“Dreamland” by Nicholas Sparks – The Connections of Love

 

Short Summary

Nicholas Sparks is the kind of author one turns to when they're in need of having their literary palette cleansed, so-to-speak. Generally writing stories of a more uplifting nature, Sparks has recently published another poignant novel, titled Dreamland. 

It follows the separate adventures of a young couple experiencing first love, and that of a mother desperately trying to care for her son. Though hundreds of miles separate them, they're drawn on a collision course, promising to change their lives forever.

Nicholas Sparks Chases After Ambitions

Dreams (as in ambitions, not the thing your brain inexplicably does at night) are something we've been taught to have and chase after since we were old enough to learn basic language. Unfortunately, reality doesn't always match up with our wishes for the future, but I'd like to think most of us keep our dreams in sight, and as is the case in Nicholas Sparks' Dreamland, chase after them when the opportunity presents itself.

The novel begins by introducing us to Colby Mills, once a musical prodigy with a bright future ahead of him. Now, his aspirations have been largely reduced to dust by an unfortunate accident, leading him away from the world of music to take his place as the head of a small farm in North Carolina. One day, he takes a side gig to play at a bar on the beach in Florida, irrevocably changing his life.

Soon after, he makes the acquaintance of Morgan Lee, daughter of affluent doctors in Chicago, herself a graduate from a prestigious musical college and with massive ambitions in mind. She's dead set on moving to Nashville and becoming not just a musician, but an actual star. She and Colby believe they are each other's missing halves, and head out on a turbulent and revealing journey as they try and manage their first true love.

Meanwhile, halfway across the country, Beverly is living an entirely different life altogether. Escaped from an abusive husband, she's trying to build a calm and quiet life for herself and her six-year-old son, way off the beaten path where she can't be easily found. Unfortunately, money is running out quickly, danger seems to lurk around every corner, and desperation ultimately pushes her to make choices bound to shatter her preconceived notions about life.

Even though they are separated by hundreds of miles and have no clue of each other's existence, Colby and Morgan are bound to a collision course with Beverly and her son. Over the course of a single week, they will all experience the various trials love can bring with it, and ultimately form with each other the types of connections capable of changing lives.

Two Viewpoints on Love in Dreamland

I suppose one of the first thing I ought to mention about this story is the fact that it's told through two first-person narratives, the first one following Colby, the second one Beverly. For the most part, they remain entirely separate from each other, right until the latter parts of the book where they begin to converge with each other.

Until then, we're treated to two stories in Dreamland which aim to explore two different types of love, and the ways in which they can serve as a powerful drive to the decisions we make. On one hand, Colby's story is reminiscent of the naivety many of us have doubtlessly experienced in our younger days, and we can't help but wonder how he'll react when the going gets inevitably rough.

Personally, I found Colby's plot to be the less engaging of the two, but don't let this fool you into thinking it has to nothing offer. On the contrary, it provides a heartwarming experience essentially guaranteed to put a smile on your face, and in a world where shock value and primal instincts seem to be at the forefront of everything, it makes for a very welcome change of pace.

Beverly's story, in my opinion, was the more interesting of the two, for a few reasons. To begin with, there were true dangers for her to beware of, from running low on money and being unable to care for Tommy, her son, to her husband finding her and making her pay for running out on him. In other words, there is a constant sense of urgency which makes her part of the book somewhat more captivating.

Additionally, the type of love Nicholas Sparks explores through Beverly's point of view is deeper and more complex than the overt romance experienced by Colby and Morgan. We get to see just how powerful a mother's love for her son can be, and how it can fuel a regular woman to push beyond boundaries and limits she believed unbreakable.

The Bumpiest Ride

If you're already familiar with Nicholas Sparks and the style he is known for, then rest assured the same vague principles are followed in Dreamland as well. That is to say, it's the kind of story with the rare ability to make the reader actually feel good and fulfilled on the inside, hopeful for the future ahead, whatever it might be.

However, he never forgets that he is, in fact, writing a piece of entertainment, and a perfectly smooth ride from start to finish is hardly captivating. There are plenty of bumps along the way for our characters to face, and even though the fate of the world doesn't hang in the balance or anything of the sort, I still couldn't help but feel worried as to what destiny ultimately awaited them.

Though you probably wouldn't think it possible, but there are actually quite a few excellent plot twists which seemingly jump at you from out of nowhere. While there are a couple of moments where I think Sparks hopes we will suspend our disbelief, for the most part the turns we make are all believable, even if totally unexpected.

Knowing that the two stories are going not only intersect, but actually connect down the line also turns the reader into a bit of a sleuth... or at least, this was how I felt. I just couldn't help but try and divine the various ways in which Colby, Morgan and Beverly could see their paths cross, and what the ultimate result would be. As a result, it felt like the story was told at a fairly fast pace, something unusual for a work of literature and fiction from Nicholas Sparks.

Ultimately, despite the various dangers, both external and internal, besetting our characters, they all make it to one of the more satisfying finales I've had the pleasure of reading recently. No supreme and unexpected tragedy befalls our protagonists, no cliffhangers to contend with... just a good old conclusion bringing all the plot lines to their logical conclusions.

The Final Verdict

Dreamland by Nicholas Sparks is an absolutely breathtaking literature and fiction novel with some heavy romance elements, exploring the concept of love as seen through numerous viewpoints while telling two distinct stories piloted by memorable and truly lovable characters.

If you're a Nicholas Sparks fan, or are looking for a lighter, heartwarming kind of novel about the softer side of human nature, then I strongly suggest you give this novel a chance.

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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.