"There was a sequel in book and film called Oliver's Story... but one love story is enough" is what I said in my review of the classic Love Story by Erich Segal, but here I am reviewing Oliver's Story.
I was right the first time.
Love Story was a cultural phenomenon in book and film when it premiered, becoming the top-selling work of fiction of 1970, and remaining at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list for 41 weeks. The film was an even bigger hit.
People were captivated by the new screen actress Ali McGraw, and the all consuming love affair cut short by her illness. How stoic and selfless she was broke many hearts. Jennie taught Oliver how to love and how to set her free. It was Jennie's story.
Here we have a continuation, as Oliver tends his grief, unable to think of love again. He sees a therapist, and friends coax him to dinner parties, perhaps to meet single women. He remains close friends with Jennie's father Phil, who even places a personals ad for him. Happenstance and jogging in Central Park bring him into contact with Marcie - composed, free-flowing, lovely, and flawless - they spark right away, and although they start with friendly tennis dates, it's clear by her open pursuit Marcie is interested in more. Besides his grief, Oliver has reservations. His Jennie was casual from a humble home, where Oliver is from a wealthy old Harvard family. He soon realizes Marcie can match him in high society and privilege as she has inherited and runs the family business, the exclusive department store Benningdales. Marcie keeps her wealthy lifestyle under wraps, not wanting to scare partners away, but it becomes a problem when Oliver shirks his burgening legal career to follow her around. This is 1977, and a woman wearing the pants is a problem.
There is Christmas in New England with the family, and pressure on Oliver to quit law and take over the family firm. Always present though, is the underlying feeling that liking someone else would be disloyal to the only girl he ever loved.
He can't tell if he is happy or if he is sad - but at least he knows he is feeling.
The world fell in love with Jennie in Love Story and the idea of a young beauty like Ali McGraw dying of luekemia. In my opinion, readers were not asking for a continuation of the Oliver character, even though Ryan O'Neal in his prime played him in both Love Story and Oliver's Story (this time with Candice Bergen as Marcie). It could be that a full novel about Oliver discovering himself was not as interesting, or, simply that it is a sequel, that this novel doesn't spark the same success.
To me, Erich Segal is not the best writer, and this is less than the first novel. Interesting, but not memorable. It has a dated quality, set in the 1970's when a young white man was still intimidated by a forthright self-sufficient woman. At least he was seeing a therapist about it. Segal originally wrote Love Story as a screenplay, and the studio asked for a novel to come out at the same time as the film for promotion. That worked beyond anyone's expectations. To then have a sequel book and film seems natural, but lightning didn't hit twice.
A friend just asked me why I read such obscure books...
Add this to the list.
1977 / Hardcover / 181 pages
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