| The Guardian | |
|---|---|
| Author | Nicholas Sparks |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
| Publication date | 2003 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 489 pp |
| Preceded by | Nights in Rodanthe |
| Followed by | The Wedding |
The Guardian is 7th novel by American writer Nicholas Sparks.[1] The 2003 book is a combination of a love story with a thriller.[2]
In Swansboro, North Carolina, after her cherished husband Jim passes away, Julie Barenson receives a puppy and note. Jim arranged for Julie to have the puppy named Singer, and vows to watch over her and be her guardian angel.
Four year later, Julie feels ready to start dating. Two men court Julie. Richard Franklin seems perfect and treats her like a queen. However Singer detests him and Julie has doubts. Jim's best friend, Mike Harris, has been there especially since her beloved died and Singer adores him. Julie is much more comfortable with Mike than Richard, but should she risk her best friendship for a second chance at love or should she go for the more exciting Richard? Julie's choice leads to either a life of happiness or a life with a man filled with jealousy and a murderous desire.
Contents |
The novel deals with the themes of obsession and true love. It shows the inner world of a highly intelligent murderer living with no ethics at all.
Richard is a murderer, as a boy starting his career killing his
father in a carefully planned so-called accident. He is a fanatic
photographer which will lead to his doom. He is extremely clever in
creating false evidence: he hurts himself deliberately with a knife
after beating two foster brothers. They are sent to a juvenile
detention center for severely hurting him. He falls in love with a
woman (Jessica) and marries her, but leaves her virtually no room
to live. She tries to escape a few times, but he finds her
eventually and kills her. Then he takes over the identity of
another man he has watched for some time before killing him. He
meets Julie by chance and is stunned by her resemblance with his
first wife. He wants to "own" Julie out of obsessive love.
Julie had married Jim as the one and only man she ever loved. His
sudden death drove her into despair. Before Jim's death, he made an
arrangement with a friend to give Julie a Great Dane, a dog that
Jim always wanted to own. She names him Singer and he joins her
life acting more and more human. After a while she has started to
date men again and is still deeply unsatisfied by their behaviour
and character. Mike was a good friend of hers, and was best friends
with Jim. He is like a brother who is not eligible for dating. In
the end he will heal her heart and soul.
Mike is a mechanic who fell in love with Julie after the death of
Jim. He feels he cannot ask Julie out due to his friendship with
Jim. He helps her whenever possible wanting no payment in return.
He dislikes Richard for taking Julie to special events like a
musical and a hot-air balloon trip. He thinks he cannot compete
with Richard.
Singer is the catalyst in the story. He forces Julie to visit Mike,
and he tries to protect Julie against Richard. Singer is the
guardian, who attacks Richard even though he is dying.
Jennifer is a police officer but a rookie. Her elder colleague Pete
relies on prejudice and does not like detective work. He tries to
stop Jennifer while she is investigating, she is the one who gets
suspicious and will hunt Richard down.
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