Night in Rodanthe
By Nicholas Sparks
Warner Books - September 2002
ISBN: 158621439X; Audiocassette, unabridged edition
Fiction / General
Reviewed by Stormy
Beasley, MyShelf.Com
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Nicholas Sparks, author
of Message in a Bottle and The Notebook brings us Nights
in Rodanthe, a story reminiscent of The Bridges of Madison County
by Robert James Waller. The story is told in flashback through the eyes
of Adrienne Willis, a middle-aged divorcee. When she agrees to watch over
a bed and breakfast in Rodanthe, a quaint little town in North Carolina,
she meets Paul Flannery, also divorced.
Adrienne is an example of a classic housewife. She married and had three
kids, but her husband left her for another woman. She is saddled with
the care of her chronically-ill father, and has no luck trying to date.
Paul is a classic work-a-holic husband/absentee father who amasses a virtual
empire, yet cannot understand why his wife has left him and his son has
comes to despise him. Each character finds solace and healing at Rodanthe,
giving one another a new take on life through their romance.
There are other storylines intricately woven into the story that give
different perspectives on each character. For instance, Paul Flannery
is involved in a wrongful death suit for which he feels terribly guilty.
With Adrienne's guidance, he learns to see the other side and realizes
that there is nothing he can do to ease the pain of the grieving family.
Meanwhile, Adrienne tells the story of her time in Rodanthe in an attempt
to reach her grief-stricken daughter.
While Sparks' very detailed beginning adds depth to the characters, it
can be a bit excessive, though he brings each storyline to a close with
at least some sense of resolution. Nights in Rodanthe brings home the
point that what is really important in life is not always material, but
also emotional and spiritual; that to have the love of just one person
can transcend the sadness of an entire lifetime. For those who like bittersweet
romances, this book fulfills that need.
Reader of the audio
book version is JoBeth Williams. JoBeth Williams is an acclaimed actress
of such films as The Big Chill and Poltergeist, brought
the story of Nights in Rodanthe to life with her dazzling voice
and strong characterization. With each character, she showed grace and
the ability to sense each vulnerability, each nuance. Her delightful voice
and exuberance shined throughout her reading of Nights in Rodanthe.
I hope that she comes to do more audio books, as she would be an asset
to each one with her brilliant senses and characterizations
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