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Reviewed by: Khushi k
Rating: 9/10
Genre: Fiction
150 pages/1970
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Love Story
by
Erich Segal
It is very difficult to write something about a book that has been so hyped,
discussed and praised the world over. As I discovered, Love Story is a poignant
tale that touches your heart and leaves its imprint forever. We meet Oliver who
narrates the whole experience as to how he met, loved and lost the most
important person in his life, Jennifer.
Love Story (1970); the film was a precursor to the book starring Ali MacGraw,
Ryan O’Neal. Erich Segal has said that he based the character of Oliver on Vice
President Al Gore and Gore's Harvard roommate Tommy Lee Jones.
The book has the one of the most famous and touching beginnings of a novel. I
have to quote the opening lines:
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What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died?
That she was beautiful. And brilliant. That she loved Mozart and Bach. And
the Beatles. And me.
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And thus begins the classic. I somehow found it a little strange that the
central characters fell in love very easily or rather quickly. But I guess that
is the beauty of love, which happens just like that. Oliver finds Jenny a little
repulsive in the beginning but soon that same quality intrigues him further to
knowing her more. The author’s entertaining style of writing is visible in this
observation by Oliver when he first sees Jennifer:
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I got an A minus on the exam, coincidentally the same grade I assigned to
Jenny’s legs when she first walked from behind that desk.
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Jenny on the other hand is so sure and confident about herself that she simply
scores over Oliver no matter how hard he tries to win their verbal duels. Their
playful banter is one of the main highlights of the book and it does not stop
even after they get married. The story is unique because of its many beautiful
moments like Oliver's marriage proposal, Jenny's simplicity in thoughts, their
supposedly do-it-yourself-wedding, etc.
Jenny's character wins your heart as she unsuccessfully tries to thaw the
relations between Oliver and his father, how she spurs Oliver on (in law school
studies, his hockey games) and so many more moments. Oliver himself is so
endearing and likeable that you can’t stop laughing when he actually convinces
Jenny to name their would-be son, Bozo (yikes!!!).
Although the reader knows beforehand that Jenny is supposedly going to die, you
somehow get so involved in the plot that you don’t want her to leave Oliver. The
ending of the book is so simple and stark that I had to reread the chapter to
enforce the ending of the story. Many people cry at the end of this epic novel,
which was something, that had made me really curious to read the book. At the
end when Oliver breaks down in his father's arms, it is safe to say that I was
pretty numb with the whole experience.
Jenny' final words are a simple "Thanks, Ollie". I think along with the now
famous quote from this book “Love means never having to say you are sorry”, the
author should have also mentioned that love also means never having to say
thanks.
Its a very unpretentious small book; just over 150 pages but once you start
reading it you will finish it in one go. What’s different about this novel is
that the bulk of the novel consists of actual conversations between the
characters, which is very realistic. This tragic story of love inspires and
enriches anyone who reads it.
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