Dear John

The Blurb

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks, comes an unforgettable tale of a man who must make the most heartrending decision of his life- in the name of love...

"Dear John," the letter read. And those two words the heart was broken and two lives changed forever. 

When Savannah Lynn Curtis come into his life, John Tyree knows he is ready to turn over a new leaf. An angry rebel , he had enlisted in the army after high school, not knowing what else to do. Then during a furlough he meet Savannah, the girl of his dreams. The attraction is mutual and quickly grows into the kind of a love that leaves Savannah vowing to wait for John while he finishes his tour of duty. But neither can foresee that 9/11 is going to change the world. Like so many proud men and women, John must choose between love and country. Now when he finally returns to North Carolina, John will discover how love can transform us in ways we could never have imagined.

About

Dear John entrails a story of a couple John Tyree and Savannah Curtis. John Tyree, is born and brought up in North Carolina by his father. John and his father share a common interest: collecting coins. Slowly this interest of his father turns into an obsession and John, now a teenager is no more interested in coins. So having left nothing in common to do, John enlisted himself in army. In a spring break when John returns North Carolina (NC), he bumps into the girl of his dreams, Savannah Curtis. Savannah is staying at her summer home in NC volunteering for a project for Habitat for Humanity.

As the story unwinds, readers come to know that John's father is autistic. Savannah, interested in meeting John's father, takes a liking to him. To help John connect with his father again, Savannah gives John a book on autism. John also meets Savannah's family. But no one can foresee that US will succumb to the 9/11 disaster. This will put John into a dilemma: whether to return to NC where Savannah is waiting for him or re-enlist. He then decides to re-enlist and is sent to Kuwait and then Iraq. In the meantime, Savannah falls in love with someone else and sends a letter to John telling him about the new man in her life. John is shattered by this news and decides to choose army as a career.

John returns NC on leave. His father now terribly ill, eventually dies. John seeks Savannah and is surprised to learn about her life after marriage. This emotional drain by the loss of Savannah and the battle overseas, John is able to express his love in an unexpected way. 

Sparks uses his impeccable skill to convey the message:

"Though harsh and complex, love can transform us forever."

My Views

This is by far my favourite Nicholas Sparks novel with A Walk to Remember being a close runner up. Nicholas Sparks is known for his talent in writing romantic novels. He understands romance in way no other author of this genre does. His works A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, The Best of Me stand testimony to this fact.

One Sunday afternoon, I sat reading Dear John. Till then, I had no idea that I liked such kind of books. His books were intriguing (it is also possible that it was due to the fact that I had been reading thrillers from quite some time). Though romantic, Sparks' romances are far beyond than what it is said to be the Mills And Boons romance. Dear John is a romantic as well as practical novel. It doesn't looks like that the characters are in a fairy tale world or something. The book is a light and enjoyable read. The characters are simple though completely unpredictable. The plot is very moving. The portrayal of the father-son relationship is commendable. 

When I was just starting to read this novel, a friend told me something about the term "Dear John". He told me that in military this phrase means a break-up letter. And when I finished the book I came to notice that he was right. The book actually revolves around this whole thing.

On the whole, Dear John is a novel portraying fatherly love and true love, thus making it a great read.

Order the Paperback on Crossword or download the free pdf file here

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Title: Dear John

Genre: Romantic, Fiction
Publisher: Hachette US

Published: 2007

Pages: 288

The Prophecy

The Blurb

When the writings of 16th-century visionary Nostradamus ring alarmingly true, Jonathon Payne and David Jones find themselves in a life-or-death race to stop those who would use the seer's predictions for their own dark purposes.

In an adventure that spans two continents and several centuries, Payne and Jones must locate a sacred text that may change everything about the future.

About

Chris Kuzneski is known for writing thrillers centered around the duo of Jonathon Payne & David Jones. Payne & Jones, retired members of MANIACs-an elite Special Forces unit in U.S. military are practically trained to tackle any kind of problem.

Payne is now heading company of his father- Payne & Co. and Jones is a private detective. They meet a lady at a fundraiser organised by Payne's company.She is there to speak to them about a historical mystery. The duo are presented with a photocopy of a mysterious and cryptic letter that contains the prophecies of Nostradamus, a prophet from the 16th-century. 

My Views

Reading Kuzneski for the first time, I was impressed by the way he writes phenomenally researched books. After reading and enjoying The Prophecy, I was struck by the Kuzneski fever and decided to pick a Kuzneski novel straight away. The Prophecy indulges you in itself a way no other thriller does. Once you start reading Prophecy you do not plan to sleep. The banter between the two central characters is hilarious and keeps the story from weighing down. You actually feel that you are standing between the two buddies. The novel is packed with a series of fights featuring some very sophisticated defensive gear.
  
Sometimes one feel that he kinda tries to go the 'Dan Brown way' but that certainly is not the case. Though both write the same genre, Kuzneski's writings are far more different than Dan Brown's. Although its difficult not to associate the book with The Da Vinci Code but the most notable thing that sets itself apart from Da Vinci is the fact that its not about religion. Its a refreshing change without deviating from the genre too much. 
But sometimes one feels that Kuzneski is lost in its own side trips. He seems to put everything in the book he knows about a city or a person, for instance, Pittsburgh and Nostradamus. He seems to go on and on when it came to describing Cathedral Of Learning. Sometimes it takes so many pages for the story line to inch forward.At 400+ pages The Prophecy  could have been easily finished within 200. 

The book is a great read but do not expect the writing to be any close to that of Dan Brown or Clive Cussler's though having a great share of entertainment. Must read for those who love the genre.
Know more about the book and the author at www.chriskuzneski.com

Get the Paperback copy on Flipkart or download the Java ebook for mobile here.

Author: Chris Kuzneski

Title: The Prophecy

Genre: Thriller, Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Books

Published: 2009

Pages:406

A new entrant in the world of blogs

I have been reading since the age of ten.

I remember my fears that I wouldn't understand a thing if I started to read some book. This fear was brushed aside as soon as I picked up the The Hobbit.  J. R. R. Tolkien made me start my journey into the enormous world of literature. I have, since then, been enthralled by the world of page and ink.
There is nothing more pleasurable than seeing how an author can transport you into someone else's life making you feel their sorrows, joys, fears etc. 
Its hard to get out of a book, once you taste the joy of reading it. 
In this blog I will be writing my views and synopsis of the book that I have read. I would be glad to take up any book you suggest. 

Till then, Keep reading!