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Nicholas Sparks Quotes
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Nicholas Charles Sparks is an American romance novelist and screenwriter. He has published twenty novels and two non-fiction books. Several of his novels have become international bestsellers, and eleven of his romantic-drama novels have been adapted to film all with multimillion-dollar box office grosses. His novels feature stories of tragic love with happy endings.

Sparks was born in Omaha, Nebraska and wrote his first novel, The Passing, in 1985, while a student at the University of Notre Dame. His first published work came in 1990, when he co-wrote with Billy Mills Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding, which sold approximately 50,000 copies in its first year. In 1993, Sparks wrote his breakthrough novel The Notebook in his spare time while selling pharmaceuticals in Washington, D.C.. Two years later, his novel was discovered by the literary agent Theresa Park, who offered to represent him. The novel was published in October 1996 and made the New York Times best-seller list in its first week. Wikipedia  

✵ 31. December 1965   •   Other names Nicholas Spark
Nicholas Sparks photo
Nicholas Sparks: 646   quotes 32   likes

Nicholas Sparks Quotes

“Kids are people, too, and once they start getting older, they make their own decisions. There's only so much you can do.”

Nicholas Sparks

Lexie Darnell, Chapter 16, p. 196
2000s, At First Sight (2005)

People , Decision

“…having children changes your life like nothing else. It'll be the hardest and best thing you've ever done.”

Nicholas Sparks

Doris, Chapter 19, p. 247
2000s, At First Sight (2005)

Life , Children , Change

“Was living together a step toward the future or just a way to continue the present?”

Nicholas Sparks

Gabby Holland, Chapter 5, p. 58
2000s, The Choice (2007)

Way , Future

“…people who are grieving have to want to move on--that first step, that motivating spark, has to come from within them. And when it does, it opens the door to the unexpected.”

Nicholas Sparks

Jo, Chapter 23, p. 190
2009, Safe Haven (2010)

People , Motivation

“…she would fall in love with me again, just like she had a long time ago. And that's the most wonderful feeling in the world. How many people are ever given that chance? To have someone you love fall in love with you over and over?”

Nicholas Sparks

Noah Calhoun, Chapter 1, p. 25
2000s, The Wedding (2003)

Love , People , World , Feeling

“"What's your horse's name?""Horse.""Sophia waited for the joke, but it didn't come. "You call your horse 'Horse'?""He doesn't mind.""You should give him a noble name. Like Prince or Chief or something.""It might confuse him now.""Trust me. Anything is better than Horse. It's like naming a dog Dog.""I have a dog named Dog. Australian Cattle Dog." He turned, his expression utterly matter-of-fact. "Great herder.""And your mom didn't complain?""My mom named him."”

Nicholas Sparks

Sophia and Luke, Chapter 4 Sophia, p. 64
2009, The Longest Ride (2013)

Dogs , Moms , Waiting , Horse

“Love could be set in motion quickly, but true love needed time to grow into something strong and enduring. Love was, above all, about commitment and dedication and a belief that spending years with a certain person would create something greater than the sum of what the two could accomplish separately. Only time, however, could show whether you'd been accurate in your judgment.”

Nicholas Sparks

Jeremy Marsh, Chapter 12, p. 192
2000s, True Believer (2005)

Love , Strong , Time , Personality

“…suddenly certain that what he was doing now was the sole reason he'd been placed on this earth. To love another. To care for someone else, to help another person, to carry her worries until she was strong enough to carry them on her own. To care for someone unconditionally, for in the end that was what gave life meaning.”

Nicholas Sparks

Jeremy Marsh, Chapter 20, p. 263
2000s, At First Sight (2005)

Love , Life , Strong , Help

“…people always said that parenting and worrying were synonymous…”

Nicholas Sparks

Travis Parker, Chapter 15, p. 193
2000s, The Choice (2007)

People , Parent

“…She had the rare ability to be exactly what people needed when she was with them and yet still remain true to herself.”

Nicholas Sparks

John Tyree, Chapter 7, p. 93
2000s, Dear John (2006)

People

“Our stories are funny because we lived them, and we survived them. The worse the incident was when it was happening, the funnier the story had become to us over the years.”

Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks, Chapter 16, p. 303
2000s, Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)

“You're doing the best you can, right? Isn't that what we always tell each other?”

Nicholas Sparks

Gabby Parker, Chapter 19, p. 227
2000s, The Choice (2007)

“It isn't easy living with an author. I know this because my wife has informed me of this fact.”

Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks, Prologue, p. 1
2000s, Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)

“He had not only known that I would be coming to see him, I realized, but had anticipated the reason for my visit. And in typical southern fashion, he'd given me the answer to my problem, without my ever having to ask him directly.”

Nicholas Sparks

Wilson Lewis, Chapter 1, p. 25
2000s, The Wedding (2003)

Fashion , Problem

“Her mother had once told her that there were men who kept secrets bottled up inside and that it spelled trouble for the women who loved them.”

Nicholas Sparks

Denise Holton, Chapter 21, p. 231
2000s, The Rescue (2000)

Love , Women , Men , Secret

“It was the way you looked at me while I looked at the art that changed me. It is you, in other words, who changed.”

Nicholas Sparks

Ruth Levinson, Chapter 14 Ira, p. 199
2009, The Longest Ride (2013)

Art , Way , Change

“…he had the sense that they were both lonely, albeit in different ways. He was a solitary figure in a vast landscape while she was a face in a nameless crowd.”

Nicholas Sparks

Dawson Cole, Chapter 5, p. 78
2009, The Best of Me (2011)

Way , Sense

“Thinking back, he recalled events he wished he could change, tears he wished had never been shed, time that could have been better spent, and frustrations he should have shrugged off. Life, it seemed, was full of regret, and he yearned to turn back the clock so he could live parts of his live over again. One thing was certain: He should have been a better husband.”

Nicholas Sparks

Travis Parker, Chapter 15, p. 192
2000s, The Choice (2007)

Life , Thinking , Tear , Change

“[Written on back of photograph of Ruth and Daniel]
"Ruth Levinson
Third grade teacher.
She believes in me and I can be anything I want when I grow up.
I can even change the world."”

Nicholas Sparks

Daniel McCallum, Chapter 28 Ira, p. 335
2009, The Longest Ride (2013)

World , Change

“I tell Ryan that God gave him a brother like Miles so that Ryan could learn that anything is possible and that he can be good at anything. And I tell Miles that God gave him Ryan so that Miles could learn patience and persistence and how to overcome challeges.”

Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks, Chapter 17, p. 333
2000s, Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)

God , Learning , Patience

“He who does nothing is the one who does nothing.'…'Blessed are the lazy who lie in boats, for they shall inherit a suntan.”

Nicholas Sparks

Stephanie Parker, Chapter 9, p. 107
2000s, The Choice (2007)

Lie

“He loved his wife but hated what life with her had become, cursing himself for even thinking this way.”

Nicholas Sparks

Travis Parker, Chapter 16, p. 228
2000s, The Choice (2007)

Love , Life , Hate , Way

“Work, spirituality, family, friendships, health--you can't ignore any of them or it'll get you in the end.”

Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks, Chapter 15, p. 268
2000s, Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)

Friendship , Health , Family

“But trust me when I say that memories are funny things. Sometimes they're real, but other times they change into what we want them to be… But like I said, she's hurting, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that people in pain don't always see things as clearly as they should… And if it somehow doesn't work out between you, then you've got to understand that you can't look back anymore. It'll destroy you in the end, and destroy her as well. Neither one of you can keep living with regret, because it drains the life right out of you, and the very idea is enough to break my heart.”

Nicholas Sparks

Tuck Hostetler, Chapter 15, p. 218-219
2009, The Best of Me (2011)

Life , Pain , People , Idea

“Why? Do you want to rescue me, too, Taylor? … That's what you're trying to do, isn't it? … I appreciate what you're trying to do, but it's not what I need right now. I need to handle this my own way.”

Nicholas Sparks

Melissa Johnson, Chapter 26, p. 308-309
2000s, The Rescue (2000)

Way

“You know me better than anyone, and you're my best friend. I don't think there's anything you could say to me that would lead me to believe that you're doing it just to hurt me. If there's one thing I've come to know about you, it's that you're not even capable of something like that. Why do you think I like spending time with you so much? Because you're a good guy. A nice guy.”

Nicholas Sparks

Julie Barenson, Chapter 15, p. 163
2000s, The Guardian (2003)

Guy , Thinking , Time , Hurt

“While she was exceptional, I was average, a man whose major accomplishment in life was to love her without reservation, and that would never change.”

Nicholas Sparks

Ira Levinson, Chapter 14 Ira, p. 187
2009, The Longest Ride (2013)

Love , Life , Change

“Parents might believe themselves to be the bosses, but in the end it was the kids who made the rules.”

Nicholas Sparks

Travis Parker, Chapter 1, p. 16
2000s, The Choice (2007)

Parent

“My mom used to tell me that whatever you do, marry someone who loves you more than you love him.”

Nicholas Sparks

Emma Harris, Chapter 19, p. 202
2000s, The Guardian (2003)

Love , Moms

“"Love is a wonderful thing. It makes life worthwhile. I love being in love." "Spoken like a man with plenty of experience. But keep in mind that true love lasts forever." "Poets would say that true love always ends in tragedy."”

Nicholas Sparks

Travis Parker and Gaby Holland, Chapter 11, p. 132
2000s, The Choice (2007)

Love , Life

“…The one thing you've got to remember is to see the big picture. When things get tough, remind yourself why you fell in love with her in the first place. She's a special woman, and you were lucky to find her, just as she was lucky to find you. She's got a heart of gold, and you can't fake something like that.”

Nicholas Sparks

Jeremy's father, Chapter 11, p. 147
2000s, At First Sight (2005)

Love , Heart

“My plea to you is this: despite your sadness, do not forget how happy you have made me; do not forget that I loved a man who loved me in return, and this was the greatest gift I could ever hope to receive.”

Nicholas Sparks

Ruth Levinson, Chapter 28 Ira, p. 328-329
2009, The Longest Ride (2013)

Love , Sadness , Hope , Forgetting

“…it was in her refusal to allow any of us to indulge in self-pity of any kind…through a maddening style of argument, in which the following three statements were repeated in various sequences:
A. It's your life + social commentary.
B. What you want and what you get are usually two entirely different things.
C. No one ever said that life was fair.”

Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks about his mother Jill Sparks, Chapter 8, p. 127
2000s, Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)

Life

“My wife, I might add, is a saint.
Either that, or maybe she is insane.”

Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks, Prologue, p. 4
2000s, Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)

“And don't worry. From wherever I am, I'll watch out for you. I'll be your guardian angel, sweetheart. You can count on me to keep you safe.”

Nicholas Sparks

Jim Barenson, Prologue, p. xv-xvi
2000s, The Guardian (2003)

Angels

“…you have to give them both credit for being good parents simply because of the way their kids turned out. We're happily married, successful, ethical, and we remained close as siblings. If your kids can say the same thing later in life, won't you think you did a good job as a parent?”

Nicholas Sparks

Dana Sparks, Chapter 14, p. 247
2000s, Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)

Life , Way , Thinking , Parent

“…(in the army) you're forced to learn the most important lesson in life, and that's the fact that you have to live up to your responsibilities, and you better do it right. When given an order, you can't say no. It's no exaggeration to say that lives are on the line. One wrong decision, and your buddy might die. It's this fact that makes the army work. That's the big mistake a lot of people make when they wonder how soldiers can put their lives on the line day after day or how they can fight for something they may not believe in. Not everyone does. …but when all is said and done, we do what we do for one another. For friendship. Not for country, not for patriotism, not because we're programmed killing machines, but because of the guy next to you. You fight for your friend, to keep him alive, and he fights for you, and everything about the army is built on this simple premise.”

Nicholas Sparks

John Tyree, Chapter 1, p. 18-19
2000s, Dear John (2006)

Life , Friendship , People , Guy

“In this world, after all, I've become more or less invisible…I've become what the young are afraid of becoming, just another member of the nameless elderly, an old and broken man with nothing left to offer to this world.
My days are inconsequential, comprising simple moments and even simpler pleasures. I eat and sleep and think of Ruth; I wander the house and stare the the paintings, and in the mornings, I feed the pigeons that gather in my backyard.”

Nicholas Sparks

Ira Levinson, Chapter 17, p. 234
2009, The Longest Ride (2013)

Pleasure , World , Thinking , Sleep

“…there'd also been an unvarnished honestly in what they'd said. There were no hidden meanings, no secret attempts to pass judgment; as quickly as their disagreements had flared up, they'd pass.”

Nicholas Sparks

Amanda Collier Ridley, Chapter 12, p. 183
2009, The Best of Me (2011)

Secret

“No," his father replied, "you ran for you. I just hope you're running toward something, not away from something.”

Nicholas Sparks

Paul Flanner's father, Chapter 3, p. 24
2000s, Nights in Rodanthe (2002)

Hope

“I've come to understand that arguing with her about it has never solved anything. So instead of denying it, I've learned to take her hands, look her in the eyes, and respond with those three magic words that every woman wants to hear:
"You're right, sweetheart."”

Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks, Prologue, p. 1
2000s, Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)

Understanding , Learning

“The words nearly break my heart, and I feel something crumble inside me. The truth is often a terrible thing, and I wish again that I were someone else. But it is too late now, too late to change anything. I am old and alone and I'm dying a little more with each passing hour. I'm tired, more tired than I've ever been.”

Nicholas Sparks

Ira Levinson, Chapter 5 Ira, p. 80
2009, The Longest Ride (2013)

Truth , Feeling , Change , Heart

“Life, he decided, was for living, not for having, and he wanted to experience every moment that he could. At the deepest level, he'd come to understand that life could end at any moment, and it was better to be happy than busy.”

Nicholas Sparks

Micah Sparks, Chapter 17, p. 339
2000s, Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)

Life , Understanding , Business , Happiness

“In other words, when the going get tough, the tough get going.”

Nicholas Sparks

Gaby Holland, Chapter 10, p. 115
2000s, The Choice (2007)

“She'd always believed that people come in two varieties: those who look out the windshield and those who stare in the rearview mirror. She'd always been the windshield type: Gotta focus on the future, not the past, because that's the only part that's still up for grabs.”

Nicholas Sparks

Julie Barenson, Chapter 26, p. 270
2000s, The Guardian (2003)

People , Past , Future , Parting

“I can't make this decision for you, Allie, this one's all yours. I want you to know, though, that I love you. And I always will. I know that doesn't help, but it's all I can do.”

Nicholas Sparks

Anne Nelson, An Unexpected Visitor, p. 138
1990s, The Notebook (1996)

Love , Decision , Help

“These days, it seemed that the only thing he was certain about was the knowledge that he wouldn't trade his years with Gabby for anything. Without her, his life had little meaning. He was a small-town husband with a small-town occupation and his cares were no different from anyone else's. He'd been neither a leader nor a follower, nor had he been someone who would be remembered long after he passed away. He was the most ordinary of men with only one exception: He'd fallen in love with a woman named Gabby, his love deepening in the years they'd been married. But fate had conspired to ruin all that, and now he spent long periods of his days wondering whether it was humanly possible to fix things between them.”

Nicholas Sparks

Travis Parker, Chapter 15, p. 199
2000s, The Choice (2007)

Love , Life , Men , Fate

“That was one of the great things about being single: A person could pretty much do what he wanted, whenever he wanted, and introspection was only an option.”

Nicholas Sparks

Travis Parker, Chapter 4, p. 54
2000s, The Choice (2007)

Personality

“Relationships are the most important thing in life, and friends are part of that.”

Nicholas Sparks

Micah Sparks, Chapter 9, p. 132
2000s, Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)

Life , Parting

“"… the secret of a long lasting marriage is…… communication. When we talk about issues and really open up to each other, things are great between us. When we keep things to ourselves, grudges and resentments build up and we end up arguing." …"What good is talking if neither of you are really committed?… marriage comes down to actions. I think people talk too much about the things that bother them, instead of actually doing the little things that keep a marriage strong. You have to know what your spouse needs from you, and then you do it. And you avoid doing the things that harm the relationship. If your spouse acts the same way, your marriage can make it through anything."”

Nicholas Sparks

Micah and Nicholas Sparks, Chapter 8, p. 113-114
2000s, Three Weeks with My Brother (2004)

Marriage , People , Secret , Way