Review Dear John

Dear John

by Nicholas Sparks (Goodreads Author), Barokah Ruziati (Translator), Marcel A.W. (Illustrator)

"Dear John" demikian surat itu dimulai. Dan dari dua kata itu, ada hati yang patah dan dua anak manusia yang hidupnya berubah selamanya.

John Tyree, pemuda pemberontak yang memilih menjadi tentara karena tidak punya tujuan hidup... sampai dia bertemu Savannah Lynn Curtis. Hubungan yang awalnya hanya percintaan musim panas berubah menjadi cinta abadi, membuat Savannah rela menunggu John menyelesaikan penugasannya yang berjanji akan pulang dan menikahinya. Tapi tak satu pun menyangka akan terjadi peristiwa 9/11 di New York yang mengubah dunia dan cinta mereka. Pada saat itu, sebagai tentara, John harus memilih antara cintanya pada kekasih atau negaranya. ketika akhirnya pulang ke kampung halaman, John harus menghadapi kenyataan pahit dan menyadari bahwa cinta ternyata bisa mengubah manusia dengan cara yang tak pernah bisa dia bayangkan sebelumnya.

Gramedia Pustaka Utama 2010

Weni: "Dear John" demikian surat itu dimulai.
Dan dari dua kata itu, ada hati yang patah dan dua anak manusia yang hidupnya berubah selamanya.

Begitulah 2 baris kalimat yang tertulis di cover belakang buku ini

Dua anak manusia yang dimaksud tulisan tsb adalah John Tyree dan Savannah Lynn Curtis, sepasang kekasih.
Dan orang yang mudah terharu (cengeng) seperti saya nekat tetap membaca buku sejenis ini. Hasilnya seperti yang sudah diduga, berurai air mata.

Bukan..., bukan kisah John dan Savannah yang membuat saya menangis.

Memang, ada surat Savannah membuat saya terharu dan berkaca2, tapi kisah John dan ayahnya lah yang membuat saya menangis.

Ayahnya yang sangat biasa. Ayahnya yang tidak bisa bersosialisasi.

Ayahnya yang tidak pernah mengobrol. Ayahnya yang tidak punya emosi.

Ayahnya yang hanya punya gairah ketika berbicara tentang koin.

Ayahnya yang (diduga kuat) mengidap sindrom asperger.

Komunikasi tanpa kata antara mereka membuat saya terenyuh.

Adegan sang ayah yang meletakkan tangannya di punggung John ketika John akan kembali bertugas ke Jerman sudah cukup untuk membuat airmata saya mengalir.

Arlene: Dear John by Nicholas Sparks is one of those books I've developed a love/hate relationship with. I love, love, love the first part of the book, and I immediately fell for the main character, John Tyree. But when he gets his Dear John letter, it was all down hill from there, and I have to say I was left in angst. The ending is to some extent depressing, but I do have to give it to Sparks because he paints a realistic picture. However, someone needs to let the man know that he's writing fiction and sometimes, it's okay to have a happily ever after. His readers would surely appreciate it.

About the book… John Tyree's life is spiraling down hill when he decides to join the army. During a leave, he comes home and meets Savannah, and that's when his life takes a turn. They fall in love, and because of her, he learns how to forge a relationship with his father. He returns to his base in Germany with the hopes of coming home to Savannah when his tour is over. Then 9/11 hits, and he makes a choice that will change his life forever.

Great story, with a realistic yet off-of-the-charts sad ending. Let's just say, I'll proceed with caution when choosing another Sparks book in the future.

Katia: OK, so...I finally finished. Like a lot of other people, I read this simply because I saw the preview for the movie and I HAVE to read a book before I see the film adaptation. In this case, I really wish I wasn't so anal retentive.

Anyhoo, the book. Typical Sparks fare - star-crossed lovers, torn apart by fate, life, what have you. I really enjoyed the interaction between John and his father a lot more than I did his relationship with Savannah, maybe because it seemed far more real. I never warmed up to Savannah, even though she was supposed to be the perfect, lovely Southern young lady. And, like SO many other reviews on here, I too thought the ending was horrid. As I was nearing the end of my audiobook, I knew exactly how it would end, but I still had another disc to go. It was seriously painful...I can get behind tragic/unrequited love stories, but this one just seemed so pointless. John literally gives up everything he has in his entire life for someone who treats him badly for 90% of their relationship. I always know what I'm getting myself into with a Sparks book, but in this case I left feeling totally dissatisfied; its like when you go to a buffet, and you know what you're about to eat is terrible for you, but you binge anyways and have massive regrets immediately afterward. I'll still go see the movie, mostly because my sister-in-law is super excited to see it, but part of me hopes this is one of those instances where Hollywood romanticizes things and changes the ending. This book could really use it.