The Notebook is complete nonsense.
From the Shawshank Redemption, Andy's description of a perfect yet miserable relationship with a woman that ended in disaster with her, and her new lovers murder, and in turn her death with a man she didn't love as much as Andy, and how miserably ironic that she died with someone she didn't love as opposed to dying with Andy, was quite realistic, and the best you can get, the most excitement, otherwise it's just dull boringness like the notebook.
My favorite romance film really did a number on monogamy and the plethora of bullshit that is marriage, and how cavemen were more happy ****ing women on looks before marriage was there, was The Blue Lagoon.
Child brother and sister stranded on an island, growing up to be unnaturally attractive for men and women living civilized and who wer soft from being spoiled and hidden from the true savage world, but quite naturally attractive for savages, upon hitting puberty, felt a sick twisted lust toward each other, and they loved each-other more than ever after that. But upon returning to civilization I can only imagine the horrors they felt when introduced to incest.
In short, marriage and bullshit life-long love is overrated, dull, boring and just p[lain uneventful for those of whom have not ended it ended in disaster, catastrophe love is the greatest love of all, and you don't need marriage for catastrophe, what cavemen were meant to experience when spawning off-springs.