Daily Times

Deeply moving, beautifully written, unexpectedly heartbreaking, inspiring and colourfully woven, The Longest Ride collects and suppresses itself as an epiphany which makes the reader realise the essence of patience that life and its cruelties demand.

Besides Sparks’ all global phenomenon, his intention to provoke the -quintessence of fruitful sacrifices in life- in this novel seems to contribute as a prominent reason for glory of The Longest Ride. Characters throughout the setting, promise each other to have the patience that a long lasting relationship demands, to hold each other with tenderness and to live in warmth of each other’s hearts and always call it home. While making endless efforts with silence and words, the timeless love explores profound desires of individuals. Despite all the shortcomings, partners chose to help each other love life for all the things they done good and not to walk away for just only one thing which they have done inappropriate. In the very climax, where heart chills out with life cruelties and the clocks strike thirteen, the text emits out tragic features as well. The romance is centred between a former champion tough cowboy style guy, a bull rider by profession and a versatile glamorous country girl is conducted as the major plot. The nurturing and adapting inner of college girl overtakes the empirist perspectives of the bull rider with a subtle and covert struggle. The tough routine that eurocentrism creates radiates out. Meanwhile the dramatic affiliation of female lead’s grandparents works out as a back flash pensive tale narrated by her grandfather. The whole novel shares a formula with readers in case of immensely bonded relationships that love demands sacrifice and it is worth it. By Lao Tze “To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders” and the Daoism amalgamated with eurocentricism can be witnessed in basic traits of the characters. In the incredible and unexpected manner, the young couple receives inspiration from the patiently and selflessly devoted old couple. The story is narrated in the best way possible, sketching out the minute details of countryside beauty. Temptingly slow moving incidents of endearment and trust result into an inspiringly thoughtful ending.

The advices and lessons gained from the idealistic relationship between a lionhearted, gentle soldier and a chirpy, lively girl in the form of flashback is set at the heart of the novel. The very novel awakens the heart and provides a new perspective towards marriages, love, loss and desires. Relations are malleable and can be moulded by our absorbent nature, patience and wise controlling skills. Sparks’ writings have always been an instrument for spreading the rhythms of naturalism and individual’s struggles. He sketches his characters with brush of tenderness and colours of individualism making them struggle throughout the plot’s miseries, later emerging a satisfactory happy ending. This very romance does not leaves one so unromantic but evokes emotions of sacrifice, adaptations, malleability and supporting gestures for loved ones. The writer emits brilliant wisdom, nurturing quotes, inspiring life lessons and heart soothing expressions.

I hope that this wonderful novel finds the readers in perfect amusement, truly recommending with every inch of my frail heart that it suits reader’s taste and they grow of it as enamoured of it as I am.

The writer is a student of Literature and Linguistics and can be reached at nousheennasir15@gmail.com