The Dear John movie has captured the hearts of many people worldwide. This romantic war drama starring Channing Tatum, Amanda Seyfried, Henry Thomas, and Richard Jenkins has won numerous awards.
Many people don’t know that the movie is based on a book of the same name written by Nicholas Sparks. Here, we’ll provide more details about the book’s author and offer its review.
About Nicholas Sparks
Nicholas Sparks was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1965, but spent most of his childhood in California after his family moved there when he was eight.
Sparks attended the University of Notre Dame on a track scholarship. However, he suffered an injury that ended his budding career.
Sparks graduated in 1988 with a major in business. In the early 1990s, Sparks and his wife moved to New Bern, North Carolina.
In addition to his day job, Sparks began writing. He worked with Billy Mills, a former Olympic runner, on Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding. This book, based on a Native American legend, was published in 1990.
Sparks was determined to become a professional writer, and his dream came true with the release of his first novel, The Notebook, in 1996. As soon as it was released, the book hit The New York Times bestseller list. In 2004, the book received its movie adaptation starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.
In the meantime, Sparks released seven more novels, the most popular being Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, The Rescue, A Bend in the Road, and The Guardian.
Sparks has had a very fruitful career. Some of his popular novels are The Choice, The Last Song, The Lucky One, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven, and Nights in Rodanthe.
Although most of Spark’s novels are love stories, the author doesn’t consider himself a romance novelist. Romance is certainly a big part of his books, but Sparks also explores grief, loneliness, and loss.
Spark has published only one nonfiction work named Three Weeks with My Brother. In this book, he and his brother Micah describe their emotions regarding their parents’ and sister’s deaths.
Besides being an accomplished writer, Sparks is also a philanthropist. In 2008, he donated around $10 million to start a private school named The Epiphany School of Global Studies.
In 2012, Sparks and his family founded The Nicholas Sparks Foundation, through which they fund education for students worldwide. Sparks also funds fellowships, scholarships, and internships at the University of Notre Dame Creative Writing Program.
A review of the Dear John novel
Dear John is narrated by John Tyree, a young man from Wilmington, North Carolina. John has a complicated relationship with his father, who never says anything meaningful and is obsessed with his coin collection.
The young man has trouble finding his purpose, so he decides to join the Army and goes to Germany. When he returns home to North Carolina for his annual two-week leave, John meets Savannah Lynn Curtis, a college student working on Habitat for Humanity project with other students from Chapel Hill.
John retrieves Savannah’s purse from the ocean after it falls from a dock. There’s an instant spark, and the two start spending a lot of time together. John quickly realizes she’s the one, but he needs to return to his duties in Germany for one more year.
Before he leaves for Germany, John introduces Savannah to his father, although he is hesitant at first. To his surprise, the young woman finds his father interesting, and the two discuss coins.
Savannah tells John his father may be on the spectrum. At first, he’s furious but later realizes Savannah may be right.
As he is getting ready to leave for Germany, John promises Savannah he will marry her when he returns. Savannah gives him a letter to read on the plane, and the two begin exchanging letters regularly.
A year later, John returns home. He meets Savannah’s parents and takes Savannah to see his father. After September 11, John decides to re-enlist to help his country. He leaves without knowing what that would mean for him and Savannah.
Over time, Savannah’s letters become scarce. One day, he receives a Dear John letter from her saying she has fallen in love with someone else. After his father’s death, John returns home and visits Savannah. He sees she’s happy and decides to let her go.
This bestselling novel definitely isn’t an ordinary love story with a happy ending. Here, Sparks explores love, loss, denial, desperation, uncertainty, sadness, and other themes. Readers can enjoy the story from up-close thanks to first-person narration.
The intensity of the relationship between John and Savannah makes the book an exciting read. Many readers are left wondering how this near-perfect relationship didn’t work out and are surprised by the ending.
As the story unfolds, we follow the challenges both John and Savannah face. Savannah’s internal conflict is also a major part of the story. Some readers believe she should’ve waited for John, while others agree that it’s good she moved on.
Those who enjoy romance novels will appreciate the characters and their intense and complex relationship but may be disappointed with a not-so-happy ending.
About the movie adaptation
The Dear John movie was released in 2010 and directed by Lasse Hallstrom. The screenplay was written by Jamie Linden, and the movie was released by Sony Pictures. It topped box office charts worldwide and made more than $114 million.
While the movie is based on the book, there are a few key differences to be aware of.
For example, the movie emphasizes the letters much more than the book, which many fans enjoyed. We often see John and Savannah writing or reading letters, while in the book, we only read two letters, both from Savannah.
Also, in the book, Allan is Tim’s autistic brother, while in the movie, he’s his son.
Perhaps the biggest difference is the ending. In the Nicholas Sparks novel, Tim has skin cancer and is cured thanks to John’s help. In the movie, Tim has lymphoma and dies. In the very cliffhang-y ending, Savanah sees John on the street and walks up to him.
Listen to the Dear John audiobook with Speechify
If you want to listen to the audio version of Dear John, Speechify Audiobooks is the way to go. This audiobook platform offers over 60,000 titles belonging to different genres, including romance, sci-fi, fantasy, children’s books, and many others.
Besides the impressive title selection, Speechify Audiobooks offers convenient features like setting a sleep timer and adjusting the playback speed. These features can make your experience even better.
Try Speechify Audiobooks today.
FAQ
Is John in Dear John autistic?
No, John’s father is autistic.
Is Dear John based on a true story?
No, Dear John isn’t based on a true story.
What is the time period in Dear John?
Most events from the book are set in 2001.
How many chapters are in Dear John?
There are 20 chapters in Dear John.
Is Savannah a good person?
Since every person has different opinions and attitudes, it’s impossible to label Savannah as good or bad.
Is Dear John about racism?
No, Dear John isn’t about racism.
