The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks
My in real life neighborhood book club read The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks for November. I have to be completely honest because I wasn’t super excited about reading it. I didn’t think there would be enough to talk about for a discussion and there really wasn’t. At one point we just sat and stared at each other. But that’s what I love about being a member of a book club – being exposed to books that I normally wouldn’t be jumping at to read. All of us have gotten out of our comfort zone with one book or another.
I have a few Nicholas Spark books on my bookshelf and I think that the only one I’ve actually read is The Notebook, but I couldn’t tell you anything about it. Even though it’s really popular I don’t think I could give you the basic plot. I thought the other book I had read was Suzanne’s Diary but I was told that’s written by James Patterson not Nicholas Sparks. Obviously, I am not well read in either author.
In The Lucky One, Logan Tibault, a retired marine, credits his lucky survival in several tours of Iraq to a photo that he carries in his pocket. The photo features a beautiful women whom he’s never met. In fact, it’s just a photo that he found on the ground. He doesn’t have a clue who she is. After carrying the photo around for years, a friend convinces Logan to find her. Using clues found in the background he deduces a couple of places of where it was taken. So he travels across the country from Colorado to North Carolina to find her. Does he hop a plane? Take a train? No. He walks. Literally walks across the country. And he actually finds her!
Elizabeth, is a school teacher and mother to a little boy. Her ex-husband is one of the cops in town and his family controls everything, including her love life, but this she’s ignorant on. Does Logan tell her about the photo? Of course, he doesn’t. Because where would be the story in that? Instead, he takes on a job at the kennel run by Elizabeth’s grandmother. Elizabeth is very apprehensive about Logan. And for good reason. Who walks across the country and then suddenly decides to stop. And how come her ex-husband knows who Logan is? Despite, these misgivings, love does ensue, but when she learns the truth will she be able to accept it?
Somebody told me that in any Nicholas Sparks novel somebody always dies. Knowing this pulled me along and I was interested in the story enough to see who would be the “unlucky” one. I could see the ending coming from a mile away, I just wasn’t sure which character was going to get the axe. I was also a little confused because each character called each character by a different name. This was true of Keith Clayton, Elizabeth’s (or Beth’s) ex-husband. I thought he was Keith and then he started being referred to as Clayton. And I literally had to go back to see who this character was. Although, he’s the character I was introduced to on page one!
The Lucky One was okay. Nothing to rave about but nothing terrible about it either.
Category: Adult, Book Reviews, Fiction
Tags: book club, I-L Title, neighborhood book club, published 2008, Q-T Author
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The bit about the different names for the characters was a bit confusing at times. I didn’t realize that someone died in each of his books. I’ll keep that in mind if I read another one.
on November 30th, 2008 at 2:37 pmKathy – Glad to know that I’m not the only one who thought so on the names. As far as somebody dying, that’s what somebody else told me. I haven’t read enough of him to know if that’s true or not. But I’m learning towards the affirmative.
on November 30th, 2008 at 2:43 pmI read The Notebook a while ago, and I too can’t remember anything about it! I think that Sparks’s novels are mostly middle of the road, but they’ve got plots that you don’t have to think too much on, which is why I think they’re so popular.
on November 30th, 2008 at 3:17 pmI haven’t read any of Sparks’ books before – not sure why. I see them about all the time. You’d think he’d tell her about the photo – could have turned the plot in another direction. The name thing sounds very confusing.
on November 30th, 2008 at 3:33 pmI’ve read a few of Sparks books (The Notebook, Dear John, The Choice) but I haven’t read this one. I guess I look at his books as emotionally manipulative books that are corny and don’t require much insight. That sounds kinda harsh, I know, but after “The Choice” I decided that unless a Sparks books was thrust upon me, I wouldn’t read another. Too many other good books to read!
on November 30th, 2008 at 3:47 pmKatherine – I agree – you said it well.
Ms. Bookish – I thought it was strange he didn’t share the photo, but then again there wouldn’t have really been a story.
Sandy – I guess you didn’t like The Choice then?
on November 30th, 2008 at 10:00 pmI enjoy his books, but I have to really be in the right mood. They are sappy and fluffy, and if I’m in the mood for that, then it works out ok. I usually read about one of his books a year. Although I haven’t read this book yet, I could see how there wouldn’t be a lot to talk about at a book club.
on November 30th, 2008 at 11:02 pmThe movie of The Notebook turned me off of Nicolas Sparks altogether. I know that’s horrible since reading the book is always better than the movie.
It was just such an overload of emotion and as my husband put it, ‘a complete and utter chick-flick’ I just don’t know that I will ever want to read the book.
Sounds horrible of me, but I’m being honest. Who knows, sometimes I end up with books I had no intention of reading. I’m just finishing The Time Traveler’s Wife and I’m not quite sure how I ended up with it. I mean I picked it up and checked it out from the library, but I have no reason why.
on November 30th, 2008 at 11:53 pmAlyce – I already heard they are making this one into a movie. Seems like all of his books get made into movies. Yeah, not much to talk about.
Jenn M. – I can’t even remember if I’ve even seen The Notebook. The Time Traveler’s Wife is sitting in one of the stacks under my bed. I haven’t read it yet.
on December 1st, 2008 at 12:23 amWell I guess I’m in the minority here but I like Nicolas Sparks’ books a lot. He is one of the few male authors I read. I just finished The Lucky One but I listened to it on CD so the name thing wasnt confusing for me. My favorite book of his’ is Three Weeks With My Brother Micah. It’s almost Nicolas Sparks memoir. After you read it you will know why his books are so sad.
on December 1st, 2008 at 12:27 amNatasha- Warning you there is a bit of the f-word in there but it doesn’t come in until you are halfway through the book and into the storyline. There is also a lot of sex, but most of it isn’t graphic in your face explict stuff. It leaves most of it up to your imagination. I know how you feel about prolific profanity. I don’t think it’s enough to make you abandon the book, but who knows. My f-word tolerance may be higher than yours
Oddly I think the f-word is the only naughty word really used.
on December 1st, 2008 at 12:34 amLaura H. – I don’t think you’re in the minority. One of the book clubbers loves, loves all things Nicholas Sparks. And I don’t think he hits the NY Times Bestseller list all the time because nobody reads his books. And guess what?? I have that memoir on my shelf! I love memoirs. I would be willing to read Three Weeks With My Brother Micah, especially since he’s a author.
Jenn – I had heard that The Time Traveler’s Wife had a lot of language in it. It’s all about the ratio of bad language to other text. I’d still like to give it a try.
on December 1st, 2008 at 12:39 amI will give you this hint when reading it. Don’t flip around and try to figure out the timeline. Just read the story and let it play out. I started trying to make sure everything was in it’s place and then just decided to read it and it was SO much more enjoyable. I think it’s worth it despite the word ratio. There are some places where I think it adds to the character’s personality and others where I actually asked myself, “now did she really need to use THAT word?”
I’m interested to hear what you think of it when you get to it.
on December 1st, 2008 at 12:53 amJenn – I NEVER peek ahead. Don’t tell me you are one of those people who reads the last page first. Because if you are I don’t think we could be friends anymore!
I’m a pretty linear reader.
on December 1st, 2008 at 1:03 amNo No No…I meant flip BACKWARDS. To the stuff I already read. I admit, shamefully, that I did flip ahead a few chapters when i read New Moon BUT i didn’t read the ending. I just had to see if Edward was kidding or not.
I don’t like endings ruined. I avioded the internet altogether when Breaking Dawn came out because I didn’t want to know what appened until *I* read it. Same with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was the fingers in the ears ~la la la I can’t hear you~ thing for me.
In the Time Travler’s Wife, I started by flipping back to what I had already read to try and make sure dates lined up and put things in a specific order. Don’t. Just let the story unfold for itself when you read it.
on December 1st, 2008 at 9:48 amI just finished reading The Lucky One and i liked it. Hearing about it i thought i may not but once i read into it i got into it. This is the first book i read by Nicholas Sparks. I didn’t want to see The Notebook cuz i thought it be too corny. I kept up with the names throughout the book. I am not into love stories but this one somehow i wanted Elizabeth and Logan (Tibault) to work out.
on January 4th, 2009 at 1:35 pmNicholas Sparks has always been one of my favorite authors (I can’t help it. I love books with happy endings). I just finished The Lucky Ones a few weeks ago and I liked it. My favorite is still The Notebook, though!
We got to interview Sparks for a college TV show called The Blank Page on ThinkTalk Networks. It was the coolest thing I’ve ever done at work by far! He talks a lot about his inspiration for his characters and how he writes. He was a fun guy to talk to!
Nicholas Sparks interview @ http://www.thinktalk.com/show/nicholas_sparks
on February 9th, 2009 at 12:34 pm