goodbye mr. sparks

I haaaaate Nicholas Sparks! Hate him.

I've been reading his novel, Dear John because the movie is coming out in a few months, and I like to read the book before seeing the movie. I've always known I don't really care for him much since I didn't make it more than 40 pages into The Notebook and didn't really like A Walk To Remember. But now?? Now, I'm making a vow.

No more Nicholas Sparks.

He disappoints me every. single. time. I don't like the way he takes advantage of his authority as a writer and makes me fall in love with his charming characters and then smashes my hopes when he kills one of them...or worse, messes with love. He makes them fall out of love or fall in love with someone else, or even stay in love with each other but they end up with other people. That should not happen. Maybe it does happen, but it shouldn't in real life--especially in an alternate reality.

I read books to escape real life for a place where people find soulmates and live happily ever after. Great if the journey is rough; I want to laugh and cry, but a writer also needs to know when to let them be together.

Plus, I don't like that a man is so good at writing sappy love stories. They've all been too drippy with unreality for me. Goodbye Mr. Sparks. My life will be a better romance than you'll ever create.