The Longest Ride is one of the most beautiful books I have read in a very long time and has earned every one if not more of the five stars I awarded it. It is the love story of two very different couples in North Carolina whose lives seemingly have nothing in common with one another. First, we have Ira and Ruth. Ira Levinson is in trouble. At ninety-one years old, in poor health and alone in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash. Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus beside him: his beloved wife Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to. Buy a cheap copy of The Longest Ride book by Nicholas Sparks. A remarkable story of everlasting love, about two couples whose lives intersect in profound and surprising ways, in the tradition of Nicholas Sparks's beloved #1. Free Shipping on all orders over $10.
Ira Levinson is in trouble. At ninety-one years old, in poor health and alone in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash. Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus beside him: his beloved wife Ruth, who passed away nine years ago. Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by recounting the stories of their lifetime together – how they met, the precious paintings they collected together, the dark days of WWII and its effect on them and their families. Ira knows that Ruth can’t possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and everyday joys that defined their marriage.
A few miles away, at a local bull-riding event, a Wake Forest College senior’s life is about to change. Recovering from a recent break-up, Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke, who bears little resemblance to the privileged frat boys she has encountered at school. Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes of survival and success, ruin and reward -- even life and death – loom large in everyday life. As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans -- a future that Luke has the power to rewrite . . . if the secret he’s keeping doesn’t destroy it first.
Ira and Ruth. Sophia and Luke. Two couples who have little in common, and who are separated by years and experience. Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart.
- For the film version, see The Longest Ride (film)
| Author | Nicholas Sparks |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Romance |
| Publisher | Grand Central Publishing |
| September 17, 2013 | |
| Media type | Hardcover, audiobook, e-book |
| Pages | 568 |
| ISBN | 978-1455520657 |
| OCLC | 829744527 |
The Longest Ride is Nicholas Sparks' 17th romance novel, released on September 17, 2013.
The Longest Ride Ending
Summary[edit]
After being trapped in an isolated car crash, the life of elderly widower Ira Levinson becomes entwined with a young college student, Sophia Danko, and the cowboy whom she loves, a young man named Luke Collins. The novel is told through the perspectives of these three characters as they go through their lives, both separately and together.
Ira Levinson, ninety-one years old and already in poor health, is just holding on; remaining alert only because his wife Ruth, who has died, appears as an image to help him remember their life together: how they met, the paintings they collected and the dark days of World War II.[1]
Just a few miles away, Sophia, a student at Wake Forest college, is about to have her life change forever as she meets an unexpected love, Luke. Luke is a cowboy and risk-taking bull-rider, unlike anyone she has ever known. Together they experience the joys of love as well as the difficulties that come with Luke's dangerous career.
Two couples who have little in common, yet whose lives will converge with unexpected poignancy.[2]
Black Mountain College[edit]
The inspiration for the book was Black Mountain College (1933–1957), a liberal arts school whose faculty included some of the most prominent names in the modern art movement. Styles mentioned in the book include Abstract Expressionism, Futurism, Bauhaus, Cubism, and Lyrical Abstractionism.[3]
The backstory of characters Ira and Ruth Levinson is that they visited Black Mountain College during their honeymoon and met with students and artists at the school artists' exhibition. Ira bought six paintings for Ruth which would be the beginning of more than a thousand paintings they would collect focusing on 20th-century American modern art. Artists in the book include Ken Noland, Ray Johnson, Robert Rauschenberg, Elaine de Kooning, Willem de Kooning, Susan Weil, Pat Passlof, Jackson Pollock, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol and Pablo Picasso.[4]
Film[edit]
A film adaptation, from 20th Century Fox, released on April 10, 2015. The film is directed by George Tillman Jr., with the screenplay adapted by Craig Bolotin. Britt Robertson plays Sophia Danko, with Oona Chaplin as Ruth, Scott Eastwood as Luke Collins, Jack Huston as Young Ira, Barry Ratcliffe as the Auctioneer and, Alan Alda as Older Ira.[5][6][7][8][9]
Filming began on June 16, 2014 in Wilmington, Jacksonville, and Winston-Salem, NC.[10][11]
References[edit]
- ^Sparks, Nicholas. 'The Longest Ride Synopsis'. Nicholas Sparks. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^Sparks, Nicholas. 'The Longest Ride Synopsis'. Nicholas Sparks. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^P. 194-195, 270
- ^P. 193-201, 227-228, 236-237, 268, 270
- ^'George Tillman Jr. in Final Talks to Direct 'Longest Ride' (Exclusive)'. www.hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 2014-03-17.
- ^'Britt Robertson Boards Nicholas Sparks Romance 'The Longest Ride''. www.deadline.com. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
- ^'Oona Chaplin To Star In Nicholas Sparks' 'The Longest Ride''. redcarpetendings.com. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
- ^'Jack Huston To Star In Fox 2000′s 'The Longest Ride''. www.deadline.com. May 29, 2014.
- ^'Alan Alda Joins 'The Longest Ride' At Fox 2000'. www.deadline.com. June 5, 2014.
- ^''The Longest Ride', starring Britt Robertson, begins filming in Wilmington, NC on June 16'. www.onlocationvacations.com. May 29, 2014.
- ^'Nicholas Sparks' The Longest Ride Filming In NC'. www.witn.com. Jun 5, 2014.
External links[edit]
The Longest Ride Book Free
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