A Walk to Remember

I just checked, and to date, there are 1989 reviews for Author Nicholas Spark’s novel “A Walk To Remember”, which of course begs the question: Do we really need yet another review? Perhaps not; and to be sure, such a vast number of reviews for just one of his novels among around 20 to his credit thus far, clearly speaks for itself, and shouts … ‘yes, he’s that good!’Nevertheless; whatever meager words or thoughts I might add herein, might just be a help or a comfort or an illuminating inspiration to perhaps just one random reader; so here is my review:This novel; A Walk To Remember; like a good number of books and movies, deals with love and loss, and more specifically, life and death. Each of us, regardless of who we are, will inevitably die one day, and before that happens, we will experience the death of others not only older than us, but also more than likely very dear to us.While the experience of reading about such stark realities of life may not necessarily seem to be a pleasant experience, such a reading exercise does properly prepare us in the present, to more effectively deal with loss and death of a loved one in the future.Now while an inspired sermon would clearly be the only adequate means to sufficiently treat such a serious and inevitable life event, this brief review is neither the time nor the place. But suffice it to say, that without a thorough foundational understanding of both ancient and modern day scripture (think ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’), giving us ample knowledge and intelligence of a much higher plain on such a sobering topic, we can not properly grasp or deal with the topic of loss and death as part and parcel of the human experience.For example: the four most important philosophical questions; 1) who are we, prior to being conceived into this mortal earth by our parents? 2) where did we come from (prior to the exact moment of our mortal physical conception), (or in what exact form was our pre-physical conception existence, according to Latter-day scripture)? 3) why are we here (in mortality)? and, 4) where are we going (when we depart this mortal realm)? - are tough questions that are all answered within scripture, particularly modern-day or Latter-day scripture.As such; while the novel - A Walk To Remember - like all of Mr. Sparks’ books/movies, are absolutely fantastic; I couldn’t help but feel that the characters in the novel and indeed we ourselves the readers, could have benefited much more in delving into such a serious topic and dealing with actual death (others or our own, still pending), if we only spent the requisite time necessary to first read the scriptures (the ‘owners manual’ of life), to become better acquainted with the real purpose of both mortal life and mortal death.The problem to be overcome in changing our mind and deciding to read the scriptures is to first get rid of a worldly attitude which scripture defines as: “Trampling underfoot the ‘Word of God’, and counting ‘it’ as a thing of nought.”Such an attitude is gravely dangerous to both our mortal and post-mortal well being, for the old saying: ‘Ignorance is bliss’ is clearly not true; whereas the alternative saying ‘Knowledge is power’ is clearly more helpful in being properly prepared for the inevitable fate which awaits us all.Notwithstanding these sobering thoughts; ‘A Walk To Remember’ was clearly, another shining example of Mr. Sparks’ finely tuned story telling talents. And I agree with what another reader has said about this novel in particular, that it will definitely make you laugh allot at first, but it will also bring you to tears as well.But again; having a proper and thorough understanding of mortal life and death; is clearly the only adequate prerequisite to effectively and sufficiently grasp and deal with such serious and sobering topics; not just to not feel so bad after reading such a novel, but more importantly to better deal with the inevitable loss and death of our own loved ones, and also to properly and peaceably prepare for our own inevitable mortal departure, when our own time comes.

My daughter is obsessed with these books lately. They are easy to read and usually have a movie to watch after so I'd recommend these.

This is pure schmaltz, a genuine tear-jerker written for impressionable young teenagers to outline a more serious approach to love than the usual "let's hit the sack and have some fun" approach.The story isn't nearly as good as "Love Story" by Eric Segal, but that's a minor quibble. Segal dealt with college students; Sparks has written a book that relates to high school and junior high students who have not yet begun to date seriously. The theme of the book is very simple: true love is based on the content of a person's character, not on chest size or the willingness to engage in sex play.It's a favorite theme of Sparks, the idea of an enduring love that overcomes and outlasts all obstacles and setbacks. He used it well in "Message in a Bottle," dealing with two middle-aged adults who are old enough to have sex. In this book, it's two kids who barely hold hands and share only a few chaste kisses, which makes it clearly designed and suitable for the teen and pre-teen audience. Any normal teen will appreciate it; and parents can feel safe the book is as tame as a Donald Duck cartoon..One brief excerpt, near the end, nicely sums up the whole approach: "We kissed again, too, though not every time we were together, and I didn't even think of trying to make it to second base. There wasn't any need to. There was something nice when I kissed her, something gentle and right, and that was enough for me. The more I did it, the more I realized that Jamie had been misunderstood her entire life, not only by me, but by everyone."Think of the movie "Titanic" without any hint of sex or nudity, and you have this book in a nutshell. "Titanic" made millions of innocent young girls weep copious tears for a love that was snuffed out by the disaster to the ship; "A Walk to Remember" will appeal to the same girls who want such a love to come into their lives.If you're a parent of a teen child, buy this book. Read it yourself, it deals with a fate and feelings that many adults carry through their entire lives. It is a warm reminiscence of a long lost love that might have been, and it tugs on those adult heartstrings.Then let your kids have it, it relates to them on their level and it is one of the best introductions you'll find to the meaning of love in contrast to the shallow sensual emphasis that dominates so much of today's movies and novels. Kids who read it will grow into mature sensitive adults with an ability to understand that true love involves more than chest sizes and hot pants; it will help them become true adults instead of perpetual teenagers.

This book is great for all ages! I really enjoy reading it everyday.

Nicholas Sparks has done it again. I've only read two of his books, but both of them broke my heart. I faintly remember watching the film with my mom when I was little, so I really wanted to read the book. I knew it would be an emotional ride, but I still wasn't expecting to cry as much as I did.Landon was frustrating at first. I hated how unnecessarily mean he was to Jamie, and he just felt like a bland character. However, as he started falling in love with her, he became less obnoxious to me. He could still be cruel, but it didn't happen nearly as often as it had in the beginning.Throughout the entire novel, I loved Jamie. She was such a strong character, which I think is always important. She went through hell, and despite it all, she stayed positive. I can't even imagine going through half of what she dealt with, let alone all of it simultaneously.I love that Nicholas wrote it from Landon's perspective. To me, that gives the story more depth and makes it more enjoyable. It added to the general emotions of the story and made it overall more heartbreaking.I don't think I have any complaints about this book. It was brilliantly written, and it sucked me in from the first page. It was the perfect mix of romantic and sad. If you haven't read this book yet and want to read something that'll put you on an emotional roller-coaster, I highly recommend you read this book. Even if you've already read it, I still recommend it.