Love Story by Erich Segal
- Shalini Prasad
- Feb 8, 2018
- 3 min read
I had seen this book referenced in a movie or two, so when I saw it at the book fair at work I decided to get a copy. I had already spent over my book budget at that point but this was such a small book. What harm could it do? Usually, when I finish a book, the procrastinator in me takes a day or two to write a review. However, it is not ten minutes after I finished this book that I am sitting down to write the review. I want to capture exactly how I feel right at this very moment.
Synopsis:
Oliver Barrett IV, a wealthy jock from a stuffy WASP family on his way to a Harvard degree and a career in law… Jenny Cavilleri, a sharp-tongued, working-class beauty studying music at Radcliffe…
Opposites in nearly every way, Oliver and Jenny are kindred spirits from vastly different worlds. Falling deeply and powerfully, their attraction to one another defies everything they have ever believed – as they share a passion for greater than anything they dreamed possible… and explore the wonder of a love that must end too soon.
Review:
Most of the greatest love stories in history have been the ones with lost love. Stories with such great dialogues and such profound love for the other that it raises our standards of love and at the same time makes us think that that love cannot possibly be real. Yet, we feel for that love every time we read such a story. Erich Segal’s Love Story is nothing like that.
From the time the main characters meet until the very end, it is life as it is. It’s a simple story of boy meets girl, they start dating, sparks fly, overcome opposition, get married and tragedy strikes. For we all know that any couple marrying in the story is about to face something more horrific than the opposition they had to overcome.
What makes this simple story such a favourite among so many is the writing style. It is simple and elegant. There is also a tenderness in the way the sentences and dialogues are written that it tugs at your heart ever so lightly. The story unravels at a fast and steady pace without making it feel rushed. The characters are witty and lovable. He has added just enough humour to make them seem so much real to the reader. As you read, you can relate to the characters very well, making this book a good choice for any age group.
You can pretty much predict the ending as you read but that didn’t stop me from crying once I turned over the last page. It came out of nowhere! I knew how it was ending but it still got me. It may be because most of it is left to the reader’s imagination. Most novels draw out the scene for us. The authors explain the place the characters are in, even what they are wearing. But Erich has not given us that concrete space, so the images run away with our minds. I, for one, have a very vivid imagination which made me think about how they would feel, what the future would be like and so on and so forth and ended up making myself more sad than necessary.
I would like to end by saying it was a lovely book and a must-read for anyone who likes love stories. I am glad I have a copy of this book.
Rating: 4.5/5
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