I believe that listening to an audiobook counts as reading, but I would also like to petition for us to start saying 'I consumed the book' because that sounds hilarious.
In every Sparks novel/film, if a protagonist's partner cheats on them, then they're villainsed by the narrative. However, if the protagonist dares to cheat on their loving partner with the other love interest, it's justified, since it's true love. This double standard never sat easy with me.
I'm always getting nicholas sparks and nicholas cage confused. so I saw the thumbnail of this book and went "Nicholas cage wrote books?" and then a minute into the video went "Nicholas Cage wrote THE NOTEBOOK?" before realizing my error
How nice of him, flying kids at that prep school to countries that don't exist in the 21st century anymore 😭 didn't know nicolas sparks could travel back in time to visit czechoslovakia
What's interesting about the Nicholas Sparks universe is that the movies are *nearly always* better than the books. I was so disappointed when I read The Notebook, and I think I've preferred the movie version of every one that I read.
Julia: All that's left is for you to listen to me talk about them. And you'd better. Me, trapped in my chair with two cats sleeping on top of me: yes ma'am.
Exactly. Reading is the consumption of the written word through one of your senses, whether that sight (traditional reading), hearing (audiobooks), or feel (braille), it’s all reading!
Lol, exactly! You want to use misapplied pedantry to be smug, that sword cuts both ways! Though I am interested to know how many people would be like "fine, you can call me a typist, but listening to audiobooks still doesn't count as reading!"
the only time i disagree is when the teacher influencers go on about how they are the same. like lol no learning to read print is a different skill from listening. but outside of a school setting where you are literally learning to read print it makes no difference. it's a romance novel for goodness sake
Omigosh I was just reading about Nicholas Sparks last night. Fun fact, there's an interview with him walking through a bookstore and he picks up an Ernest Hemingway book and says that's "what [he] writes."
When I was little, my sisters and I made a short parody movie of Nights in Rodanthe based exclusively on the trailer of the film that we kept seeing on tv. We never watched the movie and didn't know what it was about outside of the trailer but I guess we just found the name 'Nights in Rodanthe' really memorable. I have no memory of what our movie was like and I think it has been lost to time but just know that Nights in Rodanthe has been a vague inside joke with my sisters for the last 15 years. My sister and I finally tried watching it a couple months ago and it was boring enough that we didn't even make it to the part where the guy dies :(
Am I the only one who used to think these books were written by a woman? Like in my head I was like. Yeah a girl could be named Nicholas why not lol. Just Nicole with extra steps.
Are people seriously gatekeeping the term “reading” now? Listening to an audio book is reading. You consumed the book’s information. Thats reading. That’s it. Edit: Ffs, alright prepare for an essay about the word “read” because evidently it’s a hot button issue for some reason. Yes “read” means to look at. You’re not looking with your ears when you’re listening to an audiobook. No shit. But that’s not what I mean. When people say they “read” a book, colloquially they mean that they consumed a book’s contents. They absorbed the information.. You can physically “read” a book and not pay attention to it but that’s not what people usually mean when they say that they read a book. “Read” *implies* actively paying attention. “Listening” *implies* passively paying attention. Music is listened to. Books are read. Read is active, listen is passive. Connotation vs denotation. Context/implications vs actual definitions. This is some basic shit right here. C’mon… The fun thing about words is that the passive/active connotations can change depending on the context! You can say you listened to a song and that can imply that you actively listened to the lyrics and/or you just put the song on in the background passively. Both are correct. Language is fluid. The word “read” has always been attached to books and other texts. No one says they “read” a movie to imply that they paid attention to it (unless they’re reading a script). SO, since books are an active activity that you have to pay attention to in order to enjoy yourself it is easier to say that you “read” a book even though you actually listened to it, because it implies to others that you absorbed the information. Saying “I listened to a book” implies you just put it on in the background for noise. Listening is not a term usually associated with books hence why most people say they “read” a book. Words are finicky. They have definitions (no duh), but they warp and change constantly. Why do you think dictionaries have yearly editions? This is why context is just as if not more important than raw definitions. Sometimes definitions don’t match how people actually use the word. Words change. So yes, IN THIS CONTEXT listening to audiobooks counts as reading. People who listen to audiobooks can say that they read it because they did. They can still write a review and discuss the book in detail even though they didn’t “physically read the book.” Hell, some people can’t even physically read books! Audio is all they got and for those people I will still call them readers because THEY READ THE BOOK! TLDR, no one is trying to change the raw definition of the word “read.” The actual definition and the colloquial definitions are different. Context matters. This is not a hard concept to grasp ffs. Stop gatekeeping words.
I think it could be argued, if you were bragging about "reading" 7 books this month, but you were actually listening to them as audio books, there's a difference there?? But I agree with you in general, listening to a story is similar enough to reading the pages. You can still summarize and write a review
@@ItBeThatWaySometimes because not everyone can physically read books. Those people would still say they're reading even if they're doing so via audiobook.
My favourite Sparks novel/movie is definitely "A Walk to Remember." I liked that the adaptation wasn't a word for word retelling, but updated the story from the 50's to the late 90's, in order to draw in more teenage audiences.
Never fails to make me cry a little. Both the book and movie. I honestly think Mandy Moore was the perfect choice for Jaimee and I still recommend "A Walk to Remember" to people who are just starting to get into Sparks' novels and film adaptations!
when my best friend and i were 12, we were too afraid to pirate movies for our sleepover so we went into her basement and found nights of rodanthe. at 12 we did not appreciate the nuances of adult love (if you can give the movie that much credit) but i died laughing at the end when paul dies and the horses run by while my friend was sobbing. this is my favorite memory associated with nicholas sparks haahah (tho when i look at you from the last song is a BANGER)
Wow, Nicholas is really cool! He even took the students of his school time-traveling... or he has not heard the hot news that Czechoslovakia does not exist. Since 1993, there is Czech Republic and Slovakia, two different countries 😅
Listening to an audiobook DEFINITELY counts as reading!! I find the “you’re not reading if you’re not physically reading” sentiment usually comes from teens who (as a large generalization; obviously everyone’s life circumstances are vastly different) don’t have the same responsibilities and commitments that adults do so, generally, they have more time to physically sit down and read. I travel a lot for work so the way I’m reading the majority of the time is through audiobooks!
I convinced myself that the song playing throughout the vid was some unreleased Taylor swift song so the reveal of it being from dreamland audiobook was actually hilarious to me
read is the fact to use his eyes on a paper, billboard or any electronic device etc, so it’s definitely not reading to hear someone talking or telling a story… Or the same way I can say a 1/2years old baby knows hot to read when you tell him a story… that would be stupid. Not here to offend anyone, just giving my opinion
@@aaljustaal1890 not agree, whatever you’re using keybord or a pen, you’re writting something, even that comment you WROTE. You use letters to make sentences so that’s writting. Not comparable with going from using your eyes to read to using your ears to « « « read » » » lmaoo
@@nico.rclé Except, by definition, writing utilizes a pen, pencil, or other writing implement on a surface. You didn't write that comment, you typed it.
@@aaljustaal1890 typing is actually a way of writting. You still use your fingers, your hands. It still has a link. Hearing with your ears and reading with your eyes, wtf that’s completely another part of your body you use, that’s by far not comparable sorry.
The fact that walk to remember was originally set in the 50s makes so much sense i always thought the opening scene from movie reminded me of the outsiders.
I don’t like that NS is so quick to separate himself from romance novels, but he’s kind of right. To be a romance novel it has to have a happily ever after. That’s one of the defining points of the genre. So his work would probably be categorized as drama. I loved this video btw. It’s so good, Julia❤.
I have never read a Nicholas Sparks book in my life. Nor will I ever. But I was very into this entire video and I watched the whole thing, nodding along as if I had any clue who or what you were talking about. Loved it as always!
I can't help but think that Sparks need to distance himself from the romance genre is a not so subtle symptom of misogyny and fragile masculinity. Evoking the Greek tragedy in reference to "The Notebook" is just a pretensious way of saying "I'm not like other romance authors".
Nicholas Sparks whole vibe to me is just Sarah Dessen for grown ups. Everything set in the same town: check. White people: check. East coast beach towns: check
It’s ableist to say that audiobooks aren’t reading! Lots of people with conditions like ADHD or blindness have a much easier time listening to them rather than physically reading don’t listen to people! There have been studies on it having a very similar affect to the brain as physically reading as well. Basically, keep listening to audiobooks girl! Love your videos so much!
Safe Haven hive rise up! But I don't think it occurred to me when you first set out to do this video how much boring misery can be found in Sparky's stories, so hearing you describe them all makes me endlessly impressed with you, Julia.
“A Walk to Remember” - the movie - was my first introduction to Nicolas Sparks and I loved it as a teen (I rewatched it not too long ago and I still enjoyed it a lot). I haven’t liked anything Nicolas Sparks since, though I think that’s largely because his other stories felt too repetitive. Another great video, Julia! ❤
The only Nicholas sparks movie I've ever watched is Safe Haven and honestly this made me feel so validated, I think I'm gonna keep it that way. Anyway fantastic video, you're stronger than I lol. Also audiobooks are 100% a valid way to consume books 💕
I went to high school with a guy whose cousin is Nicholas Sparks’ ex-wife. I remember we asked him if he liked Nicholas Sparks and he said he was an asshole and no one in the family really liked him lol
I saw that you posted this. Saw that it was a dive by you into a full catalogue of something. Saw that it was over an hour long. And I said aloud, "WHAT A GIFT." hahaha. So yeah, super thrilled you made this, and loved hearing all about 2 dozen books I haven't and likely will never read. haha
Edit: I forgot to metion, Thank you for this video! I was always a bit curious what Nicholas Sparks novels were all about. just never curious enough to read one myself or even check wich ones are made into movies I never read any of those novels, but I have watched three of the movies without knowing they were based on Nicholas Sparks novels. 1. Safe haven: I found it randomly zapping around on tv years back, since then it has been saved on every laptop I have had. I love it and need to have the option to randomly watch it if I feel the need. If I had to guess, I have watched it around 15 times and clicked trough it to my favorite scenes at least 30 times. 2. The last song: I have watched it once as a teenager and liked it well enough 3. Dear John: one regretful watch. I just liked the actress after watching mama mia as a kid. too much military and too much justified cheating.
I've never read a Nicholas Sparks novel, nor have I willingly seen a movie adaptation, but I will watch this whole thing and then watch it again just for fun.
The whole audiobooks ≠ reading is just semantics that lean into abelism imo. I breeze through books easier with audiobooks as opposed to reading books in-hand and as someone who's had a reading block that has, unfortunately, lasted *years*, I'll be damned if someone invalidates my accomplishments like that.
Someone I knew had Nicholas Sparks give a speech at their school at one point. Apparently he said stuff like "one of my favorite authors wrote [blah blah blah]...oh wait, *I* wrote that!" & just generally was completely self absorbed. That and the sheer amount of _White People Embracing: a novel_ covers is the extent of my knowledge of him, but I'm still willing to watch an hour long video on his work.
Saying that listening to audiobooks isn’t reading is not only ablest it’s just stupid. Reading is the consumption of the written word through one of your senses. You can do that through sight with traditional reading, you can do it by feel with braille, or you can do it through hearing with audiobooks.
Ah Nicholas Sparks novels are my guiltiest of guilty pleasures I haven't kept up recently but these are the best books for summer when I need something I can finish in a day or two that does not take much brain power cause while I can't call them good they get the job of entertaining me done. Although I would never recommend them back to back to back like this lol one or two at most at a time maybe with one of the movies tossed in. I swear I manifested living in North Carolina for a month because of reading his and Sarah Dessens books...sadly no Southern out-of-the-blue romance happened.
If there is a Nicholas Sparks multiverse it would consist of a bunch of widowed husbands and wives from South Carolina finding love with one another by happenstance and then tragedy, aka grave and sappy monologue for a second time.
You would be shocked at how many young, white, men will write “self help” or “how to succeed in _____” books before finding any kind of success in life. It honestly comes up way too often.
Julia I will listen to you talk at length about pretty much anything I’ve never seen Teen Wolf or Bridgerton but I’ve watched both of your videos about both of those more than once
Okay, I'm no Swiftie, but I do have to defend her when it comes to the "Dear John" book/title song sharing. That is NOT something Sparks came up with himself; she is NOT copying him there. "Dear John/Jane" letters are letters soldiers receive from their spouses back home when they write to break up with or divorce the partner oversees, which happens in Sparks' novel and which is a central theme of Swift's song.
Autistic person here! On the topic of the representation in Dear John (in the movie, at least) I did find it fairly respectful. Even with the outdated language, I'm fully aware that it's set in the early 2000s so while it's never okay to use the r-slur (as John does in the movie) I totally understand that within in the context of the timeline someone in his circumstances would probably not see a problem with using that terminology. The empathetic portrayal of John's Dad was also a nice touch too. And while Mr. Tyree is still a white man, the movie does show a different kind of autistic character that I don't really see in media, that is an older person on the spectrum. My only issue with Dear John's representation involves the character Alan. Not the character in himself because he's alright, but upon rewatching the movie and getting to the ending my biggest question is what happened to him after his father dies. Is Savannah still his step mom? Does he have other family members who know how to care for him? Is the boy getting support in other ways beyond horse therapy? I was genuinely concerned!
I've been into romance for years and have never read any of these (didn't like the Notebook a adaptation and I just didn't get the impression that these books would be my jam), so thanks! Now I can not be completely uninformed when they come up!
I used to love Nicholas Sparks but stopped after a while. Maybe it was the death, cancer, coma, or death of cancer that got to me. My two favorites will always be The Choice and The Last Song. For movies: A walk to remember The Last Song The Best of Me (even though it kills me every time. Again James Marsden deserved/deserves better The Notebook: another one where james mardsen deserved better) The Longest Ride Safe Haven The Lucky One Why do I like the movies better? I can’t tell you.
i loved this! i've ever read dear john and i remember almost nothing about it. i wonder if you'd be interested in making a video like this for Sarah Dessen some time?
Does Mr. Sparks realize that the core of a greek tragedy is the central character being brought down by a defining flaw? If someone just happens to die in a random accident, that is not a tragedy in the Greek sense
I’m a month late but I’m seeing a lot of people telling you the audiobooks count as reading but not a lot of people telling you that novels are fictional by definition!! the title is not a lie at all. the billy mills book is his first book, but the notebook truly is his first novel, and you read every nicholas sparks novel!
I love the notebook and I like walking to remember but I like watching videos about film/book like the lake house oh yeah, I watch the longer ride really good
I've never read a Nicolas Sparks novel or seen any of the movies so I went in assuming they were all just romance novels with happy endings. I never realized there was such a body count.
ive never seen the notebook or read a nicholas sparks book (i assumed he was a sci-fi author based on the vibes of the name nicholas sparks) but this video is enthralling. also ik you mentioned liking the six of crows duology in the bridgerton video, do you ever think you'd make a video about netflix's shadow and bone?
I didn't realize how many movie adaptations I have seen without knowing it. I tried a couple books decades ago, but not a fan, so thank you for doing all the work for me.😊 His story regurgitation is like releasing Barbie dolls with slight variations, when it's really just the same doll relabeled. I guess that's comfort to some readers. I once read all the John Grishamm books, which feels the same.
I think the only one I ever read was the Last Song in highschool just because that's when the movie came out and I was like "Omg she's just like me" with no basis that she was whatsoever. I liked the goth girl named after a Lord of the Rings character or something. It was nice I guess.
listen, i think this is insanely commendable because i tried to watch every nicholas sparks movie adaptation last year and i only got half way done when i gave up because of how white and boring everything was.
I believe that listening to an audiobook counts as reading, but I would also like to petition for us to start saying 'I consumed the book' because that sounds hilarious.
I ate the book
lol it does sound strange i love that
Even if you can't read, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the book in a different way
@@insignificantramblings like eating it?
May I suggest... I perceived the book lol
In every Sparks novel/film, if a protagonist's partner cheats on them, then they're villainsed by the narrative. However, if the protagonist dares to cheat on their loving partner with the other love interest, it's justified, since it's true love. This double standard never sat easy with me.
I'm always getting nicholas sparks and nicholas cage confused. so I saw the thumbnail of this book and went "Nicholas cage wrote books?" and then a minute into the video went "Nicholas Cage wrote THE NOTEBOOK?" before realizing my error
Lmao i'd love if that was true
nicholas cage should star in a nicholas sparks adaptation
"Too inclusive of *south* Carolina" really got me 😂
this made me realise i have seen every single nicholas sparks movie adaptation and i’ve never meant to do it really
They're sneaky like that
How nice of him, flying kids at that prep school to countries that don't exist in the 21st century anymore 😭 didn't know nicolas sparks could travel back in time to visit czechoslovakia
What's interesting about the Nicholas Sparks universe is that the movies are *nearly always* better than the books. I was so disappointed when I read The Notebook, and I think I've preferred the movie version of every one that I read.
THANK YOU! Finally someone who gets it. The sequel to the notebook, The wedding was better.
@@Anna24529w whoa i did not know there was a sequel
@@babyrubyjane just a book there wasn’t a movie
Julia: All that's left is for you to listen to me talk about them. And you'd better.
Me, trapped in my chair with two cats sleeping on top of me: yes ma'am.
if listening to audiobooks isn't reading, then we should stop calling people who type books on their computer 'writers'
Based af!
Exactly. Reading is the consumption of the written word through one of your senses, whether that sight (traditional reading), hearing (audiobooks), or feel (braille), it’s all reading!
Lol, exactly! You want to use misapplied pedantry to be smug, that sword cuts both ways!
Though I am interested to know how many people would be like "fine, you can call me a typist, but listening to audiobooks still doesn't count as reading!"
My sister is legally blind and reads only audiobooks.
the only time i disagree is when the teacher influencers go on about how they are the same. like lol no learning to read print is a different skill from listening. but outside of a school setting where you are literally learning to read print it makes no difference. it's a romance novel for goodness sake
Omigosh I was just reading about Nicholas Sparks last night. Fun fact, there's an interview with him walking through a bookstore and he picks up an Ernest Hemingway book and says that's "what [he] writes."
LMAOOOOO -- please share the video title of that interview if you can find it xDD
This is very late but it’s: “Nicholas Sparks, Miley Cyrus share a 'Last Song' love story” from USA Today
I am genuinely so grateful that you blessed us with a video of this length, I never cared about Nicholas Spark before, but now I do.
When I was little, my sisters and I made a short parody movie of Nights in Rodanthe based exclusively on the trailer of the film that we kept seeing on tv. We never watched the movie and didn't know what it was about outside of the trailer but I guess we just found the name 'Nights in Rodanthe' really memorable. I have no memory of what our movie was like and I think it has been lost to time but just know that Nights in Rodanthe has been a vague inside joke with my sisters for the last 15 years.
My sister and I finally tried watching it a couple months ago and it was boring enough that we didn't even make it to the part where the guy dies :(
Am I the only one who used to think these books were written by a woman? Like in my head I was like. Yeah a girl could be named Nicholas why not lol. Just Nicole with extra steps.
this was me with dr. seuss
A girl could be named pretty much any boys’ name, so that’s a point.
Nicholas. Nicole, Lass...
Me too. The name just screams bad pseudonym 😂
Are people seriously gatekeeping the term “reading” now? Listening to an audio book is reading. You consumed the book’s information. Thats reading. That’s it.
Edit: Ffs, alright prepare for an essay about the word “read” because evidently it’s a hot button issue for some reason. Yes “read” means to look at. You’re not looking with your ears when you’re listening to an audiobook. No shit. But that’s not what I mean. When people say they “read” a book, colloquially they mean that they consumed a book’s contents. They absorbed the information.. You can physically “read” a book and not pay attention to it but that’s not what people usually mean when they say that they read a book. “Read” *implies* actively paying attention. “Listening” *implies* passively paying attention. Music is listened to. Books are read. Read is active, listen is passive. Connotation vs denotation. Context/implications vs actual definitions. This is some basic shit right here. C’mon…
The fun thing about words is that the passive/active connotations can change depending on the context! You can say you listened to a song and that can imply that you actively listened to the lyrics and/or you just put the song on in the background passively. Both are correct. Language is fluid.
The word “read” has always been attached to books and other texts. No one says they “read” a movie to imply that they paid attention to it (unless they’re reading a script).
SO, since books are an active activity that you have to pay attention to in order to enjoy yourself it is easier to say that you “read” a book even though you actually listened to it, because it implies to others that you absorbed the information. Saying “I listened to a book” implies you just put it on in the background for noise. Listening is not a term usually associated with books hence why most people say they “read” a book.
Words are finicky. They have definitions (no duh), but they warp and change constantly. Why do you think dictionaries have yearly editions? This is why context is just as if not more important than raw definitions. Sometimes definitions don’t match how people actually use the word. Words change.
So yes, IN THIS CONTEXT listening to audiobooks counts as reading. People who listen to audiobooks can say that they read it because they did. They can still write a review and discuss the book in detail even though they didn’t “physically read the book.” Hell, some people can’t even physically read books! Audio is all they got and for those people I will still call them readers because THEY READ THE BOOK!
TLDR, no one is trying to change the raw definition of the word “read.” The actual definition and the colloquial definitions are different. Context matters. This is not a hard concept to grasp ffs. Stop gatekeeping words.
I think it could be argued, if you were bragging about "reading" 7 books this month, but you were actually listening to them as audio books, there's a difference there??
But I agree with you in general, listening to a story is similar enough to reading the pages. You can still summarize and write a review
It's very much reading! It's ableist to say otherwise.
@@ItBeThatWaySometimes because not everyone can physically read books. Those people would still say they're reading even if they're doing so via audiobook.
@@ItBeThatWaySometimes you're missing the entire point. And sorry but I don't really think this argument with you is worth explanation
It should be that simple but some people get so caught up on this shit for literally no reason like who cares 😭
My favourite Sparks novel/movie is definitely "A Walk to Remember." I liked that the adaptation wasn't a word for word retelling, but updated the story from the 50's to the late 90's, in order to draw in more teenage audiences.
Never fails to make me cry a little. Both the book and movie. I honestly think Mandy Moore was the perfect choice for Jaimee and I still recommend "A Walk to Remember" to people who are just starting to get into Sparks' novels and film adaptations!
i have always been curious about the nicholas sparks-verse, so thanks for that, now i know what's up
when my best friend and i were 12, we were too afraid to pirate movies for our sleepover so we went into her basement and found nights of rodanthe. at 12 we did not appreciate the nuances of adult love (if you can give the movie that much credit) but i died laughing at the end when paul dies and the horses run by while my friend was sobbing. this is my favorite memory associated with nicholas sparks haahah (tho when i look at you from the last song is a BANGER)
Between you and Ashley Norton both releasing masterpieces this week, I don’t know what to do with myself *chef’s kiss*
a fellow person of taste i see
Wow, Nicholas is really cool! He even took the students of his school time-traveling... or he has not heard the hot news that Czechoslovakia does not exist. Since 1993, there is Czech Republic and Slovakia, two different countries 😅
i love how a fair share of nicholas sparks books have the same names as taylor swift songs
Listening to an audiobook DEFINITELY counts as reading!! I find the “you’re not reading if you’re not physically reading” sentiment usually comes from teens who (as a large generalization; obviously everyone’s life circumstances are vastly different) don’t have the same responsibilities and commitments that adults do so, generally, they have more time to physically sit down and read. I travel a lot for work so the way I’m reading the majority of the time is through audiobooks!
I convinced myself that the song playing throughout the vid was some unreleased Taylor swift song so the reveal of it being from dreamland audiobook was actually hilarious to me
I’m a librarian-audiobooks are definitely reading :)
read is the fact to use his eyes on a paper, billboard or any electronic device etc, so it’s definitely not reading to hear someone talking or telling a story… Or the same way I can say a 1/2years old baby knows hot to read when you tell him a story… that would be stupid. Not here to offend anyone, just giving my opinion
@@nico.rclé And you're not a writer if you type out your books, because writing is the act of marking on a surface with a writing implement
@@aaljustaal1890 not agree, whatever you’re using keybord or a pen, you’re writting something, even that comment you WROTE. You use letters to make sentences so that’s writting. Not comparable with going from using your eyes to read to using your ears to « « « read » » » lmaoo
@@nico.rclé Except, by definition, writing utilizes a pen, pencil, or other writing implement on a surface. You didn't write that comment, you typed it.
@@aaljustaal1890 typing is actually a way of writting. You still use your fingers, your hands. It still has a link. Hearing with your ears and reading with your eyes, wtf that’s completely another part of your body you use, that’s by far not comparable sorry.
The fact that walk to remember was originally set in the 50s makes so much sense i always thought the opening scene from movie reminded me of the outsiders.
Yeah the denying being a romance author definitely feels like misogyny…
I don’t like that NS is so quick to separate himself from romance novels, but he’s kind of right. To be a romance novel it has to have a happily ever after. That’s one of the defining points of the genre. So his work would probably be categorized as drama. I loved this video btw. It’s so good, Julia❤.
I have never read a Nicholas Sparks book in my life. Nor will I ever. But I was very into this entire video and I watched the whole thing, nodding along as if I had any clue who or what you were talking about. Loved it as always!
okay, that bit about the hanging tree song cracked me up
I can't help but think that Sparks need to distance himself from the romance genre is a not so subtle symptom of misogyny and fragile masculinity. Evoking the Greek tragedy in reference to "The Notebook" is just a pretensious way of saying "I'm not like other romance authors".
I had problems with The Best of Me mainly because I could not suspend my disbelief that Not Chris Hemsworth would grow up into James Marsden.
No idea who this sparks guy is,but i will gladly watch you talk about his books for 1 hour.
Nicholas Sparks whole vibe to me is just Sarah Dessen for grown ups. Everything set in the same town: check. White people: check. East coast beach towns: check
the line "too inclusive of south carolina" TOOK ME OUT
his disdain for being called a romance novelist is giving misogyny
I just need to know if, after a whole year of fade to black, Julia is now, exclusively reading smut 😆😆.
It’s ableist to say that audiobooks aren’t reading! Lots of people with conditions like ADHD or blindness have a much easier time listening to them rather than physically reading don’t listen to people! There have been studies on it having a very similar affect to the brain as physically reading as well. Basically, keep listening to audiobooks girl! Love your videos so much!
excuse me I've just got to *leaves praise and acclaim in the comments*
my first video of yours was your bridgerton video so i was so excited to see another one along the same theme and it did not disappoint
safe haven is like a comfort guilty pleasure movie for my sister and i-i screamed when i found the dvd at a dollar tree a few months ago
Safe Haven hive rise up! But I don't think it occurred to me when you first set out to do this video how much boring misery can be found in Sparky's stories, so hearing you describe them all makes me endlessly impressed with you, Julia.
A truly terrifying feat. Thank you for your sacrifice 🙏
i always rewatch video essays but i come back to this one at least once a month. i have never read a nicholas sparks novel or seen any of these movies
“A Walk to Remember” - the movie - was my first introduction to Nicolas Sparks and I loved it as a teen (I rewatched it not too long ago and I still enjoyed it a lot). I haven’t liked anything Nicolas Sparks since, though I think that’s largely because his other stories felt too repetitive.
Another great video, Julia! ❤
"Too inclusive of South Carolina" tickled me
I somehow have watched so many nicholas sparks movie without even trying🤔
cant believe it took an entire hour long video for me to realize the lakehouse wasnt a nicholas sparks book
Yet again learning about media I only had a passing familiarity with with one of my favorite video essayists :)
i know that the quality of these is mid to masterpiece, but i do hope taylor steals more titles because i would take any chance for another dear john
i’m a swiftie and i didn’t even know there were THREE songs named after his books i only knew about dear john
A day is truly blessed with an upload from Julia
i was watching the bridgerton video 12 hours ago wondering when this one would be published, thank you for your service, julia
The only Nicholas sparks movie I've ever watched is Safe Haven and honestly this made me feel so validated, I think I'm gonna keep it that way. Anyway fantastic video, you're stronger than I lol. Also audiobooks are 100% a valid way to consume books 💕
I went to high school with a guy whose cousin is Nicholas Sparks’ ex-wife. I remember we asked him if he liked Nicholas Sparks and he said he was an asshole and no one in the family really liked him lol
I saw that you posted this. Saw that it was a dive by you into a full catalogue of something. Saw that it was over an hour long. And I said aloud, "WHAT A GIFT." hahaha. So yeah, super thrilled you made this, and loved hearing all about 2 dozen books I haven't and likely will never read. haha
praise & acclaim 👏🏼
Edit: I forgot to metion, Thank you for this video! I was always a bit curious what Nicholas Sparks novels were all about. just never curious enough to read one myself or even check wich ones are made into movies
I never read any of those novels, but I have watched three of the movies without knowing they were based on Nicholas Sparks novels.
1. Safe haven: I found it randomly zapping around on tv years back, since then it has been saved on every laptop I have had. I love it and need to have the option to randomly watch it if I feel the need. If I had to guess, I have watched it around 15 times and clicked trough it to my favorite scenes at least 30 times.
2. The last song: I have watched it once as a teenager and liked it well enough
3. Dear John: one regretful watch. I just liked the actress after watching mama mia as a kid. too much military and too much justified cheating.
Most of the books are a pass for me, but I will tear up the last song every summer 🤌
I've never read a Nicholas Sparks novel, nor have I willingly seen a movie adaptation, but I will watch this whole thing and then watch it again just for fun.
Hi! Librarian here. Audiobooks count as reading. Full stop :)
The whole audiobooks ≠ reading is just semantics that lean into abelism imo.
I breeze through books easier with audiobooks as opposed to reading books in-hand and as someone who's had a reading block that has, unfortunately, lasted *years*, I'll be damned if someone invalidates my accomplishments like that.
I've read a few of his books over the years. A Walk To Remember, The Last Song and i think i tried to read The Wedding.
Someone I knew had Nicholas Sparks give a speech at their school at one point. Apparently he said stuff like "one of my favorite authors wrote [blah blah blah]...oh wait, *I* wrote that!" & just generally was completely self absorbed. That and the sheer amount of _White People Embracing: a novel_ covers is the extent of my knowledge of him, but I'm still willing to watch an hour long video on his work.
Saying that listening to audiobooks isn’t reading is not only ablest it’s just stupid. Reading is the consumption of the written word through one of your senses. You can do that through sight with traditional reading, you can do it by feel with braille, or you can do it through hearing with audiobooks.
Ur so right
Julia posted. Happy pride month, everyone
I finished the video, unhappy pride month to Nicholas Sparks.
i’m so excited for this one!!
was not ready for that hunger games jumpscare
Ah Nicholas Sparks novels are my guiltiest of guilty pleasures I haven't kept up recently but these are the best books for summer when I need something I can finish in a day or two that does not take much brain power cause while I can't call them good they get the job of entertaining me done. Although I would never recommend them back to back to back like this lol one or two at most at a time maybe with one of the movies tossed in.
I swear I manifested living in North Carolina for a month because of reading his and Sarah Dessens books...sadly no Southern out-of-the-blue romance happened.
finally, another jc video i can play on repeat to soothe my ever-present anxiety. thanks again julia
At about 22:00 you talk about Taylor Swift song title names: I absolutely see a Nicholas Sparks book called Midnight rain
If there is a Nicholas Sparks multiverse it would consist of a bunch of widowed husbands and wives from South Carolina finding love with one another by happenstance and then tragedy, aka grave and sappy monologue for a second time.
You would be shocked at how many young, white, men will write “self help” or “how to succeed in _____” books before finding any kind of success in life. It honestly comes up way too often.
imo what’s even worse is the grifters who write self help or success books, with terrible advice (jay shetty comes to mind).
Julia I will listen to you talk at length about pretty much anything I’ve never seen Teen Wolf or Bridgerton but I’ve watched both of your videos about both of those more than once
Okay, I'm no Swiftie, but I do have to defend her when it comes to the "Dear John" book/title song sharing. That is NOT something Sparks came up with himself; she is NOT copying him there. "Dear John/Jane" letters are letters soldiers receive from their spouses back home when they write to break up with or divorce the partner oversees, which happens in Sparks' novel and which is a central theme of Swift's song.
The song transition sends me every time 😂
i will fight anyone who says listening to audiobooks isn't reading!
the song playing in between is so funny to me huaa
I’m only a couple movies away from seeing all the adaptations, gonna have to complete the set. Don’t think I’ll be reading any of the books though
Autistic person here! On the topic of the representation in Dear John (in the movie, at least) I did find it fairly respectful. Even with the outdated language, I'm fully aware that it's set in the early 2000s so while it's never okay to use the r-slur (as John does in the movie) I totally understand that within in the context of the timeline someone in his circumstances would probably not see a problem with using that terminology.
The empathetic portrayal of John's Dad was also a nice touch too. And while Mr. Tyree is still a white man, the movie does show a different kind of autistic character that I don't really see in media, that is an older person on the spectrum.
My only issue with Dear John's representation involves the character Alan. Not the character in himself because he's alright, but upon rewatching the movie and getting to the ending my biggest question is what happened to him after his father dies. Is Savannah still his step mom? Does he have other family members who know how to care for him? Is the boy getting support in other ways beyond horse therapy? I was genuinely concerned!
I thought you wrote the dreamland song yourself the whole time and was like “now that’s dedication” but its the AUDIOBOOK version lmaoooo
I've been into romance for years and have never read any of these (didn't like the Notebook a adaptation and I just didn't get the impression that these books would be my jam), so thanks! Now I can not be completely uninformed when they come up!
I used to love Nicholas Sparks but stopped after a while. Maybe it was the death, cancer, coma, or death of cancer that got to me.
My two favorites will always be The Choice and The Last Song.
For movies:
A walk to remember
The Last Song
The Best of Me (even though it kills me every time. Again James Marsden deserved/deserves better
The Notebook: another one where james mardsen deserved better)
The Longest Ride
Safe Haven
The Lucky One
Why do I like the movies better? I can’t tell you.
"And Carolina? Too inclusive of SOUTH Carolina" really got me
i loved this! i've ever read dear john and i remember almost nothing about it. i wonder if you'd be interested in making a video like this for Sarah Dessen some time?
Yes! I’d love this!
Does Mr. Sparks realize that the core of a greek tragedy is the central character being brought down by a defining flaw? If someone just happens to die in a random accident, that is not a tragedy in the Greek sense
I’m a month late but I’m seeing a lot of people telling you the audiobooks count as reading but not a lot of people telling you that novels are fictional by definition!! the title is not a lie at all. the billy mills book is his first book, but the notebook truly is his first novel, and you read every nicholas sparks novel!
thank god i decided to skip class today, this is so much more informative
I love the notebook and I like walking to remember but I like watching videos about film/book like the lake house oh yeah, I watch the longer ride really good
There’s no way I thought this man was Nicholas Cage for this long 😦
I've never read a Nicolas Sparks novel or seen any of the movies so I went in assuming they were all just romance novels with happy endings. I never realized there was such a body count.
ive never seen the notebook or read a nicholas sparks book (i assumed he was a sci-fi author based on the vibes of the name nicholas sparks) but this video is enthralling. also ik you mentioned liking the six of crows duology in the bridgerton video, do you ever think you'd make a video about netflix's shadow and bone?
I loved this one. You should cover some of Danelle Steel books next.
Of course an audiobook is reading. Jeez, that is so ableist I could scream 🙄
i love ur videos and i listened to this while animating but the autotune at every book intro got annoying really quick
Much praise and lots of acclaim plz do Sarah dessen books next
Nicholas sparks looks like trixie Martel out of drag
audiobooks are reading don't mind the gatekeepers
dang i was never gonna read all them so thank you for your service !!! love your vids always ❤︎
I didn't realize how many movie adaptations I have seen without knowing it. I tried a couple books decades ago, but not a fan, so thank you for doing all the work for me.😊 His story regurgitation is like releasing Barbie dolls with slight variations, when it's really just the same doll relabeled. I guess that's comfort to some readers. I once read all the John Grishamm books, which feels the same.
I think the only one I ever read was the Last Song in highschool just because that's when the movie came out and I was like "Omg she's just like me" with no basis that she was whatsoever. I liked the goth girl named after a Lord of the Rings character or something.
It was nice I guess.
listen, i think this is insanely commendable because i tried to watch every nicholas sparks movie adaptation last year and i only got half way done when i gave up because of how white and boring everything was.