I love Anne Tyler. Her book Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant was one of my favorites from my college days. So, when I saw Noah's Compass on sale at the bookstore, I couldn't resist picking it up.
Noah's Compass is about Liam and his family. Something traumatic happens to Liam early on in the book and he spends the rest of the book trying to figure out what happened and how it happened. The problem with this is that I, too, waited to find out what happened and how it happened and I never found out. Neither did Noah, but as it turns out, that wasn't what the book was really about. Instead, it was about a journey, Liam's journey as he worked to find out where his life was, how he got there, and what had happened along the way. Honestly, at times this story reminded me of an episode of Seinfeld. It was a story about nothing, really, but you left feeling like you had heard a good story.
I enjoyed reading about Noah's journey. It reminded me of my life in some ways, but I guess anyone who read it might feel the same way. I think we all could recognize aspects of our own life in Noah's. For better or for worse.
I have to be honest and admit that this book was not a page turner. I could read for a little while, put it down, and walk away. This must be why it took me practically the entire month of February to read this book. But, it was good.
I have begun to read The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani and am on about page 40, but I think I am going to put it aside for a bit to read Ree Drummond's book about her love and marriage. I love watching her cooking show and am curious to hear her story that I stumbled across at the bookstore today. The shoemaker can wait for now.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Sunday, February 3, 2013
#5 Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
I re-read Safe Haven because I could not recall any details about this book. It's no wonder, really, since I read it for the first time in 2010. But, with the movie coming out soon, and with a plan in place to see it with my movie buddy, I wanted to re-read it to refresh my memory. I am glad that I took the time to read it again because I think I got more out of this second reading than I did my first.
It's hard not to begin any Nicholas Sparks book without wondering who might die. I know that sounds crazy, but every time I start one of his books, I actually think about it. If you've read any of his books, you understand. But, as you get to know the characters in this novel, it's quickly determined that Alex, the main male character, is dealing with the death of his wife and that maybe, just this once, the book will not end with a death. The other character you meet early on is Katie. It is clear from Sparks' descriptions and hints that she's dealing with something, that she's running from something, and that she's very clearly hiding something. But, we do not learn the entire story until about half-way through the book. Katie is hard not to like, as is Alex. In fact, all of the characters from Southport, North Carolina are hard not to like. It's a small town, everyone knows everyone, and everyone looks out for one another.
But Katie is a mystery to everyone. She walks everywhere, lives alone in a small cottage, pays for everything with cash. She opens up first to her neighbor, Jo, who turns out to be something no one would expect (I'll save that mystery for you in case you haven't read the book). Eventually, as Alex gains Katie's trust, she reveals her true identity to him, as a woman on the run from an abusive husband. I'm sorry to have revealed that here, but I can't make my next comment about the brilliancy of this book without you knowing that fact.
I have read every book that Nicholas Sparks has written. They are all heart-warming stories that made me cry and cry. I haven't paid much attention to the style of writing in his books, perhaps because I am so caught up in the story that his style comes in second, until this one and I have to say that I have a new respect for the power in Sparks' words. By the middle of the book, the readers of Safe Haven have been introduced to Katie's husband. In a word, the man is a psychopath. This is made evident by Sparks' masterful crafting of his chapters. We get to hear the story from his point of view, in his words, and we learn very quickly how truly disturbed this man is and that it's no wonder that Katie ran. As only a true master writer can, Sparks writes a chapter or a section in Kevin's voice, and effortlessly returns to the peace, serenity, and calm of Alex and Katie's love story. It goes without saying that when it's time to return back to a chapter told by Kevin, his side of the story becomes even more disturbing.
I won't ruin the end for you, but I will attempt to entice you by mentioning that the book ends in a way I never would have expected. I've read the ending twice now and scratched my head about it both times. Oh, and read the end with tissues. It's impossible to read Carly's letter without them. All I can say about Carly is that she's the sort of wife I wish I could be. I doubt I would turn Rob so easily and with such positivity and love over to a new wife. So, now I have to wait a couple of weeks to see the movie. I hope it's true to the book. It will make me sad if it's not. Only time will tell.
My next read is going to be Anne Tyler's Noah's Compass. I've wanted to read this book since it came out in 2009 and I am finally getting to it.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
It's hard not to begin any Nicholas Sparks book without wondering who might die. I know that sounds crazy, but every time I start one of his books, I actually think about it. If you've read any of his books, you understand. But, as you get to know the characters in this novel, it's quickly determined that Alex, the main male character, is dealing with the death of his wife and that maybe, just this once, the book will not end with a death. The other character you meet early on is Katie. It is clear from Sparks' descriptions and hints that she's dealing with something, that she's running from something, and that she's very clearly hiding something. But, we do not learn the entire story until about half-way through the book. Katie is hard not to like, as is Alex. In fact, all of the characters from Southport, North Carolina are hard not to like. It's a small town, everyone knows everyone, and everyone looks out for one another.
But Katie is a mystery to everyone. She walks everywhere, lives alone in a small cottage, pays for everything with cash. She opens up first to her neighbor, Jo, who turns out to be something no one would expect (I'll save that mystery for you in case you haven't read the book). Eventually, as Alex gains Katie's trust, she reveals her true identity to him, as a woman on the run from an abusive husband. I'm sorry to have revealed that here, but I can't make my next comment about the brilliancy of this book without you knowing that fact.
I have read every book that Nicholas Sparks has written. They are all heart-warming stories that made me cry and cry. I haven't paid much attention to the style of writing in his books, perhaps because I am so caught up in the story that his style comes in second, until this one and I have to say that I have a new respect for the power in Sparks' words. By the middle of the book, the readers of Safe Haven have been introduced to Katie's husband. In a word, the man is a psychopath. This is made evident by Sparks' masterful crafting of his chapters. We get to hear the story from his point of view, in his words, and we learn very quickly how truly disturbed this man is and that it's no wonder that Katie ran. As only a true master writer can, Sparks writes a chapter or a section in Kevin's voice, and effortlessly returns to the peace, serenity, and calm of Alex and Katie's love story. It goes without saying that when it's time to return back to a chapter told by Kevin, his side of the story becomes even more disturbing.
I won't ruin the end for you, but I will attempt to entice you by mentioning that the book ends in a way I never would have expected. I've read the ending twice now and scratched my head about it both times. Oh, and read the end with tissues. It's impossible to read Carly's letter without them. All I can say about Carly is that she's the sort of wife I wish I could be. I doubt I would turn Rob so easily and with such positivity and love over to a new wife. So, now I have to wait a couple of weeks to see the movie. I hope it's true to the book. It will make me sad if it's not. Only time will tell.
My next read is going to be Anne Tyler's Noah's Compass. I've wanted to read this book since it came out in 2009 and I am finally getting to it.
Happy reading everyone!
:) Dodie
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