Almost gave up on this one half-way through. I am glad that I decided to keep reading though because it actually turned out to be pretty good. This is my third Nicholas Sparks novel and my overall impression so far is that his writing is full of emotional pull but is lacking in any real substance. I would recommend his books for a nice beach read or to take with you on vacation.

I absolutely loved this novel. The ending was what got a hold of me. I'd read it over and over and definitely recommend it to those who enjoy a great romance novel.

Message in a Bottle was truly captivating! It tells a story of how love was lost by a divorce and a death but was regained after finding a beautifully written message in a bottle. In my opinion, The Notebook and Message in a Bottle are both great. Without Nicholas Sparks I don't know what I would do.

anybody want to read a bedtime love story? curl up with your better half, as i often do little past 11 pm, and just read the last 20 pages of Message in a Bottle...better still, let the female voice sound out the words, as if to dance by, and watch magic happen! her eyes will be misty, and using me, my eyes will rain gently, and we embrace love that we have just created... short time given out, and all night dreams you both share, till morning breaks. then at days end, find another Sparks novel, and sail to the stars once again...

Charlie

I loved it...but it tore my heart up...But of course, any Nicholas Sparks books are worth reading. this is no exception!

Woah. This is an amazing book. It takes the typical message in a bottle routine and makes it a beautiful love story. Now i will say that as with all Nicholas Sparks books the ending is disappointing, but also as in his books, he makes it right. 5 stars i cried my makeup off once more while reading the stylings of Nicholas...

I have read several of Nicholas Spark's books. This is the first abridged title. I will not purchase abridged volumes again. I think I missed a lot. May purchase the unabridged book. That being said, as usual I liked this book.

Message in a bottle is very well paced and the story is very interesting and suspenseful...held my attention throughout....
this book dealt with real realtionship issues like long distance....
who should be the one to compromise in a relationshio and why????
love is important but so is carreer....
and also the past.......or a loved one from the past.........
the subject has been handeled so well and the ending as Obvious as it is- is indeed a bit too TRAGIC and sad.........
and how he has worded the ending is superb dispite whtever happpens in the ending....

all in all a great read....
hopeful as well as crushing....
a 100% MUST read to all Romatic fanatics.............

I was stuck with this book on an airplane flight and read the whole thing in an hour and a half, skimming through the boring parts, which were most of the book. There were tons of excruciating, slow conversations and other boring-beyond-belief stuff. I had to stop and read the instructions on the airplane barf bag every once in a while just to stay awake.

Like most of Sparks love novels, this novel is unique within its own story.

Theresa Osborne is taking vacation in Cape Cod when she comes across a bottle, that has paper in it. She opens it to find out that a man named Garrett has written a letter to his wife revealing his love for her. Theresa is intrigued by this letter and wants to find out more about Garrett. She is divorced and lonely. So, she embarks on a journey to see if others have found similar messages and actually finds other messages. She falls in love with Garrett and decides to go and find him. A relationship does evolve, but there are problems that arise because they are two totally different people. This story is a great read and will bring tears to your eyes.

Formulaic, patronizing and dull. I'm just glad it was loaned to me, and that I didn't waste my money, just my time. The last time I read something this poorly written, it was "The Bridges of Madison County". If you liked that level of writing, you'll love this.

After reading The Notebook, I was excited to pick up another hyped Nicolas Sparks book. But boy oh boy was it such a let-down. A third of the way through I started rolling my eyes. When I was half way though, I found that I didn't really care about the two characters and how their "relationship" would become. Three quarter through, I was hoping for one of them to die (how horrible was that!?). I just wish it was Theresa who died. She was a creepy stalker who jumped into bed with a practical stranger. And she "forgave" him for what he had done!? She was the one who needed to ask for forgiveness for publishing other people's private thoughts and looking him up and stalking him.

I love Nicholas Sparks and all of his work, but this book was a little stale. It seemed like the same overdone story, and has the same elements as every overtold love story. But I love his writing techniques and word choices, and his use of imagrey is amazing. I will definately be re-reading this book.

I loved this book. It made you think. Maybe a little unbelievable but it really got me and I actually cried at the end. This story is definitely a love story you won't forget.

This was my introduction to Nicholas Sparks as a writer, and a sorry introduction it was. (I haven't purchased another of his books, though I did see the movie of The Notebook, which I thought was a wonderful story and and film.) But it's hard to believe a writer who could produce something as awful as Message in a Bottle, could write beautiful books too.

Message in A Bottle was everything bad -- a stupid, maudlin soap opera with a dumb ending. The characters were cardboard, the drama never got off the ground. The writing was as amateurish as it gets. The dialogue was inane. I thought I was reading the exercise of a first-time writer in junior high school. The only reason this book made it was that the author was already a "New York Times Bestselling Author". Just proves that the world of publishing is completely irrational and unfair.

I admit that I started this book with low expectations. The first chapter has the "telling rather than showing" part of books that I hate. I enjoy novels with big openings, not those that start out telling you about the main character. But as I continued to read, I knew Message in a Bottle would be one of those novels that would stay in my memory long after I'd read it. It tells the story of Theresa, a thirty-something divorced mom who, during a vacation trip to Cape Cod, finds a message in a bottle washed up at sea. It is a love letter from a Garrett to a Catherine, and the letter is so romantic -- yet so poignant -- that moves Theresa to tears. Her friend-slash-newspaper colleague advises her to publish the letter. Upon publication, she discovers more letters, also found at sea, sent by a reader and a fellow writer. Curious, she tracks Garrett down and meets him in North Carolina. Garrett is a thirty-something shop owner and scuba diving instructor who had lost his wife three years ago to a car accident. Grief-stricken, he has never been able to get over the loss of his wife, but Theresa soon changes things in his life, but will he let guilt get in the way of a second chance at happiness?

The novel is difficult to get into at first. The pacing is very slow, and there are scenes that seem to go nowhere. It also seems as though it'll be very predictable. But the more I kept reading, the more developed the main characters became, and the more engaging the story got. It is worth reading all the way through. This novel has one of the most touching endings I have recently read. It brought me to tears. Lately, a novel has to be very well written to bring me to tears, and this is one of them. You wish for a different kind of ending for these two wonderful characters, but endings like this one are the most memorable to me. I have only read True Believer by Sparks and watched (and loved) The Notebook on DVD. I definitely plan to read his other novels. I also plan to watch the film based on this book. I'm not a big Kevin Costner fan, but it would be worth putting up with his wooden acting to watch an adaptation of this gem. I advise readers to be patient with this novel. Yes, it is painfully slow at times and yes the characters, namely Garrett, can get on your nerves at times, but the ending is worth reading from beginning to end. I cannot recommend this beautiful novel enough!

First off, I am not a big reader. I read the description on Amazon and purchased it thinking it would be a good beach read. I had no idea how much I would get into this story! I got through a hundred pages a day and I just finished the book about 5 minutes ago. Let me tell you, it really gets you. I couldn't help but crying! This book I could read over and over again. It is a great beach read and an easy read as well. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a good tear-jerker book and a romantic love story. Now, I'm off to purchase my next Nicolas Sparks hit.

The novel deals with two people. First a Boston divorcee name Theresa who hasn't really dated or felt anything for anyone in the three years since her divorce. She works at the "Boston Times" as a columnist. The second being a Wilmington, North Carolina widower named Garrett who owns and runs a diving instruction place and loves to go sailing. I bet you're thinking "how do two people who live so far apart end up meeting and having something to do with the title 'message in a bottle?" Well Garrett lost his wife three years ago in a car accident, but never lost his love for her. He started to write letters to his long lost lover and send them out to sea in bottles. Still how does this have any connection to Theresa? Well it has been said that everything eventually washes up on one shore or another so where do you think one of Garrett's bottles would just happen to wash up? Theresa ends up find one of his bottles in Cape Cod, but what does she do with the bottle and what happens next? You'll have to read for yourself in this intensely romantic, slightly predictable, and page turning novel.

thank you for your time,
Loran

p.s.- yes some of Nicholas Sparks' novels are predictable, but they are classic love stories. what more do you want?

I love all of Nicholas Sparks books, and I defenitely put this one at the top of my favorites. It's as if it's a real love story, as if you have a friend telling you an experience of theirs. Guarantee to make you smile, laugh, cry and be touched. Highly recommended!

For those of us who have suffered a painful end to a long-term relationship and wonder if fate will allow us that second chance to find another person with whom we can share our lives, 'Message in a Bottle' attempts to provide readers with just such an idea that there is always a reason to hope. Unfortunately, Nicholas Sparks set the bar quite high with 'The Notebook,' and I consequently found 'Message in a Bottle' to be a bit too predictable, melodramatic, and full of cliches. While I wouldn't necessarily advise potential readers not to pick up this book, I would suggest taking a look at some of Sparks' other works instead.

For those of us who have suffered a painful end to a long-term relationship and wonder if fate will allow us that second chance to find another person with whom we can share our lives, 'Message in a Bottle' attempts to provide readers with just such an idea that hope springs eternal. Unfortunately, Nicholas Sparks set the bar quite high with 'The Notebook,' and I consequently found 'Message in a Bottle' to be a bit too melodramatic as it was consistently full of cliches along with a predictable story line. While I wouldn't necessarily advise potential readers not to pick up this book, I would suggest taking a look at some of Sparks' other works instead.

This was a nice story but was a bit disappointing. Very predictable and somewhat unrealistic.

The concept of this book is promising. A widower, Garrett Blake, with a sailing boat writes messages to his lost love, tossing them out at sea in messages in bottles. When divorcee Theresa Osborne finds one of them she sets out to learn more about the writer, and eventually meet him. Unfortunately the romantic aspect of the book seems a bit forced and unbelievable and the "romance" between the two moves forward too quickly . Still, it did keep me reading right up until the very emotional climax. Overall a worthwhile read, but nothing spectacular.

A recently divorced mom, Theresa Osborne, discovers a message, in a bottle no less, that sends her on a whirlwind of adventure and emotion. Well, there's not much adventure, but the treacle more than compensates. Be prepared to have your emotions mercilessly manipulated. Or if, like me, you find the characters and plot of this novel entirely unconvincing and unmoving, prepare to give your eye-rolling muscles a good workout. You'll see the shocking turns-of-events coming a mile away and will actually, witness the shocking turns-of-events if you can burrow your way through Sparks' trite, breathless, compendious prose. Readers with weak stomachs may wish to look away during Garret's letters.

The only good thing about this book is the seaside atmosphere. The seaside restaurants were enjoyable. The storyline was acceptable but not my favorite.

I absolutely Love all of Nicholas Sparks' books. I have read them all and if want a great read with a touching story then he is the author for you. Get your kleenex's ready. You can't go wrong here.

And I always preorder his new ones..... I'm addicted.

I think the author of this book, wrote this fiction story,because he wanted to give woman and men a sense of hope that they can still find true love even after death or divorce of a loved one.
As for my rating of this book I give it a B+, for once I read the 3rd chapter, I couldn't put the book down.This book will give you hopes of love and tears of sadness. I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I did. For once you read Message In A Bottle by Nicholas Sparks, he's going to have you wanting to read more and more.

Nicholas Sparks, with every book he's ever written, has succeeded in making me cry. And so it is, with this book, I cried like my baby sister. I strongly recommend "Message In a Bottle", it will break you.

When journalist Theresa Osbourne discovers a passionate message in a bottle from a man to his dead wife, she is motivated to track him down. They meet and fall in love. This romance consists of a string of unremarkable incidents related in unimaginitive writing. This is one of the most poorly written books I have ever encountered. Most of Nicholas Sparks's prose is deadly dull, but at times it is quite funny. This novel provided some of the biggest unintended laughs for me since I read Tom Clancy's meditations on male impotence in one of his Jack Ryan books.

Message In a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks moved me to tears. Excellent story telling, as with all his books.

I loved this book. This is my first nicholas sparks book and i loved it. This book is the best book i have ever read. The love they had for each other and them desiring to be together was just magical. I am reading "THE RESCUE" next.

I liked this book a lot and found it to be very enjoyable. However, it was very predictable but mostly because of all the quotes on the book from magazines that say things like "unexpected turn" so obviously now i'm gonna expect a turn. I mean, I just knew exactly what was going to happen, but I found it to be a very enjoyable read. I could see a lot of who Sparks is by his writing, and I think that's pretty cool.

Message in a Bottle started out as a rather ordinary romance novel, but with a better-than-average concept in the "how they met" department.

As much as I appreciated its easy readability and Sparks' gift when it comes to expressing both the male and female emotions and actions in a relationship, I still feel the need to be somewhat critical on a couple of points. Mainly, the character of Theresa's son didn't ring true. Even in 1998, there is NO teenage boy with breath left in his body who would wear a Hootie and the Blowfish t-shirt, and even fewer who, while enjoying a good relationship with their father, would mesh so well with Mom's New Boyfriend in under 12 seconds. My other problem is with Theresa and her job. Seems to me with the resources she used, working from ANYWHERE would have been a non-issue. We had telephones and e-mail back in the dark ages of 1998. Okay, Mr. Sparks...I realize you DID need a premise to keep the characters at a distance, but this didn't do it.

In spite of these two ragged edges of the book...I kept reading. And reading, and reading. I mainly wondered when Theresa's little secret of how she came to find Garrett was going to surface. After a while, I admit, there seemed no good time that she could have told him. Too soon can become too late in a heartbeat, as we know well by reading to the end of the book.

At the end...well, I DID have a good cry and therefore I must assume the characters touched me far more deeply than a Harlequin romance would have. A worthy ending that did let me know why Nicholas Sparks easily sells umpty-billion books! Only necessity kept me from reading it cover-to-cover in one sitting, and I am not disappointed that I gave it the extra hour to finish last evening.

Being from the same hometown as Sparks, I REALLY wanted to like this book. But, after reading it, I have to say that I cannot believe how many good reviews this book has gotten. Actually, I can't believe that this book got published. It is that bad. The only good thing that I can say about this book is that the concept was good. But, the writing was absolutely horrible. It was very dumbed down, trite and any other adjective you want to use to emphasize how bad the writing is. As a previous reviewer said, "The book is usually better than the movie, but in this case, the opposite is true." My advice -- watch the movie, don't read the book.

I just finished reading this novel. It is my fifth Nicholas Sparks book after The Rescue, A Walk to Remember, The Notebook, and The Wedding.

I thought the beginning was preety slow and boring, and after about the first thirty pages, I wanted to stop. But I feel obligated to finish any book I start, so I kept on.

The book eventually got better, and I found myself unable to put it down. The ending is unlike any of the other Sparks novels I've read, and that really surprised me.

This book would probably my third favorite of the Sparks book I've read.

If you want a good cry, I would definitely recommend this book.

1. Message in a Bottle/ Nicholas Sparks
2. Warner books, Incorporated 1999, 384pp
3. Romance
4. A divorced mother of a 12-year-old son named Theresa Osborn came along a bottle with a message in it. It was signed and throughout the book she takes the readers through a hunt for the man who signed it.

Message in a bottle is about true love, and never being able to let go of the past. Theresa is a very hardworking single mom living in Boston, Massachusetts. As she was vacationing in cape cod, She loved jogging on the beach, one day on her daily jog she found a bottle that had washed up on the shore. Inside the bottle was a love letter addressed to a young lady named Catherine. Theresa wanted to learn more about the letter so she investigates the letter and puts it in the newspaper she works for and got many responses from it. One even wrote back to Theresa and told her that she had found a bottle with a love letter in it just like the one she had found. It was addressed to the same young lady and signed by the same man. Theresa found out where the letter was from and found the man living in North Carolina. She took a trip to North Carolina, she never told him about the letters being found and spent a lot of time with Garrett. After a few days she learned from him that his wife (Catherine) had died tragically and he still grieved for her. He wrote several letters to his wife and would sail out to sea and toss them out. Theresa spent a lot of time with Garrett and the more time they spent together, the more they felt for each other.
My opinion about Message in a Bottle is that this novel had unbelievable love and it shows how strong love can be. This story has many happy moments and many sad but Nicholas sparks does such a great job writing this love story. I can really feel the characters happiness and all their other feelings. I absolutely loved this book, I really recommend this novel.

This book was the first book to make me cry. Listening to instrumental soundtracks from movies while reading this book also brought tears. That's the difference between the book and the movie - the music. Truly touching and wonderful book that I give over 5 stars.........

This book was absolutely wonderful. I've read a few of his other books and he does so well in all of them. This book had a twist at the end that hardly anyone would have expected. I can really get into his books and I feel like I'm there with the characters, going through these things with them. This is one of his best.

Sparks, Nicholas. Message in a Bottle. Warner's books; New York, U.S.A. 1999.
Borders Books. $12.00
Fiction/ Lit.

A story of a divorced woman, Theresa who has a son, Kevin, who is the most important thing she has. Theresa, like many people in our society is living in the hustle and bustle of most everyone's daily lives of working as an editor for the Boston times constantly under pressure for publishing articles and stories by the specific deadline. Theresa needs a break to clear her mind, where she travels to Cape Cod, to visit her friend Deanna. While jogging on the beach one morning, she finds a message in a bottle and opens it; she instantly falls in love with the letter, and is determined to find the writer, Garret. Where will this all lead to? It will build up tension with an unexpected twist to an incredible story that you are bound to love.


Message in a Bottle, is an excellent story, yet a fairly easy read. It quickly captures your attention. Nicholas Sparks is an excellent writer, and knows how to keep your interest through the entire story. The book seems as if it would be attracted to all types of people, different age's ethnic background, and even if one has never experienced the power of love. The book begins in narration, setting the scene for the excitement to happen later on. Mostly through the beginning, it reflects on Theresa's feelings and opinions. Later on in the book, it reflects on Garret's feelings, and switched a few times, making it difficult to put down or lose interest. However, it seems Garret's feelings and reflections are only shown at the critical moments, you feel as if you are going through exactly what he is going through, by feeling as if your part of the book itself. Through the entire book there is some dialogue, as well as some reflection on different letters written by an unknown writer. The dialogue only makes emphasis to the feelings and emotions of the characters helping to make the book all more powerful to the reader. (10) Also, Message in a bottle reflects the story in everyone's lives. The story everyone knows will happen, the growing and becoming connected in two hearts. Towards the end of the book, there is an unexpected twist that will leave you stunned at the end. Chances are, you'll either go back for more and want to re-read this incredible story, or seek you more of Sparks's books. This is an amazingly written book you'll lose yourself in and a must-read.

My favorite book, and I'm sure any fan of his other books will enjoy it too. Recommened to high school and up.

Love focused on the past and the joy of finding love today... the story is fantastic, but I kind of would better like another end....
but still love sparks novels!!

It's probably safe to say that the book is usually better than the movie, but in the case of Message in a Bottle, it is the reverse. The story, itself, is a nice idea. Finding a message about a man's undying love for his wife would get most women and their libidos racing to find "man with love expressive language." You can ask most single women, and I guess married ones too, how often they hear a man express his love, passionately, to them or anyone else. The answer will probably not surprise you so, when a woman senses this in a man, even if he is expressing it for another woman, said woman will want it, at any cost. Sparks mixes his metaphors, and continued to ignore the verb-object agreement. For the most part, the book read like it was done by a first-time, romance novelist.

Nicholas Sparks did an amazing job at capturing the audience in his romance novel, Message in A Bottle. Sparks is known for his tear-jerking, heart warming stories. After Theresa Osborne, a single mother, finds the "My dearest Catherine letters," she decides to find Garrett Blake and meet the mystery man himself. After conducting alot of research she finally meets him and her life is never the same. The novel explains that taking risk and following your heart can lead you in a direction in which you might never have expected.

People must be starved for romance. That's the only reason I can see people would give this book 5 stars. Or, possibly it was assummed it must be good because of previous Sparks books. I wanted to like it. The plot had great possibilities. Sparks just did not write in the same style as his other books. All of his books I have read (Notebook, Wedding, A Walk to Remember) kept me glued to the page and even had me wanting to just start the book immediately over again when I finished. This one was an effort to get through. The dialogue was probably better on the screen where you can see the expressions and body language. On the written page, it was trite and embarrassing. The characters seemed one-dimensional.

The book Message in a Bottle is a fiction romance novel by the talented author Nicholas Sparks. He is also the author of A Walk to Remember and The Notebook. In this book, it includes the theme to never give up on love. This book also includes the problem of finding love again.

This book is about a woman, Theresa who has recently been divorced from her husband for 3 years. When she decides to take a break from her hectic life as a columnist for the Boston Times she decides to take a trip to the cape with a co-worker, Deanna and her husband. While Theresa is one day running on the beach in the cape she stumbles upon a bottle. After opening and reading the message, Theresa is in tears. Inside the bottle was a beautifully written message from an unknown man named Garret writing to his deceased wife Catherine. Three letters, some research, and a place ride later Theresa finds herself in Garret's town. Before you know it, Garret and Theresa are in love- in just a week. They keep the relation ship going for a while, long distance of course and things are great. But then something happens that both of them didn't ever see coming.

This book was very memorable in the fact that it was a very original book with a very unique story line. I have never read a book quite like this. It is not your typical love story. This book leaves the possibility that there can be true love more than once in a lifetime. Both Theresa and Garret had this possibility happen to them. This may definitely be true.

This book was remarkable. I would recommend it to anyone. But be prepared with a tissue, this book is definitely a tear jerker. I would not read this book if you did not like Nicholas Sparks last books. I think that his other works are very similar to this and if you did not enjoy those, this would not be a good book for you. But if you did like his other books and you like a good love story then find a comfy chair, sit back, and enjoy Message in a Bottle.

The book came in Perfect Condition and in good time. Thank you!

i LOVED this book. i have never had a book bring me to tears but this one certainly did. nicholas sparks is not a cheesey romance novelist but rather a writer who's stories are so inspiring that they have you wishing you could jump right into the lives of the people he writes about and partake in their journey. when i finish his books i always walk away wanting more and the memoires of them stay with me for quite some time. please read and don't forget the kleenex. :)

Theresa Osborn is a city girl whose divorce leaves her as a hard working single mom. Garrett Blake is a widower who loves his peaceful life by the ocean. These two people don't realize how alike they really are until Theresa finds a message in a bottle along the shore. After reading the beautifully written letter to a women named Catherine from Garrett Blake, Theresa grows more curious about what Garrett is like. After going down to meet him and getting to know each other, their relationship starts to grow. Soon they realize that if they want to keep their love they must first make some sacrifices. Did the message lead to true love and destiny or just a mistake?
Some things I liked in this book were the characters, the way the book was good throughout the whole book, and the ending. I liked the characters because of their attitude and personality and how they seemed so different, but yet so perfect for each other. I liked the ending because it really added some emotion to the book. I also liked how just when you think you know what's going to happen, an unexpected twist throws you off. One thing I didn't like about the book was how some things were kept secret between Theresa and Garrett.
I would recommend this book to any girl, teenage through adult, who is looking for a good love story. You might like this book if you liked The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, or the Titanic. i think that if you read this book you will really like it!

Horrid. Insipid. Drivel. The characters are unbelievable and one-sided. The male "love interest" needs serious therapy, not a relationship. For that matter, the woman who would entertain a relationship with a man so obviously fixated on his dead wife could use some head-shrinkage. I found myself impatient with the plot, and with the writing. The characters are repeatedly described as "just knowing" how the other one feels, or magically intuiting the right thing to do. Only 12 year-olds, or the severely emotionally immature could possibly think this is the way a relationship works. By the end of this stinker, I was rooting for the storm. If this guy is your ideal; if he makes your heart flutter; be prepared for a painful and unsatisfying love life.

I absolutely loved Message in a Bottle. I got it for my birthday a year ago and it became my favorite book of all time. Nicholas Sparks really tugs at your heart strings and really paints the picture of the whole story. From the beginning to the end I could not put it down.