Ebert Disses Nicholas Sparks

I had the pleasure of reading Roger Ebert’s review of the new Nicholas Sparks-penned The Last Song. Ebert takes umbrage at Sparks’ recent declaration of being a greater novelist than Cormac McCarthy, which inspired a bit of cheeky ranting.

“The Last Song” is based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, who also wrote the screenplay. Sparks recently went on record as saying he is a greater novelist than Cormac McCarthy. This is true in the same sense that I am a better novelist than William Shakespeare. Sparks also said his novels are like Greek Tragedies. This may actually be true. I can’t check it out because, tragically, no really bad Greek tragedies have survived. His story here amounts to soft porn for teenage girls, which the acting and the abilities of director Julie Anne Robinson have promoted over its pay scale.

He comes back to finish the job at the conclusion.