Love Story (novel)

First edition cover
Author	Erich Segal
Original title	Love Story
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Romance novel
Publisher	Harper & Row (USA), Hodder & Stoughton (UK)
Publication date	February 14, 1970
Media type	Hardcover, paperback
Pages	131
ISBN
Followed by	Oliver's Story

Love Story is a 1970 romance novel by American writer Erich Segal. The book's origins lay in a screenplay that Segal wrote, and that was subsequently approved for production by Paramount Pictures. Paramount requested that Segal adapt the story into novel form as a preview of sorts for the film. The novel was released on February 14, 1970, Valentine's Day. Portions of the story originally appeared in The Ladies' Home Journal.Love Story became the top-selling work of fiction for all of 1970 in the United States, and was translated into more than 20 languages. The novel stayed for 41 weeks in The New York Times Best Seller list, reaching the top spot. A sequel, Oliver's Story, was published in 1977. The film (Love Story) was released on December 16, 1970.

Love Story is romantic and funny yet tragic. It is the tale of two college students whose love enables them to overcome the adversities they encounter in life: Oliver Barrett IV, a Harvard jock and heir to the Barrett fortune and legacy, and Jennifer Cavilleri, the quick-witted daughter of a Rhode Island baker. Oliver (Ollie) was expected to assume control of his father's business empire, while Jennifer (Jenny), a music major studying at Radcliffe College planning to study in Paris. From very different worlds, Oliver and Jenny are immediately attracted to each other and their love deepens. The story of Jenny and Ollie is a story of two young people who come from two separate worlds and are joined together in the unlikeliest of ways.

Upon graduation from college, the two decide to marry, against the wishes of Oliver's father, who promptly severs all ties with his son. Without financial support, the couple struggles to pay Oliver's way through Harvard's Law School, with Jenny working as a private school teacher. Graduating third in his class, Oliver gets several job offers and takes up a position at a respectable New York law firm. Jenny promises to follow Oliver anywhere on the East Coast. The couple move to New York City, excited to spend more time together, rather than working and studying. With Oliver's new income, the pair decide to have a child. After Jenny fails to conceive, they consult a medical specialist, who after repeated tests, informs Oliver and Jenny that Jenny is suffering from leukemia and will not be able to live longer than a few months.