Two by Two
Title: Two by Two
Author: Nicholas Sparks
497 pages / 167 chapter (read it online)
This book was published in October 2016 so it's fairly recent in my opinion.
Initially I went into it not kowing anything other than the title and the author's name. It was enough to get me in. I was very wrong, not about picking up the book but it was definately not what I expected to find.
My idea of the book: A romance novel, something fluffy and cute, a loving family story.
What I actually found was: A story about a family since its aboutto be to the real deal, but it was clear something bad happens and the family shatters. But none the less I am already captured by it.
From the very fist pages it offers a very sincere hindsight of what pregnancy and childlabor looks like from the father's perspective. It is filled with the anxiety and the poor choice making ability of a father to be mainly due to the fact that everything seems like its decided under duress. In most men's mind, I imagine, they see the wife as the expert on everything related to having children even if it is, like in this particular case, their very first child and both are just as inexperienced at it. As soon as I started reading I just loved it, I was sure I would love the book.
The father to be is all anxiousness and the decisions he takes on the day his dauther is to be born is just hilarious. To be fair it does kind of make him look:
At least to other people, including/especially his wife Vivian. Why you may wonder? Well the man decides that he should shower..... His wife wakes him up during the night to tell him to take her to the hospital because she's going into labor now and he reasons that people are going to be taking pictures so he most look presentable and he decides to shower. Needless to say his wife is calling people to ask for help and complain about his idiocy.
At the hospital his mind is still not able to process correctly and he thinks pretty ramdon and weird things but mostly I can't unsee the first thing he says about his newborn daughter. He compares her to Yoda in his mind and when his parents come to see her (I mean it is their grandchild and their first soeveryone wants to meet her) is:
"We have a gray daughter."
He definately is not a person who responds well to pressure.
So moving on, I have not read many of Sparks' books maybe 3. So I don't know how he has done in most of his previous pieces. In this book he portrays a hopeless romantic guy who is the sweetest and nicest person. He falls hard for the girl and he is always the gift giving and doing everything he can to please her. He is the dream guy; Russell Green is a man to keep. It is refreshing to see the guy as the ever romantic and believer of finding the One instead of having that always be the girl. I like that.
Also he features Rusell's older sister Marge in a same sex couple with Liz another lovely girl. Marge has always been the good older sister looking out for Russell since they were kids. It makes me realize that the story is not all rose petals because while introducing Marge, Russell distictly remembers her asking him if he (Rusell) is sure of wanting to:
I get the impression Vivan is not someone Marge likes a lot. Also Marge apperantly don't like Vivian's parents and the feeling is mutual.
Their parents, Mr and Mrs. Green are an old lovely couple. The father an ex-marine and has worked in a plummer company for over 30 years. They have a very different view of life and how it should be managed. Mr. Green is very old fashioned. Mrs. Green has also a very traditionalist way of thinking as well, she used to work because the financial aid was necesary while her kids were growing up but she belives in the wife taking care of the house duties, wearing an apron whenever she's at home and she adores her granddaughter. Even if they both are old fashioined that way, they have no problem accepting Marge and her partner.
Russell's daughter is named London and she's lovely. He thinks she's the best kid ever just like any other parent really.
Unfortunately not everything is as peachy as Russell envisioned when he proposed to Vivian. She changes, or more like keeps demanding and demanding and demanding.... after a while he grows to recent her and the lack of support she gives him. It causes nothing but more trouble the fact that they cannot seem to be able to talk their problems out. The happily ever after its no what it seems.
I want to quote sme of Mr Green's ideas.
Author: Nicholas Sparks
497 pages / 167 chapter (read it online)
This book was published in October 2016 so it's fairly recent in my opinion.
Initially I went into it not kowing anything other than the title and the author's name. It was enough to get me in. I was very wrong, not about picking up the book but it was definately not what I expected to find.
My idea of the book: A romance novel, something fluffy and cute, a loving family story.
What I actually found was: A story about a family since its aboutto be to the real deal, but it was clear something bad happens and the family shatters. But none the less I am already captured by it.
From the very fist pages it offers a very sincere hindsight of what pregnancy and childlabor looks like from the father's perspective. It is filled with the anxiety and the poor choice making ability of a father to be mainly due to the fact that everything seems like its decided under duress. In most men's mind, I imagine, they see the wife as the expert on everything related to having children even if it is, like in this particular case, their very first child and both are just as inexperienced at it. As soon as I started reading I just loved it, I was sure I would love the book.
The father to be is all anxiousness and the decisions he takes on the day his dauther is to be born is just hilarious. To be fair it does kind of make him look:
- Stupid
- Silfish
- A bit of an asshole really
- But mostly panicky
At least to other people, including/especially his wife Vivian. Why you may wonder? Well the man decides that he should shower..... His wife wakes him up during the night to tell him to take her to the hospital because she's going into labor now and he reasons that people are going to be taking pictures so he most look presentable and he decides to shower. Needless to say his wife is calling people to ask for help and complain about his idiocy.
At the hospital his mind is still not able to process correctly and he thinks pretty ramdon and weird things but mostly I can't unsee the first thing he says about his newborn daughter. He compares her to Yoda in his mind and when his parents come to see her (I mean it is their grandchild and their first soeveryone wants to meet her) is:
"We have a gray daughter."
He definately is not a person who responds well to pressure.
So moving on, I have not read many of Sparks' books maybe 3. So I don't know how he has done in most of his previous pieces. In this book he portrays a hopeless romantic guy who is the sweetest and nicest person. He falls hard for the girl and he is always the gift giving and doing everything he can to please her. He is the dream guy; Russell Green is a man to keep. It is refreshing to see the guy as the ever romantic and believer of finding the One instead of having that always be the girl. I like that.
Also he features Rusell's older sister Marge in a same sex couple with Liz another lovely girl. Marge has always been the good older sister looking out for Russell since they were kids. It makes me realize that the story is not all rose petals because while introducing Marge, Russell distictly remembers her asking him if he (Rusell) is sure of wanting to:
- Have a relationship with Vivian
- Marry Vivian
- Be a father at the presice moment
I get the impression Vivan is not someone Marge likes a lot. Also Marge apperantly don't like Vivian's parents and the feeling is mutual.
Their parents, Mr and Mrs. Green are an old lovely couple. The father an ex-marine and has worked in a plummer company for over 30 years. They have a very different view of life and how it should be managed. Mr. Green is very old fashioned. Mrs. Green has also a very traditionalist way of thinking as well, she used to work because the financial aid was necesary while her kids were growing up but she belives in the wife taking care of the house duties, wearing an apron whenever she's at home and she adores her granddaughter. Even if they both are old fashioined that way, they have no problem accepting Marge and her partner.
Russell's daughter is named London and she's lovely. He thinks she's the best kid ever just like any other parent really.
Unfortunately not everything is as peachy as Russell envisioned when he proposed to Vivian. She changes, or more like keeps demanding and demanding and demanding.... after a while he grows to recent her and the lack of support she gives him. It causes nothing but more trouble the fact that they cannot seem to be able to talk their problems out. The happily ever after its no what it seems.
I want to quote sme of Mr Green's ideas.
How a real man must lead his life: Get married. Love your wife and treat her with respect. Have children, and teach them the value of hard work. Do your job. Don’t complain. Remember that family – unlike most of those people you might meet in life – will always be around. Fix what can be fixed or get rid of it. Be a good neighbor. Love your grandchildren. Do the right thing.
Very good advice indeed.
The book itself has several refreshing things, I especially start to like the realism of the family interactions. The financial problems affect both parties differently and most of the time they each think they are doing their best and place the blame on their partners. The stress can cause children to react badly, they do not care about hurting the feelings of others, even of their parents. They think solely of themselves and they also place blame in either parent. The situation thar came to be in this story landed Russell as a "Stay in dad" meaning having to struggle to tend the house, take care of the kid and still well find the time and organization to try to impulse his own business.
Even throughtout the whole mess his life becomes Russ manages to become a mre involved parent with London and with it he discovers a closeness to his daughter that every father should have. It is a heart-warming story, a roller coaster ride of emotions. I just love it. This is offically my favorite book by Nicholas Sparks. Th way he portrays a family, the struggle to get over a relantionship, the issues and the unhealthy reactions people get.... It is mostly realistic but it can never be without a nice fluffy romance that appears meant to be by the gods really, I mean it Sparks.... you can't expect anything else.
This is one of my favorite books of this year. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars.
I mean yes some parts very extremely anoying to me, the man was not willing to get over the failed marriage and wanted to get back together... but guess what, most people do feel that way. They want to keep their life's form falling apart and they refuse to see it even if it is the most obvious lost cause in the universe. I like it, the denial and the dragging of making the decision to move on made it even more realistic. I still have those parts of the book and if I re read it I will simply skip some of the more annoying parts where Rusell is still on denial. The woman Vivian, I hate her!!!! Most of the book she was the worst possible partner I don't know why he even married her int he first place.
The book itself has several refreshing things, I especially start to like the realism of the family interactions. The financial problems affect both parties differently and most of the time they each think they are doing their best and place the blame on their partners. The stress can cause children to react badly, they do not care about hurting the feelings of others, even of their parents. They think solely of themselves and they also place blame in either parent. The situation thar came to be in this story landed Russell as a "Stay in dad" meaning having to struggle to tend the house, take care of the kid and still well find the time and organization to try to impulse his own business.
Even throughtout the whole mess his life becomes Russ manages to become a mre involved parent with London and with it he discovers a closeness to his daughter that every father should have. It is a heart-warming story, a roller coaster ride of emotions. I just love it. This is offically my favorite book by Nicholas Sparks. Th way he portrays a family, the struggle to get over a relantionship, the issues and the unhealthy reactions people get.... It is mostly realistic but it can never be without a nice fluffy romance that appears meant to be by the gods really, I mean it Sparks.... you can't expect anything else.
This is one of my favorite books of this year. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars.
I mean yes some parts very extremely anoying to me, the man was not willing to get over the failed marriage and wanted to get back together... but guess what, most people do feel that way. They want to keep their life's form falling apart and they refuse to see it even if it is the most obvious lost cause in the universe. I like it, the denial and the dragging of making the decision to move on made it even more realistic. I still have those parts of the book and if I re read it I will simply skip some of the more annoying parts where Rusell is still on denial. The woman Vivian, I hate her!!!! Most of the book she was the worst possible partner I don't know why he even married her int he first place.
Comments
Post a Comment