book reviews , different studio guests each week. Join us every Thursday between 12 and 1pm on Radio Scilly 107.9fm or log on to radioscilly.com.

Missed any programmes? See below for list of guests, books and other details discussed.

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

Nicholas Sparks - The Longest Ride


reviewed on recorded bookshow by Ro Bennett Feb 2014

Nicholas Sparks clearly knows how to tug at heartstrings and so he proves again with this tale of two love stories . . . The fortunes of both romances are described with a noticeably old-fashioned tenderness which prizes love and devotion and which, especially in Ira's story, provides a proper, old-fashioned weepie (Daily Mail)

A fiercely romantic and touching tale, with the added bonus of a sexy cowboy. When it comes to tales about love, Nicholas Sparks is one of the undisputed kings (Heat)

(Sparks) has a canny knack of tapping into what makes us human, and before you know it, you are rooting for Ira and engrossed in his life story (Irish Independent)

Will suck you in and leave you a sobbing mess (Star Magazine)

Book Description
quote: In the tradition of his beloved first novel, The Notebook, bestselling author Nicholas Sparks returns with this epic story of two couples whose parallel love stories intersect in profound and surprising ways.

With over eighty million copies of his books sold, Nicholas Sparks is one of the world's most beloved storytellers. His novels include eleven No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. All Nicholas Sparks' books have been international bestsellers and have been translated into more than forty languages. Eight of his novels have been adapted into major films: Safe Haven, The Lucky One, The Last Song, Dear John, Nights in Rodanthe, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember and The Notebook. ' unquote

The Longest Ride switches between the plot of two different stories, that of Ira and that of Sophie and Luke. Ira is a ninety - one year old Jewish man who is trapped in his crashed car which is gradually being covered by snow. He is injured and in pain and as he drifts in and out of consciousness he has visions of his wife Ruth and extracts of their love story over the years gradually unfold.

Intertwining this is the story of Sophie who is a college girl just recovering from a toxic relationship and Luke who is a cowboy - well actually a  bull rider. 

The reader doesn’t know if Ira is going to be rescued or if he will die or if Sophie and Luke will find lasting happiness as a couple or he will be killed or seriously injured whilst riding in a competition to make money to fund his ranch? There are sinister intimations about a dangerous bull called “Big Ugly Critter” which obviously has been the cause of a previous serious injury for Luke - will he be tempted to try to conquer his fear and try to again to get the upper hand over the bull? 

Will Sophie settle for the hard physical and emotionally draining life of battling to make a ranch financially viable or go on to fulfil her dream of working in the Denver Art  Museum? 

Well all I can say is that since I haven’t finished the book yet I don’t have a clue - but it is keeping me reading!

No comments: