Nicholas Sparks books

[INTPness]

I've never read any of his books, but have seen a couple of the adaptations on the big screen. I was reading some interviews of his and I didn't realize how widely successful his writing has become. Translated into many, many different languages, best sellers, etc.

If you had to summarize, what is it about his books/writing/stories that makes them so appealing and popular? What makes them better than the other love stories out there?

 

[Vasilisa]

I have not read his books either and I have no ambition to do so, because the movies alone strike me as syrupy, trite and manipulative. I have been told the books are even worse. And the author himself comes across like a pretentious ass. But if you want to know why he is so great, Sparks himself is more than willing to explain it to you:

Sparks says: "I'm going to interrupt you there. There's a difference between drama and melodrama; evoking genuine emotion, or manipulating emotion. It's a very fine eye-of-the-needle to thread. And it's very rare that it works. That's why I tend to dominate this particular genre. There is this fine line. And I do not verge into melodrama. It's all drama. I try to generate authentic emotional power."

"I write in a genre that was not defined by me. The examples were not set out by me. They were set out 2,000 years ago by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides. They were called the Greek tragedies.

Cormac McCarthy? "Horrible," he says, looking at Blood Meridian. "This is probably the most pulpy, overwrought, melodramatic cowboy vs. Indians story ever written."

Asked what he likes in his own genre, Sparks replies: "There are no authors in my genre. No one is doing what I do."

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[gromit]

Heheh... funny quotes, Vasilisa.

 

[ExAstrisSpes]

I haven't read any of his books either, but I've seen the trailers for the films and I have to admit they seem sappier than the romance films I like to watch. Then again, I like to watch stuff like "A Very Long Engagement" and "Amelie". So there.

 

[Vie]

He generally plays on the emotions of most people who have been heartbroken. For example, the Notebook. I saw the film first and made it all the way through the movie before I broke down sobbing like an infant. I clutched my best friend in a hug (which I've only done a couple of times in ten years!) and sat there crying/laughing.

His books make you feel as though it could happen to you. You identify with the characters and almost have a relationship with them by the time you end the book.

But mainly, it's all about playing on emotions.

 

[MafiaAngel180]

Wow...playing on emotions? That seems so manipulative the way you put it. Any sort of writer, be it a screen writer, lyricist, etc. wants to stir your emotions.

I like him, personally. There are so many female writers in the genre. I think it's cool that a straight guy can write stuff that women really connect with. And I think that's the point to most of what's in the romance or drama genre. People like to connect with it. Love intrigues people. And he does a damn fine job.

 

[Kibou-chan]

My father gave me a copy of Dear John as a gift. Even though romance is usually not the kind of book I read unless there's some sort of twist, I decided to try it. I couldn't even get past the first page. It began like this: "My name is John. I was born in [such and such town] in [such and such year]." Really? THAT'S how you begin your heart-stirring work of brilliance? With formulated tripe? That was all I needed to read to convince me to put the book down.

All you need to know about Nicholas Sparks can be gleaned here:
Nicholas Sparks | Cracked.com

 

[mmhmm]

i attempted to read one of his books.
and it sorta made my eyes bleed
and made me want to throw an
audiotape of 'emotional intelligence'
at him.