“The Best Of Me”
“The Best of Me” is a novel written by Nicholas Sparks, published in Italy in 2011 by the publisher Frassinelli and translated by Alessandra Petrelli.
Nicholas Sparks is a well-known American writer, famous all around the world and author of numerous bestsellers translated into forty languages. Among his works are especially known “The Notebook,” “Message in a Bottle” and “The longest ride”. Many of his books have had a film adaptation including “Best of Me”, which thanks to the great success it encountered, had a film adaptation released in 2014.
The plot tells of the love story between Amanda Collier and Dawson Cole, and is set in the present, twenty-five years after the couple have separated. Amanda and Dawson fell in love when they were young. Since they belonged to different worlds, he decided to leave her because (he thought) this would have given her a chance for a better future: Dawson was a Cole, a family of criminals nobody wanted to have intercourse with. He tried to convince Amanda that their story would not work but since then he couldn’t spend even one day without thinking about her. They meet after many years in Oriental, North Carolina, the town where they grew up. Tuck, one of their dear old friends, had just died and his lawyer calls them to read his will. Thanks to this unfortunate event Amanda and Dawson spend a great weekend together and find the lost complicity again. They realize they are still in love despite the time passed.
Dawson has never managed to get over their story and despite Amanda went ahead and created a family, she understands she isn’t happy. After they meet again they realize that their love is stronger than everything, even than time, but their story will face many complications, which will test their relationship, now as in the past.
Recent events in the book are alternated with past episodes, there are many flashbacks, but the reading flows. The book has a simple style and is written in third person. The writer, thanks to the many descriptive parts, is capable of empathizing with the reader, who takes part in the story with his imagination. Detailed descriptions are a typical feature of the author, who doesn’t omit anything.
Reading this book is very interesting because, as in other books by the author, it gives strong emotions and is very addictive. Despite the author deals with important issues the book flows. The story is about a deep and abiding love that is romantic, but has a note of sadness.