’what can u say about a 25 girl who died. that she...’. This is the first line of the book. When I read the book for the first time, I pondered over this line that why did the author let the ending of the book be mentioned in the first line itself. With it also came a feeling, that this book would be a great read and it is indeed really.
Erich Segal writes with such beautiful words, anyone is mesmerized into the novel. This novel teaches a very important lesson in life- how it feels to be in love and its a story so simple. A rich boy meets not so rich girl, fall in love, parents of rich boy disagree, so rich boy leaves everything for his love, but she dies in the end, bringing together him and his family.
The story though might sound very much like our hindi-film, but such is the beauty of this 130 pages odd novel, one is forced to finish this book in one sitting. No wonder that this book has sold more than 21 million copies world wide and still sells. The characters of Oliver and Jennifer are so realistic that u almost feel them. Oliver and Jennifer could really be one of the most romantic pairs ever described in literary fiction.
Right from their first meeting, to Jeniffer’s eventual death, every single dialogue between them is memorable; my favourite one being when Jennifer on her death bed tells Oliver that they were ’so close, yet so far’. After reading the novel and when u reach the end, one is left dejected and sad. U begin to think this should not have happened. But then, this would’nt be a classic if didn’t end like this.
A true masterpiece from Erich Segal, every one must read this book atleast ONCE in his/her life, and recreate the magic of Oliver and Jenny. The book is an important lesson on love which, very very few people have put it so brilliantly.