Love Story- A review

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.

Thus begins Love Story, a classic tale of love and romance. It is a charmingly simple story of pure and unrequited love. The novella talks about love as it is, no strings attached. There are no sub-plots involved, no hidden leitmotifs. Segal hits you straight in the face with his witty dialogues and straightforward conversations.
It was published in 1970, remains till date one of the most popular romances written ever.

The plot lacks originality and begs to be dismissed as too cheesy by the cynics. Rich Harvard jock- Oliver Barett IV falls for beautiful, smart but poor Radcliffe student Jennifer Cavilleri. What follows is the story of rebelllion against Oliver's parents and how they survive the harsh realities of the world.

Yet another one of those Bollywood movies, one would say. But, where Segal pulls it back is in his powerful narration. The story is a first person narrative, written in a very colloquial tone, thus making it very easy to relate to. Segal writes for the common man , the girl/boy next door, your friend or you. He tells the story naturally, like an everyday thing. Just how love happens, with no thunderbolts or violins in
the background!

The main focus of the novella is the relation between Oliver and Jenny and there is no digression into sub-plots. The characters developed are also only those directly concerned with the plot. The only sub-plot is the rebellion of Oliver against his rich parents and that too is kept under the covers till needed. So, you get attached to Oliver and Jenny and remain attached throughout the 130 page novel.

The thing I liked best about Love Story, apart from the brilliant storytelling, are the pleasant dialogues. The conversation between Oliver and Jenny is sharp, charming and at the same time makes you realize the underlying sorrow in them. Another amazing fact is the dialogue does not become poetic anywhere. So, there are no lyrical proclamations of love or sorrow that you have to force down your throat. In the end, this simplistic treatment of their love and Jenny's death distinguishes
it from all the factory made romances and makes it an extraordinary tale of romance.

Among the finer nuances of the novel is the disrespect Segal shows to the stereotypes of male superiority and patriarchy. Jenny becomes the sole breadwinner of the family, thus turning patriarchy on its head. Also, Oliver is shown to be the more emotional of the two, further slighting gender stereotypes.

So, all in all, the merits of Love Story are not its plot or its characters. Erich Segal has a gift of storytelling that he exploits to the core. He gives you moments in his novels, like the beautiful wedding that you would simply love to have in your life. You will simply fall for these moments, despite the fact that you may be the ultimate realist in your real life. The feeling is similar to the one we get when we enjoy the small pleasures in our overtly complex life.

There are few love stories like Love Story which you will enjoy throughout. That is why it stands out, as its name proclaims to be the Love Story of its times. So, go get a copy and lose yourself in one of the beautiful love stories ever told.