50 Years of Love Story

With over 21 million copies sold, translated into 33 languages worldwide, the romantic, funny and tragic novel that dealt with love, loss and everything in between, Erich Segal's 'Love Story', went on to become a best-selling novel and a blockbuster film in 1970. It inspired an entire generation making its author, a celebrity overnight. It's no wonder, the book continues to remain popular, a fact attested by the special 50th anniversary edition of the book released in 2020

What the hell "makes you smart?" I asked

"I wouldn't go for coffee with you"

"Listen,- I wouldn't ask you"

"That." She replied, is what makes you stupid.

The interesting exchange, one of many between Oliver Barrett 1V from a rich entitled family and Jenny Cavilleri, the wise cracking working class Italian beauty studying music at Radcliffe, who are diametric opposites succumbing to the law of magnetism (where unlike poles attract each other) became the epitome of love as lead characters in the best- selling novel and blockbuster film "Love Story" in 1970. It inspired an entire generation making its author Erich Segal a celebrity overnight. The romantic, funny and tragic novel that dealt with love, loss and everything in between, remains popular to this day, a fact attested by the special 50th anniversary edition of the book released in 2020. An introduction by the author's daughter Francesca Segal and insights about how the book came about is both a delight to old timers who get nostalgic and youngsters who marvel at the timelessness of an emotion that resulted in the book being translated into 33 languages with many film re-makes all over the world. In 1970, the original film was nominated for seven academy awards and named one of the 100 most romantic films of all time by the American Film Institute, a creditable achievement by any standard. However it is a strange paradox that the book that made Erich Segal an unqualified success and an overnight celebrity is said to have caused great upheaval in his life and he is even quoted as saying "the book ruined my life".

Erich Wolf Segal, the son of a Rabbi with a conservative approach to life was professor of Greek and Latin literature at Harvard, Yale and Princeton and had failed in his initial attempts to sell "Love Story" initially conceived as a short story. He was just 32 years old then and is said to have written the piece during Christmas break. On the suggestion made by literary agent Lois Wallace, he turned it into a novel, which became a runaway hit instantly making its way to Hollywood. The book raked up controversy too and had its share of criticism despite being a best seller that adorned bookshelves in many parts of the world. It was ignominiously bounced from the nomination slate of the National Book awards after the fiction jury threatened to resign calling it an appalling work devoid of literary value. William Styron, the head judge for fiction ruthlessly slammed it as a ' banal book that doesn't qualify as literature' The author who was a marathon runner and-ran the Boston marathon for 20 years from 1955 to 1975 was even ridiculed at a marathon by a member of the audience who yelled " Hey Segal, you run better than you write". The dissenters never mattered as the book sales splurged with the bitter sweet consequences of the romantic tome with a tragic end touching hearts in ways that those considered great literary pieces did not.

Love story that inspired many

"True Love comes quietly, without banners or flashing lights. If you hear the sound of bells, get your ears checked" one of the famous quotes from the book is cherished because it nails the truth about the true nature of love which is more often than not hyped to levels bordering on the unbelievable. Oliver and Jenny's beautiful tryst with love therefore touched many hearts irrespective of the criticism that came from literary quarters. The love that blossomed between the two in the unlikeliest ways and marriage against the wishes of Oliver's family with his father severing all ties with his son, their marriage after graduation, financial struggles to see Oliver through Law school, shift to New York after securing a job in a law firm, Jenny's failure to conceive and her untimely death due to Leukemia brought a lump in the throats of readers and movie goers whose eyes moistened at the way the cruel hand of fate separated the lovers. It was a love story that was fresh, unsullied and unhindered by differences of class or nation that plainly tugged at heart chords. An overwhelming emotion swept people in its wave as Ryan O' Neal and Ali McGraw played the main protagonists to perfection. "Love Story' crossed borders and travelled hundreds of miles to be adapted by world cinema in times when cancer was a phenomenon witnessed only in films and not all pervasive as it is today. "Akhiyon Ki Jaharokon Se', "Sanam Teri Kasam', 'Madanolsavam', and Manjal Kum Kum" are some films in Indian languages based on this film.

Erich Segal's battle with Parkinson's

Erich Segal's book about love and bereavement made him lots of money and earned him fame but apparently his tenure at Yale ended as it was perceived that he had become arrogant because of his fame. Battling with Parkinson's disease for nearly three decades his remarkable mind remained active despite impaired movement and he continued engaging in cultural and political issues until he breathed his last in 2010. In the Presidential election fought in 2000, two of his former students Al Gore and George Bush vied for the Oval office with Al Gore hinting publicly that he and his wife Tipper had been models for Love Story. Although Erich Segal had admitted in private that it was indeed a Gore classmate, the actor Tommy Lee Jones whom he modeled his character on, he did not make any public comment to contradict Gore choosing to remain silent. 'That he fought to breathe, fought to live, every second of the last 30 years of illness with such mind blowing obduracy is a testament to the core of who he was--- a blind obsessionality saw him pursue his teaching, his writing, his running and my mother, with the same tenacity. He was the most dogged man any of us will ever know' his daughter Francesca, a freelance journalist and author was to say when Erich Segal breathed his last in 2010.

The immortality

'The skewed fame that "love Story" brought him shouldered aside a litany of other accomplishments: as a classic scholar and teacher, literary critic and sports commentator, essayist, script writer, historian and practitioner of comedy" Ned Temko was to say in an article in the Guardian. If despite so many accomplishments it is Erich Segal's "Love Story' that remains in the minds of people it can only be the awesome power of a story well told through perfectly etched characters. "Love story" remains a classic with the iconic words "Love means never having to say you're sorry" being the last and most powerful quotes from its pages. As with most enduring works "Love Story" outlives its creator.

'Akhiyon Ki Jaharokon Se', 'Sanam Teri Kasam', 'Madanolsavam', and Manjal Kum Kum' are some films in Indian languages based on the film

The original film was nominated for seven academy awards and named one of the 100 most romantic films of all time by the American Film Institute, a creditable achievement by any standard. However it is a strange paradox that the book that made Erich Segal an unqualified success and an overnight celebrity is said to have caused great upheaval in his life and he is even quoted as saying "the book ruined my life"