Love Story in Erich Segal’s own words:
“Actually, I have always felt this to be a book about a young couple, but even more about a father and son. When I wrote it America was in the midst of a total generation war (Vietnam, Woodstock, Haight Ashbury etc.). The relationship between Jenny and Phil contrasted sharply with that of Oliver and his father, and I think that the universal appeal may have lain in the reconciliation of the generations at the end of the book.”
Fall in love with Love Story
I was looking everywhere for Jenny. Had she left and walked all the way back to Radcliffe alone?
“Jenny?”
I took three or four steps away from fans, searching desperately. Suddenly she popped out from behind a bush, her face swathed in a scarf, only her eyes showing.
“Hey, Preppie, it’s cold as hell out here.”
Was I glad to see her!
“Jenny!”
Like instinctively, I kissed her lightly on the forehead.
“Did I say you could?” she said.
“What?”
“Did I say you could kiss me?”
“Sorry, I was carried away.”
“I wasn’t.”
We were pretty much all alone out there, and it was dark and cold and late. I kissed her again. But not on the forehead, and not lightly. It lasted a long nice time. When we stopped kissing, she was still holding on to my sleeves.
“I don’t like it,” she said.
“What?”
“The fact that I like it.”
Love Story Book Reviews
- ‘Funny, touching, and infused with wonder, as all love stories should be.’ San Francisco Examiner
- ‘For someone who is in love, or was in love, or hopes to be in love.’ St Louis Post-Dispatch
- ‘Beautifully written … profoundly moving.’ Sunday Express
- ‘Very simple, immensely appealing … memorable characterisations that haunt you long after you’ve finished reading.’ Publishers Weekly
- ‘A lump forms in your throat and starts growing until it feels like a football coming up sideways. You either fight it or let it out.’ New York Times
- ‘We loved it and we think you’ll love it too.’ Sun
- ‘Simplicity … Charm … Compassion and a delicate sense of comedy. It illustrates a particular point: “Love means not ever having to say you’re sorry.” That is well said.’ Books and Bookman
- ‘It’s incredible … A poignant novel of nostalgia and romance.’ The Washington Post.
Some of the covers for Love Story (from left to right): Oxford University Press Teaching Guide 2007; Bantam 1988; HarperTorch 2002; ISKRY, Poland 1989; Fischer Taschenbuch Vlg., Germany 2004; Oxford University Press, audio cassette 1997