Title of Book: Two by Two
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Year: 2016
Language: English
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 486
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sparks returns with an emotionally powerful story of unconditional love, its challenges, its risks and most of all, its rewards.
At 32, Russell Green has it all: a stunning wife, a lovable six year-old daughter, a successful career as an advertising executive and an expansive home in Charlotte. He is living the dream, and his marriage to the bewitching Vivian is the center of that. But underneath the shiny surface of this perfect existence, fault lines are beginning to appear...and no one is more surprised than Russ when he finds every aspect of the life he took for granted turned upside down. In a matter of months, Russ finds himself without a job or wife, caring for his young daughter while struggling to adapt to a new and baffling reality. Throwing himself into the wilderness of single parenting, Russ embarks on a journey at once terrifying and rewarding—one that will test his abilities and his emotional resources beyond anything he ever imagined.
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Two By Two follows Russel Green, a man in his thirties who seems to have it
all: a good paying job, big house, and a family of his own. Then come the
year when it's all tumbling down one by one starting from his job. He
decided to make a bold career move which doesn't turn up the way he wants.
This change affects his married life. While adapting to his new life, he's
faced with a tragedy that mark the year as one of the unforgettable years in
his life.
I'm aware that some people don't particularly like Sparks's books because
they are often predictable. I remember reading an essay which label Sparks's
stories as melodrama instead of rom-com. Sometimes I'm in the mood for some
dramatic or tragic love story. Since I know his books usually have that
formula, so I keep coming back to them whenever I need those kinds of
stories. Two by Two delivers that.
Two by Two is told from Russell's point of view as he's looking back on that
momentous year. Each chapter opens with Russell's recollection of a memory
which connected or referenced to what happens in the chapter. I like this
kind of narrative because it invokes a nostalgic feeling while reading this
book regardless of whose memory it actually is.
Instead of two people falling in love we have a couple falling apart which
is quite new for Sparks. There's still some falling (back) in love part in
this book, but it mainly focuses on Russell's marriage problem. It is not a
spoiler that Russell's having problems with his wife. Even from early on we
already know that they are going to split. It kind of adds a tension in the
book. It's like a ticking bomb waiting to go off. We're left in anticipation
when Vivian would leave Russ. It sounds horrible but the problems are
presented right in our face. However, there are times that I feel like
Sparks already sets Vivian as a villain from the beginning. Although Russ
said that Vivian used to be a good wife and mother, the way she acts in the
book made me wonder, was she really? The whole book Vivian is portrayed as a
negligent and materialistic wife. While I understand that Russ's career move
should be rethought considering he has a wife and a child to pay for,
Vivian's life style doesn't help either. I really wonder how these two ends
up together in the first place. Also, I think that Russ and Vivian could
have handled their problems better. Every time they argue, one of them would
get defensive and childish. It's silly or maybe they are that kind of
couple.
On the other hand, Russ's relationship with his daughter is what I truly
enjoy from this book. There's something special in a father-daughter
relationship and Sparks wrote this perfectly. I love that there is a
reference in this book to the cover of the book (at least of the edition
that I read). When I got to the part where it references the picture on the
cover, I was touched.
Overall, Two by Two might not be the best of Sparks' but it fulfills my need
of some melodrama. If you're a Sparks first-timer, I'd suggest starting with
his other books not this one. But if you're a Sparks veteran and in need of
some melodrama, this book does serve that purpose.
It eventually dawned on me that acceptance is the heart of true love, not judgement. To be fully accepted by another, even in your weakest moment, is to finally feel at rest.
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