Nicholas Sparks Reveals His Favorite Book-to-Movie Adaptation, and the Answer Might Surprise You (Exclusive)

Many of Nicholas Sparks’ bestsellers have been turned into hit movies, but one holds a special place in his heart.

Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE about his adaptations over the years, the 58-year-old North Carolina author notes that A walk to remember stood out from the crowd when it came to fan favorites.

“The one I saw the most is A walk to remember,” he says of the 2002 film starring Mandy Moore and Shane West. “When my children were growing up, they had not yet read a novel [of mine]and they’d say, ‘Oh, can we see what you’re doing?’ I’d say, ‘I’ve got a movie for you.’ I had five kids so I had to watch it multiple times because I would show it to them again. That movie was great. It just works.”

However, he adds that Notebook is another “iconic” adaptation, noting that it will likely “stand the test of time.”

Shane West and Mandy Moore in ‘A Walk to Remember’ 2002 Adam Shankman/Warner Bros

Thinking about A walk to rememberSparks notes that one of his favorite memories from filming was simply working with Moore and West on set.

“They were so excited,” he said of the young stars. “Mandy was such a nice young lady. At the time, my son was 10 years old and when he saw Mandy, he thought she was the most beautiful girl in the whole world. She was about 17 years old.”

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In fact, his son ended up getting a small part in the film. “It actually ended up in the final version of the movie in the little church scene at the beginning of the movie,” he says. “He’s one of those guys who looks absolutely miserable, and I’m like, ‘You were perfect for singing in church, son. That’s exactly what children look like.’ ”

He adds that he is still in contact with West and Moore to this day. “We’re still good friends,” he continues. “It’s been great to see where their careers have gone and what they’ve done. It’s a film that works on levels that are hard to understand.”

Over the years, the ending of the book and how it was adapted into the film has been a major topic of discussion among fans. While the movie gives Jamie a definitive ending, the book leaves things more open to interpretation.

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For Sparks, there was an intention behind it: to give readers hope. Although the book was inspired by his sister’s death from a brain tumor, he notes that he became quite attached to Jamie during the writing process.

“It was interesting, during the writing of the novel I was sure she was going to die, and then when I got to the pages where I had to write it, I thought, ‘Oh, she’s so cute. ‘ I just didn’t have the heart to write it,” he explains. “That’s why I left it more vague and mysterious that it could have gone either way.”

‘Counting Miracles’ by Nicholas Sparks.

Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal/Getty; Random House

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Speaking exclusively to PEOPLE about his latest novel Counting miraclesSparks notes that one of the best parts of his career has been reaching new audiences through different mediums, whether film adaptations or Broadway productions.

“I’m very happy about that, because if I can see the story, I happen to think the story is good and I want as many people as possible to be familiar with the story,” he explains. “A lot of people are watching a movie or they’re going to turn on cable. They’re going to see something I’ve done on television, or they’re going to see a play on Broadway, and there they’re going to experience my story in a different medium. But it’s still a story that I felt was worth telling. .”

“However people discover them, I hope they enjoy them afterwards, that they feel it was worth their time to read, and ideally – in a perfect world – you also hope they enjoy it as much,” says someone else about Sparks continues. – I hope so.

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Source: HIS Education