The book tells you about the lives of five extraordinary men from the 1957 class of Harvard, their triumphs and their failures. The five men hail from very different backgrounds and have different goals, but the same playground. One lusts after material success, one after fame and recognition, another sulks in lack of self worth and so on. The story ends with a subtle verdict...which is the philosophy Segal wants to convey.
As the story progresses you get acquainted with these five characters and those who revolve around them. It gets engrossing by the page and you just cant get enough of this lot. Gradually, you start liking some of these five more than the others and you probably dislike a few too. Half way through, you realize that now you are no more a silent observer. You have travelled with them and absorbed a lot of what the book tells you about life in the fast lane. In a nutshell, you sort of grow with the characters. I know its a cliché, but thats what happens and therein lies the beauty of this book. You might get sort of bored here and there, the story might not appeal to you all that much for a few pages, but it’ll soon get back to the right track. The class gives you the bitter and the sweet facts of life. It tells you what to expect out of your life and what its gonna offer you. But you must think for yourself, for thats the way to read this book and to read life.
Definitely hard to put down and sometimes a little predictable, I think it is meant to be predictable, for the more you can foresee, the better you have understood the characters. Thereby, you’re gonna enjoy it all.
Segal’s writing isnt excellent, it is just good. But Mr. Segal has a nice tale in his hands and narrates it well. The Class hasnt gone down as his most famous book, that place is occupied by love story, but this novel is surely wonderful in every sense of the word. Segal’s essay on life concludes as the class meets at Harvard, the very place where it started its epic journey 25 years ago, and some interesting incidents occur. A lot of food for thought dawns on you right at the dusk of a long, enjoyable story. At the end of it all, you put down the book with utmost satisfaction.
That is ’The Class’ for you.