LOVE STORY by Erich Wolf Segal
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Erich Wolf Segal was an American author, screenwriter, educator and classicist. Born in the city of new york, Erich is a graduate from the prestigious Harvard University and holds a doctorate in comparative literature. He was also a lecturer at top universities such as Harvard University , Yale University and Princeton University and taught Greek and Latin literature. Erich's famous works, other than love story, includes Oliver's story, Yellow Submarine, Acts of faith, Doctors, Man,women and child.
INTRODUCTION ON THE BOOK
Love Story was released in the year 1970. Segal, a screenplay writer, was unable to sell out the screenplay of this particular play and was requested by Paramount to adapt it into a novel. The book was released on the Valentine's Day and it turned out to requested that Segal adapt the story into novel form as a preview of sorts for the film. The novel was released on February 14, 1970, Valentine's Day and it turned out to become the top-selling work of fiction for all of 1970 in the United States, and was translated into more than 20 languagesA film adaptation was released on December 16, 1970. A sequel, Oliver's Story, was published in 1977.
PLOT SUMMARY
Love Story is a timeless story of tragic love. Oliver is a child of privilege, the son of a family of importance dating back many generations. Jennifer is the only child of a widowed baker, as opposite from Oliver as one person can be. However, their union is one of strength and volatility that sweeps them both up in an uncontrolled wave, their love surviving every obstacle except one, mortality.
A Harvard University student Oliver meets Jennifer at the library on the Radcliffe Campus. Jennifer, the clerk in duty, disagrees with Oliver on a agruement they have, which lead to them having coffee and eventually Oliver inviting her to one of his hockey games. It didn't take long for them to spend their free time together. Oliver felt different with Jennifer and realized that he felt deeply for her.
Oliver's relationship with his father is strained and feels insecure about not accomplishing as much as his father. Jenny understands this when he takes her to meet his parents. Soon after the meeting, Oliver is told that he wouldn't to a heir to the family fortune if he proceeds on with the decision on marrying jennifer. Oliver then marries Jenny and begins his life separate from the Barrett legacy.
The first three years, they live on Jennifer's income as Oliver competes law school. Their life is tough but they lived happily. Then, On the occasion of his father's sixtieth birthday, they were invited for the party organised by his parents. Oliver refused the offer and threw the phone in anger. This upset Jennifer a lot, which lead them to an argument for which she left the house at midnight. Oliver spend the night searching for her and finally finds her at the top of the stairs to their apartment.
On graduating from law school, Oliver recives one of the best paid jobs and they started enjoying their new wealth by doing things that they missed out during the days of their struggle. They got themselves a new apartment too. They were on the repeated attempt on conceiving a baby,failing which they decided to consult a doctor. At the doctors, Oliver is informed that Jennifer's suffers from leukemia, on hearing this he decides on not telling this news to Jenny. Jennifer, on the other hand, gets to know the truth from the doctor as she insists on him telling what was wrong with her.
Within the next few weeks, Jennifer's condition worsens and agrees on being admitted to the hospital. Oliver stops going to work and wants to be by his wife's side all the time. On running out of money, he goes to his father for asking a loan and does not tell him the reason. Jenny's condition worsens day after day,and Jennifer makes Oliver promise her that her father would have a Catholic funeral for her, just few minutes before she died. When Oliver leaves the hospital after his wife's death, he finds his father rushing in. Oliver's father has just learned of Jennifer's illness and had come to support his son. Oliver allows himself to be consoled in his father's arms for the first time since he was a small child.
REVIEW ON THE BOOK
This book has touched my heart in such a way that I wept as I reached the last few pages of the book. I wondered," why were the odds not in their favour?" and "how such deep love could exist between two people?". This book is not only a romantic story, but also depicts on strained family ties and how expectations can sometimes create a bad impact on a child. Written in the most simple words, Love story is also a story that tells one to forgive ones loved ones if they have committed a mistake. My most treasured line from the book remains, " Love means not ever having to say you're sorry". I wished and prayed that this would not end with Jennifers death, I wished that they would be more pages, but alas their love story on earth ended there.
I would recommend this book as a must read to all the romantic genre lovers as it shows how a beautiful story with the use of simple words can touch numerous hearts in such a way that one wants to re-read the book again and again. Oliver and Jennifer was indeed the modern day or the twentieth century Romeo and Juliet but their villains being death this time....
Sandhra Mariyam Philip
220
Oliver's relationship with his father is strained and feels insecure about not accomplishing as much as his father. Jenny understands this when he takes her to meet his parents. Soon after the meeting, Oliver is told that he wouldn't to a heir to the family fortune if he proceeds on with the decision on marrying jennifer. Oliver then marries Jenny and begins his life separate from the Barrett legacy.
The first three years, they live on Jennifer's income as Oliver competes law school. Their life is tough but they lived happily. Then, On the occasion of his father's sixtieth birthday, they were invited for the party organised by his parents. Oliver refused the offer and threw the phone in anger. This upset Jennifer a lot, which lead them to an argument for which she left the house at midnight. Oliver spend the night searching for her and finally finds her at the top of the stairs to their apartment.
On graduating from law school, Oliver recives one of the best paid jobs and they started enjoying their new wealth by doing things that they missed out during the days of their struggle. They got themselves a new apartment too. They were on the repeated attempt on conceiving a baby,failing which they decided to consult a doctor. At the doctors, Oliver is informed that Jennifer's suffers from leukemia, on hearing this he decides on not telling this news to Jenny. Jennifer, on the other hand, gets to know the truth from the doctor as she insists on him telling what was wrong with her.
Within the next few weeks, Jennifer's condition worsens and agrees on being admitted to the hospital. Oliver stops going to work and wants to be by his wife's side all the time. On running out of money, he goes to his father for asking a loan and does not tell him the reason. Jenny's condition worsens day after day,and Jennifer makes Oliver promise her that her father would have a Catholic funeral for her, just few minutes before she died. When Oliver leaves the hospital after his wife's death, he finds his father rushing in. Oliver's father has just learned of Jennifer's illness and had come to support his son. Oliver allows himself to be consoled in his father's arms for the first time since he was a small child.
REVIEW ON THE BOOK
I would recommend this book as a must read to all the romantic genre lovers as it shows how a beautiful story with the use of simple words can touch numerous hearts in such a way that one wants to re-read the book again and again. Oliver and Jennifer was indeed the modern day or the twentieth century Romeo and Juliet but their villains being death this time....
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