48 pages • 1 hour read
Nicholas SparksThe Choice
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2007A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Authorial Context: Nicholas Sparks
Nicholas Sparks (born 1965) is one of the world’s most popular romance novelists, with book sales totaling over 115 million copies worldwide and each of his 23 novels becoming a New York Times bestseller. His work has been translated into more than 50 languages, and 11 of his novels have been adapted for film.
His first novel, The Notebook (1996), is one of his most renowned works. This marked the inception of a prolific career that includes popular works such as Message in a Bottle (1999), A Walk to Remember (1999), The Lucky One (2008), and The Choice (2007), among many others. Sparks’s achievements extend beyond the written page, as numerous film adaptations of his novels, including The Choice, The Longest Ride, and The Notebook, have collectively amassed over three quarters of a billion dollars in worldwide gross. Sparks produced several of these adaptations. He is known for incorporating universal themes of love, destiny, and the impact of choices into his novels. His storytelling often features relatable characters facing personal challenges, and his narratives frequently explore the emotional depths of human relationships.
Many of Sparks’s novels contain elements drawn from the details of his personal life. Though he was born in Nebraska and moved around as a child, as an adult, he settled in North Carolina, the place in which many of his novels are set. Before becoming a full-time writer, Sparks worked in various professions, including real estate and pharmaceuticals, and even started his own small manufacturing business. He has a degree in business finance from the University of Notre Dame, which he attended on a track and field scholarship. His experiences in different fields influenced his understanding of human relationships and contributed to the diverse backgrounds of characters in his novels. Even Sparks’s personal life, including his own marriage and family experiences, have served as inspiration for some of the themes in his novels.
Sparks regularly contributes to local and national charities. He supports the Creative Writing MFA Program at Notre Dame, where he annually provides scholarships, internships, and a fellowship. Sparks co-founded a private educational institution, The Epiphany School of Global Studies in New Bern, North Carolina, in 2006, and established the Nicholas Sparks Foundation in 2012.
Genre Context: Romantic Drama
The Choice by Nicholas Sparks belongs to the romantic drama genre, characterized by its emphasis on love, relationships, and emotional conflicts. Sparks utilizes various literary devices within this genre to craft a compelling narrative. The novel employs a third-person limited point of view, allowing readers to delve into the protagonists’ thoughts and emotions intimately. The use of dialogue is prominent, facilitating character development and showing the contrast between the characters’ words and emotions. Sparks also integrates flashbacks, providing insights into the characters’ pasts and influencing their present decisions. The novel’s structure includes elements of suspense, particularly regarding the central choice Travis must make, creating a fast-paced narrative. Additionally, Sparks employs vivid descriptions and imagery to evoke the emotions associated with love and the picturesque setting of Beaufort, contributing to the overall romantic atmosphere of the story. The genre itself serves as a framework, guiding the narrative toward themes of love, sacrifice, and the impact of choices on relationships. Through these literary devices, Sparks creates an emotionally charged and thought-provoking exploration of love’s complexities within the romantic drama genre.
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