Love Story

I read Love Story (Segal, 1970) the first time after watching the movie in the summer of 1970. I have read this book various times throughout my lifetime. The story has been called a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, but it goes deeper than that. The plot of the story addresses social differences in the American society, family pressure, and expectations. The characters are very unconventional and the story structure is not traditional. These characteristics make the story interesting and touching. The characters and the plot interweave. The characters come from opposite ends of the social spectrum. Oliver Barrett IV comes from high society and from a very wealthy family whose members are Harvard alumnae. The family even donated the Barrett Hall to the University. Jennifer Cavilleri comes from a collar worker family; her father owes a small bakery. Oliver's family is from Ipswich, Massachusetts and Jennifer's family is from Cranston, Rhode Island. Jennifer attends Radcliff College under a scholarship. Oliver attends Harvard. When they meet their attraction is strong and mutual (p. 2). Their friendship develops and they fall in love. Oliver's family is very competitive and expects him to go to Law School, take over the family business, and marry someone in their same social level. His father is a banker, landlord, and business owner. Jennifer's father just wants his daughter to be happy. He does not pressure his daughter at all. She has no mother since she died when Jennifer was a child. Their social gap becomes evident when they visit each other's home. Oliver's parents are cold toward their own son and they treat Jennifer cordial but cold. Jennifer's father is a down-to-earth niece guy. Oliver's home is a huge state. Jennifer's home is a humble working class adobe in a row of street houses, with no extra land. Their difference in social status could not be any larger. Their love is stronger than Oliver's parents' prejudice. Jennifer receives a scholarship to study music in Paris, France and Oliver proposes. They marry. Oliver is disinherited by his father for marrying Jennifer and by doing so, defying his father. It is interesting how the first sentence of the book opens with the climax of the story, in the form of a question: What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old-girl who died?" (p. 1). Even though the climax is given out on the first sentence of the book, a complete unconventional approach to traditional story structure, this "preview" that might have been considered a spoiler made the reader's curiosity grow. The readers want to find out how and why this young life extinguishes. The whole story is a flashback that takes us to the day these two young lovers meet in Radcliff College Library. The story moves through defined chapters and takes us through their courtship, marriage, Oliver's Law School, working summers in Massachusetts shore, Oliver's graduation from Law School, Oliver's law firm job, and their big move to New York City. Toward the end of the story Jennifer is diagnosed with leukemia and that is the reason why she can't conceive. Oliver is devastated and ridden with guilt. Oliver buys airline tickets for Paris, but Jennifer states that is not the way they are going to approach her disease and her final days. This book was a success by the way the plot addressed social issues that were not openly discussed and were not well known by the general public, unless the reader belonged to the high class society. The story addresses love and sacrifice. It also shows how family expectations and demands are prioritized over parents love and support for their child. The characters idiosyncrasy and upbringing plus the story development and structure make a touching and fascinating book.

This is The Love Story—a rich guy meets a smart and poor girl, but his father does not approve of the match; the two leave home and start a family of their own; now they are officially husband and wife; so this man graduates with a law degree, makes enough money to start afresh in New York, later on the girl is found with a medical condition that is fatal to her and their marriage. A perfect modern tragedy and that makes a best-seller that reads still fresh many decades after its first appearance. Despite the fact that the story is only 187 pages long (almost 35 pages shorter than The Great Gatsby), the two characters in the novella are surprisingly memorable for each of them has a very strong or headstrong personality that defines who they are. This little novella, I found out, has this “crispy” quality that makes it very lucid, elegant and easy to read. Probably, such quality has something to do with how this romantic narrative came into being. It was first written as a play script. Advised to turn it into a novella, Mr Segal made a name for himself with Love Story.

As I was reading it to my mom, as she lied resting,I realized there was a lot more cussing in the book,than I recalled from the movie,that mom & I saw( when I was younger) in 1970. So, now as I'm reading it to Mom, I'm cutting out most of the cussing,cause there's a lot! But, I'm still interested in getting further along in the book.

I reread this classic love story that begins, "What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old-girl who died?" for the first time since I was a kid when when I wore out the paperback by reading it repeatedly. It's a short novel; a fast but powerful read. Oliver Barrett IV, a star hockey player/law student, descends from a line of high achieving old money Harvard alumni, and is struggling to define himself away from the constraints of his judgmental, micromanaging father. Jennifer Cavilleri, who attends Radcliffe on a music scholarship, is the only child of a loving father, a widower who owns a small bakery in Rhode Island. She calls her father Phil. These two, Jennifer and Oliver, (nicknamed Preppie by Jennifer), couldn't be more different. The book is in part heavy on dialogue and sparse on descriptive text. Erich Segal makes brilliant use of the verbal volleyball between the two main characters. I like the wit in their flirting. It's that age old tale of boy meets girl, they experience conflict, and then they fall in love. This story turns tragic when Jennifer is diagnosed with leukemia. That part of the story seems to have some logical problems with the doctor not telling her of her diagnosis at first, and then very quickly it seems she's dying. Segal does his best work showing how this couple from such dissparate social and emotional backgrounds come together in love. He also shows what a profound impact these two had on each other and their respective families in the limited years they were together. This book struck a chord with me as a kid because my father died young. Also, the relationships feel absolutely authentic to me. Love Story is a masterpiece.

For modern readers, Love Story is a victim of its own success. This simple book has become difficult to read for exactly the way it is . Many of its most famous lines sound corny because they have become trite with the overuse since the arrival of the book. In fact, some of them would only appear in jokes and satire now. The characters appear sweet beyond belief: it is almost as if after the book, no one can remain as naive or innocent having simply read the book and experienced the limits of these virtues! Yet, like Cinderella, this is a fairytale. One of those rare ones written in modern times. One can go on a beautiful emotional trip with the leads, fall in love, get married, build a home and suffer the terminal cancer through the crisp repartees between them. The only condition is to believe in the text written - nothing more, nothing less. If you can do it, this is a tale that can be savored even multiple times and even when one is not in the teens.

Hmmm, interesting read. I was surprised by the abrupt ending, but good book. I Wanted it to last longer for some reason.

I stayed home sick from school in 1989. My mother who loved to read all day every day, came into my room after I woke up and read this book to me. I was 13. I will remember that day always. I’m now 50 and read it again today For the first time since 1989. I called my mother to tell her how much I appreciated her, sharing her love reading with me.

Beautiful and loving story. Very touching story.

As it’s the 50th anniversary I thought I’d like to read this. It’s quite a short book so didn’t take long to read but it was beautifully written and unlike some modern authors who pad the story out to make the book much longer, this was more condensed but really painted the story well. Lovely book.

A classic,I really enjoyed this book

The novella is fabulous. Very wholesome

Très beau roman en anglais

Interesante