It almost feels like each book is the same as the rest of them. It's not that they're unmemorable, they just don't stand out from each other.
I plan on reading more of his books, and I might come back to add to this review as I read them. Like I said, his books are enjoyable to read when you want a light, quick book to not think too much about. I guess I was just expecting more, since so many Spark's books have been made into films. I also will watch the movies once I'm done reading the books. Let me know what you think if you've read his books or watched the movies.
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