 | By: Erich Segal Binding: Paperback Publisher: Bantam Books (Mm) ISBN: 0553275283 ISBN-13: 9780553275285 Released: 16 Aug 1988 RRP: Average Rating:  |
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 & Gore's Harvard roommate Tommy Lee Jones.
The book has the one of the most famous & 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 & 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, coincidentallly the same grade I assigned to Jenny's legs when she first walked from behind that desk.
----------------------------------------------------------------- Jenny on the other hand is so sure & 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 & it does not stop even after they get married. There is a reference in the third page of the novel about an Indian bag owned by Jennifer. I am curious to know whether the author was referring to a Red Indian bag or an Indian bag (as in plain Indian). 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 & his father, how she spurs Oliver on (in law school studies, his hockey games) & so many more moments. Oliver himself is so endearing & likeable that you can't stop laughing when he actuallly 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 & 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 reallly 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's 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 smalll 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 & enriches anyone who reads it.
I found the socioeconomic implications in the book far more interesting than the romantic ones. Oliver Barret IV is one of the most fascinating characters I've ever read about. Here's where the comparison between "The Rules of Attraction" comes in; the idea that a character like Oliver can forego materialism & superficiality to experience "true love" seemed preposterous after reading Ellis's book, but I liked the shock. It was fun.
"Love Story" is optimistic without being inane, & profound without being pretentious. Oliver Barret's "story" is a paradigm for the (I'm sure) real-life embodiments of Ellis's characters, & while "Love Story" might be unrealistic, it's a good, thought-provoking read. Get it.
I found the socioeconomic implications in the book far more interesting than the romantic ones. Oliver Barret IV is one of the most fascinating characters I've ever read about. Here's where the comparison between "The Rules of Attraction" comes in; the idea that a character like Oliver can forego materialism & superficiality to experience "true love" seemed preposterous after reading Ellis's book, but I liked the shock. It was fun.
"Love Story" is optimistic without being inane, & profound without being pretentious. Oliver Barret's "story" is a paradigm for the (I'm sure) real-life embodiments of Ellis's characters, & while "Love Story" might be unrealistic, it's a good, thought-provoking read. Get it.
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