“The Longest Ride” by Nicholas Sparks – The Rewards of Tough Decisions

Ira Levinson is a ninety-one year old man with a whole life of experience behind him. Though he knows his time will soon come, he never thought it would be this soon.

After suffering a car accident, becoming stranded and injured, Ira feels the life fleeting away from him, until his wife Ruth starts to appear next to him, which is surprising considering she died nine years ago.

Urging Ira to stay awake, Ruth prompts him to remain occupied by revisiting the various events which marked their marriage, from the day they met to the day they parted.

Meanwhile, a few miles away, a young college girl, Sophia Danko, is about to see her life turned upside down as she falls for Luke, a young cowboy whose life is riddled with great dangers and rewards.

These two couples have literally nothing in common with each other, and yet they will find a way to influence each other in ways they never imagined possible… such is the premise of Nicholas Sparks’ The Longest Ride.

Well, in this day and age we all know that Nicholas Sparks is certainly capable of writing romantic novels, with more than eight of them being turned into movies, most of them successful ones.

It is no exception with The Longest Ride, as Sparks once again manages to write a piece of art that is light and easily enjoyable and at the same time heavy with philosophy and statements about the human nature.

For me, the more interesting part of the book was seeing Ira relive his memories, all these bygone moments, as if they are actually happening again. In the end, life leaves us with nothing but memories, and this went to show how one can find joy in that rather than despair and senselessness.

With that being said, the part about Sophia Danko and Luke is also quite interesting, showcasing that part of life where anything and any kind of future seems possible.

The contrast between the two couples is quite interesting to see; one is at their very beginning, while the other one is running on nothing but memories at this point. Those who simply want to be entertained are going to see just that: a cute and touching love story involving two very different couples, showing how the human heart can create kindness and hope.

However, those who choose to look for something deeper will find it as well. What you will get out of this book, in my opinion, depends on what stage of life you are currently in, but regardless of how far you are in it I’m sure you will find something in this book that will hook you.

All in all, I definitely recommend The Longest Ride to all those who enjoy romantic novels and are looking for greater insight into love and the positive side of the human spirit.

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Nicholas Sparks Personal site Nicholas Sparks is an American screenwriter, producer, and book writer who, to date, has published seventeen novels as well as a non-fiction work. Eight of his novels were made into major films, the more popular ones including The Notebook and A Walk to Remember.