Message in a Bottle

Filed under: Books — purplehsiaoling at 8:58 pm on Sunday, October 28, 2007

     I was actually surprised by this book.  Just like how I was also taken by surprise by A Walk To Remember, a book that actually made it into my list of favourites.  I think in the second book mentioned, I love the idea that Landon asked Jamie to marry him before it’s too late and their wedding fulfilled Jamie’s greatest wish.  Plus the book made no mention whether Landon found another love after Jamie died.  Now, that’s a great love story.

     As for Message in a Bottle, it’s another love story about two people brought together by the most unexplainable reason.  Destiny.  It was as if fate worked very hard to ensure that everything fell into place for them to find each other.  However, I very much prefer the idea that was introduced towards the end of the book.  That Garrett and Theresa were brought together by another force.  If you believe that the dead still dwell among us, whether in dreams or literally in our midst, then you’ll believe Catherine, Garrett’s dead wife, when she said, Oh, Garrett, who do you think it was that brought the bottle to her?

     For once, I love this book because the two main characters, Garrett and Theresa, didn’t have a happily-ever-after.  Well, of course, I was flabbergasted that Garrett died when he and Theresa were just about to be united.  In holy matrimony, no less, if their relationship had been allowed to develop beyond what they had built.  I went like, how could he have died?  It cannot be.

     But..  When I took into account that this book, this love story, actually has three main characters, then I am appeased.  Catherine, though dead, appeared as much as Garrett and Theresa in the pages of the books.  She was in Garrett’s letters (that had attracted Theresa), she was in his thoughts and she was in his dreams.  Theresa even thought that Catherine came between her and Garrett.  She couldn’t be more mistaken.  If anything, she wanted to break the bond between Catherine and Garrett so that she could be in Garrett’s heart.

     Everything happens for a reason, everyone comes into our lives for a purpose.  This book portrays this very well.  Theresa thought that she was supposed to find Garrett to help him overcome his grief.  Here, I thought that it’s preposterous when Garrett was instantly attracted to Theresa the moment he first saw her and he’s supposed to be a man who loved and missed his wife so much that he had to release his pain by writing letters that he put in bottles to float them in the sea for Catherine to get them.  So, how do you explain how he fell for Theresa?

     At the end, the story unfolded so beautifully that I forgive Garett and Theresa.  Especially when it’s revealed that Catherine made their paths crossed.  She didn’t mean for them to be together.  Her purpose was something of a higher calling. 

     Theresa was drifting and afraid of love after her ex-husband’s betrayal.  I guess this was why she was attracted to Garrett in the first place.  For his faithfulness.  And to think that she wanted him to forget Catherine and accept her.  But ah, Catherine had different plans.

     Garrett showed that true and faithful love do exist in our world.  He showed it to Theresa.  He made her believe in love again.  He also made her realize that it is all right to move on (after her husband’s treachery and then, his own death).  Despite what they shared in the brief time they were together, Garrett was not Theresa’s but in time, she will find someone new to love and who loves her.

     It is ironical that Garrett died at sea while he was going to send off a letter of goodbye to Catherine for him to start a new life with Theresa.  I love to think that Garrett and Catherine were then forever united in another world.

     And so, my faith in true, everlasting love was completely restored. 

     By the way, I simply cannot imagine how Kevin Costner played the role of Garrett.  In any case, I won’t be watching the movie. 

     Message in a Bottle is the second best Nicholas Sparks book I’ve read so far after A Walk To Remember.  The Notebook was a tad too mushy (reminds me now of a soapy K-drama.  Hehe) and The Wedding, though it had an unexpected ending, being its sequel was in the same vein.

     Nonetheless, you can always count to have your faith in love restored (like mine did) after reading Nicholas Sparks books.  Here’s to finding that special someone and everlasting love.  Cheers!