right from the start when the old man was introduced ive already guessed THE NOTEBOOK would turn out the way it did. so there wasnt any surprise, really. i did tear a bit at the end and it was really beautifully written. at the beginning the author classified the readers into 2 groups: the romantics would see it as a love story and the cynics, a tragic story. i think im a cynic (but im usually a romantic HAHAHA) because i dont believe in the kind of love portrayed in the book. that kind of story just does not happen in real life, alright?!