A book published the year you were born

Title: Love Story

Author: Erich Segal
Publication date: 1970

"Love means never having to say you're sorry."

The first trick in reading a book published the year you were born is finding a book published the year you were born. My limited options were:

• Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret.
• Jonathon Livingston Seagull
• Love Story

Once I'd selected Love Story, I had to find a copy of it. I was sure the copy that had been on my mother's bookcase during my childhood would still be on said bookcase. After all, I know where my copy of Are you there, God? is. I was wrong. My local library, which owns Oliver's Story, didn't have it. And it's not available in Kindle format. Thanks to interlibrary loan, I was able to procure a copy. I am pretty sure, the copy was a first edition from 1970, deckled edges and all.

131 pages and two hours later, I was crying quietly, having finished reading the book.

As a child of the 70s, I've seen the film. My mother loved Ryan O'Neal and my father loved Ali MacGraw (he was likely impressed that she knew Steve McQueen) so it's only natural.

The book read almost like a screenplay of the film. The biggest difference being the book has Oliver's first person narration (I don't remember that being the case in the film.) But as I read the book, I followed along with the actors' respective voices in my head. I don't remember there being hockey in the movie. Maybe O'Neal can't skate. There sure was a helluva lot of hockey in the book. Maybe I've blocked the hockey out for self preservation.

Once again, this review is a lot more about me and a little bit about a book. The advantage is, it's my blog, not Segal's, so that's allowed. Plus, when the book has 131 pages, how much is there to say about it? I really liked Segal's dialogue. I liked the book. Certainly more than Jonathon Livingston Seagull, which was also on my mother's bookcase during my childhood. She won't remember. But I do.

 Four stars