The Guardian
I read Nicholas Sparks’ “The Guardian” because I was curious about what a romance novel would be like written by a man. Unlike most modern romance novels (I like Jane Austen so I feel the need to qualify my statement) I liked both the heroine and the hero; usually I dislike one of them so much that I can’t finish the book. Of course now I’m recalling “Love Story,” a romantic novel by a guy that came out in 1970; I couldn’t make it through the first third of it. I had tried reading “Love Story” upon the recommendation of a woman in Portland, OR, who said I would then understand women. That I moved to China soon afterwards probably tells you a lot about my reaction.
But enough about me. Both the heroine and hero of “The Guardian” are generally cautious and likeable, and the plot only requires them to be stupid once which was a relief. The hero’s brother is a little meaner in my opinion than I think Sparks realizes, but having a bully for an older brother would explain the hero’s lack of social confidence and his violent over reaction in a bar (the stupid part where he plays into the bad guy’s hands). The thriller side of it, dealing with a dangerous man who becomes obsessed with the heroine is pretty by the numbers. I sort of wondered if the heroine’s boyfriend or her dog would be the one who dies fighting to defend her from the psychopath, but since it is a romance novel it wasn’t that surprising. “The Guardian” is the pet dog her late husband gave her as a gift.
But enough about me. Both the heroine and hero of “The Guardian” are generally cautious and likeable, and the plot only requires them to be stupid once which was a relief. The hero’s brother is a little meaner in my opinion than I think Sparks realizes, but having a bully for an older brother would explain the hero’s lack of social confidence and his violent over reaction in a bar (the stupid part where he plays into the bad guy’s hands). The thriller side of it, dealing with a dangerous man who becomes obsessed with the heroine is pretty by the numbers. I sort of wondered if the heroine’s boyfriend or her dog would be the one who dies fighting to defend her from the psychopath, but since it is a romance novel it wasn’t that surprising. “The Guardian” is the pet dog her late husband gave her as a gift.