The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks Book Review

Title: The Longest Ride
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Fiction
Year of Publication: 2013
Date of Publication: September 17, 2013
Pages: 398
ISBN-10: 1455520652
ISBN-13: 978-1455520657
Audiobook Narrators: Ron McLarty and January LaVoy

Summary of The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

The Longest Ride is a love story of two couples from different generations. The story alternates between Ira Levinson, an elderly man reflecting on his love for his late wife, Ruth, and the romance of college student Sophia Danko and Luke Collins.

Ira fell in love with Ruth when she came into his fathers shop. For Ira, Ruth was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen but he was shy and did not approach her. Unknown to him, Ruth felt the same way. They eventually connect, fall in love, marry and become huge art collectors.

The story is told at a time when Ira is now in his 90’s and stranded on the side of the road following a car accident. He sustains some serious injuries and to keep him alive, he begins reminiscing about this past and the love he had for Ruth, his dead wife. Ira sees a version of Ruth who talks to him encouraging him to hang on and he begins narrating how they fell in love with each other.

In the present time, the story of Sophia Danko and Luke Collins also takes place. Sophia is recovering from a bad breakup after her boyfriend cheats. She is in her senior year and is very ambitious. She wants a career as an art curator. One night, her roommate invites her to go out with her and some of her sorority girls to watch a rodeo. Sophia is initially reluctant to do so but eventually gives in and decides to go with them. She had no idea that how this single decision would change her life.

Then we meet Luke. Unlike Sophia, Luke is not a student although they are around the same age. He is a cowboy/bull rider, who is keeping a secret. After suffering from injuries from a previous bull ride, Luke retires. However, the injuries were expensive and put his family’s ranch in a bad financial situation. In order to save the ranch, Luke comes out of his early retirement and begins bull riding again. Sophia and Luke meet at a bar after a bull riding competition. Their story unlike Ira and Ruth’s is told in the present.

Main Plot and Characters

• Ira Levinson: He is one of the two main characters in this story. Ira is an elderly man whose life story forms a good part of this story.
• Sophia Danko: She is the second main character in this story. Sophia is in college.
• Luke Collins: He rides bulls to cover expenses for the ranch owned by his mother, which has been in his family’s ownership for years.
• Ruth: She is Ira’s later wife. Ruth was a teacher and her memories and letter play a key role in the story.
• Linda: She is Luke’s mother.
• Dog, Horse, Demon, and Friendly: They are Luke’s pet and animals. Horse, Demon and Friendly are horses while Dog, well is a dog!
• Marsha: She is Sophia’s friend from college.
• Brian: He is Sophia’s ex-boyfriend.
• Daniel: He was one of Ruth’s former students.
• Big Ugly Critter: A notoriously difficult and dangerous bull that Luke Collins previously rode in professional bull riding.

Writing Style

Nicholas Sparks structures the book in two different timelines. Ira and Ruth’s story is told in the past while Sophia and Luke’s story are in the present. At the end of the book, Nicholas Sparks beautifully ties the two stories together.

We absolutely loved the characters in this story. Not only do they feel relatable but they are extremely likeable. Sometimes, you read a book and the story is easy. Don’t get us wrong, it is an extremely well written story but the way it is written just flows. The story is definitely one that as a reader you will never forget. The way the author describes Ira and Ruth’s relationship and also how Luke and Sophia’s stories unfold was wonderful to read.

Memorable Quotes

• “For it is one thing to declare one’s love for another and quite another to accept that loving that person requires sacrificing one’s dreams and having children and creating a family so to speak, had taken on an entirely different significance for her in the wake of her family’s loses.” — Ira’s reflections
• “I understand that love and tragedy go hand in hand, for there cannot be one without the other but nonetheless I find myself wondering whether the tradeoff is fair. A man should die as he had lived, I think. In his final moments he should be surrounded and comforted by those he has always loved. But I already know that in my final moments, I will be alone.” — Ira’s reflections
• “…I can even change the world.”— The words written on the back on Daniel’s painting

Impact of The Longest Ride

If you have read this book then it will come as no surprise to you that it was adapted into a film. In 2015, the movie adaptation was released starring Scott Eastwood as Luke Collins and Britt Robertson as Sophia Danko.

Rating

What are your thoughts on this book? Have you had a chance to read it? Let us know in the comments!