Nicholas Sparks infused musings in ‘The Notebook’ that make for noteworthy quotes about love and other ideas about life in general. Some of the quotes explain the characters’ perception of belief, death, and other themes in the novel. Let’s take a look at the best quotes from Nicholas Sparks’ debut novel.
Love
But do not be misled. I am nothing special, of this I am sure. I am a common man with common thoughts, and I’ve led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But I’ve loved another with all my heart and soul, and to me this has always been enough.
Ch. 1, pp.3
In this quote, the protagonist Noah concedes that there is nothing special about his life. There are no exceptional events that would warrant having a monument in his honour or his name in history books. But despite this, he is content that in his mundane life as a common man, he was able to experience love in its utmost passionate intensity and to him, that experience of love is worth just as much as any extraordinary event that would place one’s name as an unforgettable one in history.
Belief and Miracles
Though you may call me a dreamer or a fool, I believe that anything is possible
Ch.1, pp.5
The narrator here speaks of a belief in endless possibilities. In the context of this quote, the speaker refers to the possibility of occurrences that defy even the most calculated scientific laws and logic. According to the verdict of science and medicine, Noah’s wife, at her age and with her mental illness, had no possibility of regaining her memory and was doomed to even more chronic symptoms of her disease. But Noah was not discouraged by those scientific facts; he firmly believed that with love and nurturing, he would help his wife overcome the disease.
The quote above is Noah’s assertion of this belief.
I realize that the odds and science are against me. But science is not the total answer. This I know, this I have learned in my lifetime
Ch.1, pp 5
In this quote, Noah reiterates that there is more to life than science has answers to. For him, being alive at the old age of eighty despite many battles with cancer, arthritis, and stroke is a miracle beyond scientific explanation. Also, his wife’s ability to withstand a total relapse into the chronic symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is something that science has no answer to.
Dichotomy
Day and night are linked in a way that few things are; there cannot be one without the other, yet they cannot exist at the same time… I know what it’s like to be day and night now; always together, forever apart
Ch.8, pp.80
Noah Calhoun muses on the paradox at play in the relationship between day and night, each cannot exist without the other, yet they can never be together. He acclaims that he now understands it better as he and his wife have become like day and night. He is always with his wife physically, but because of her illness, her mind is detached from him, keeping them apart.
Dusk, I realized, is just an illusion, because the sun is either above the horizon or below it
Ch.8, pp.80
This quote means that our idea of change is just an illusion, that some things remain the same, but the only thing that changes is our perception of it, and sometimes we mistake the change of perception with a change in reality. Like the case of the sun used as an illustration in the quote, the sun remains in a static position; what changes is our position relative to the sun.
A Child’s Perspective of Life
I learned what is obvious to a child. That life is simply a collection of little lives, each lived one day at a time.
Ch.8, pp.83
The narrator points out an important lesson to learn from children concerning life. It commends the simplicity with which children live. They do not worry much about the future or burden themselves with making long-term plans; they just take life as it comes and enjoy it to the fullest.
Noah observes the wisdom of living one day at a time, a wisdom that children possess but which is ironically lacking in most adults.
I was an encyclopedia, an object without feeling, of the whos, whats, and wheres in her life, when in reality it is the whys, the things I did not know and could not answer, that make it all worth the while.
Ch.8, pp.83
Noah was talking about how at the initial stage of his wife’s illness, he was always quick to tell her about who she was and try to force her to remember. But he later realized that trying to force her to retrieve all her memories was hurting her feelings. He then got a better understanding that life is much deeper than facts and figures or the things we can remember or answer.
Death
It is a terrible thing to outlive your child. A tragedy I wish upon no one
Ch.8, pp.78
This is a lamentation of the tragedy of the death of a child from the perspective of a parent. Noah calls it a tragedy that he wishes on no one. The quote has a tenor of pain and anguish to it despite being put in simple words.
Age and the Appreciation of Silence
It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence. It is a waste, for silence is pure.
Ch.8, pp.82
The writer observes a difference in the attitudes of the young and the old in the appreciation of silence. The speaker of this quote is an old man himself and believes that silence should be treasured and enjoyed, while he accuses young people of brashness for always trying to disrupt the silence.
The Beauty of Nature
Each day should be spent finding beauty in flowers and poetry and talking to animals… A day spent with dreaming and sunsets and refreshing breezes cannot be bettered
Ch.8, pp.83
This quote suggests that the speaker loves nature and that nature and its elements should be appreciated every single day. It also describes a relaxed enjoyment of sunsets amidst dreaming and refreshing breezes as the best and most worthwhile way to spend a day.
FAQs
What is the last sentence in ‘The Notebook‘?
‘The Notebook‘ by Nicholas Sparks ends with a long sentence that has a sensual quality to it. The last sentence in the novel is: “For at that moment, the world is full of wonder as I feel her fingers reach for the buttons on my shirt and slowly, ever so slowly, she begins to undo them one by one.”
What does ‘The Notebook‘ teach about love?
The major teaching about love in ‘The Notebook’ is that love is the greatest achievement in life, and that love is powerful enough to overcome all other forces in life and even in death.
Is ‘The Notebook‘ a tragic love story?
‘The Notebook‘ by Nicholas Sparks cannot be regarded as a tragic love story in the strict sense of the word because although there are some sad occurrences in the story, Noah and Allie still end up together and in love after all their challenges.
