A Bend In The Road - Nicholas Sparks (Book)

A Bend In The Road - Nicholas Sparks.

Nicholas Sparks and Jojo Moyes were two of my favorite writers when it comes to reading "fillers", before I discovered magical "P G WOdehouse" but now it will be a different story altogether. As every-time I pick up a book from the likes of Murakami, Gabriel Garcia Marquez or say Mr. King as I recently did, I need a filler to create a kind of gap. And their books have always worked like a charm with me. One of my very close (and very kind) friend happens to be a huge huge fan of both of them and she has sort of given me their entire collection in eBook form. Hence I keep picking up a book from them in order of their publication and keep reading them to create gaps, to refresh my mind so I can put it to work again as I plan to pick some heavy read next (God of small things and Ministry of Utmost Happiness coming up next). I even used Chetan Bhagat books like that not so long ago, alas! they are over and he has taken a premature retirement from writing (thank god for that?). So, this was a pretty easy read as well, a typical Nicholas Sparks story. So far I have read half a dozen of his books and realized there is a pattern in his book, like they will always start with some kind of loss in life, gradually move forward with something nice to look up to for characters, following with a twist in the tale, will keep the reader in tenterhooks for a while and they will finally end with a happy note (mostly) but will leave a lump in your throat, tears in your eyes but will still make you grin from ear to ear. Although, I haven't forgiven him for that mind-numbing ending he gave to "Message in A Bottle", No ways that books calls for that ending. But what to do, so is life with Nicholas Sparks stories I guess.

A beautiful story of Deputy Sherrif Miles, who is happily married to his high school sweetheart with a terrific cute son Jonah. A bend in the road changes their life for good when his wife is killed in a hit and run case. With no clue who killed her or was it an accident? Miles spends all his time looking for clues, overlooking his son's school and stuff. Till the charming Sarah comes along as Jonah's school teacher, who not only helps him in school, they gradually develop a good repo. She too has her own past and a story to tell. How they fall in love and as life starts looking good for them, comes the twist in the tale to finish it all in one terrible swoop. Story is very smartly told from two different angle's, the first one is narrated by a third person who is following Miles and Jonah all the way from accident and thereafter and the second is how the story opens up for the reader. Nichoals Sparks is able to very well keep the reader in suspense throughout (Although it was easily predictable for me) still works. But the way and the timing how it opens up all is one terrific twist. Again, even in this one too, the entire story, cast and everything revolves around the sleeping town of New Bern, North Carolina (USA) as it always happens with all his books. It is very charming to go through their easy going slow country life, actually thats what always works in the favor of all his books I guess as he gives us what we do not have in our real life (peace and tranquility). Fortunately this one doesn't have an ending that I always dread for, of-course anything can happen with him but it isn't as hunky dory as well.

If you have read this one, do let me know how you like it or if it didn't work for you. Also, which one is your favorite Nicholas Sparks book of-course other than the fantastic "Message in a Bottle" and "The Notebook". I would love to read them breaking the sequence :).