Only love ?. Review on Only Love - Erich Segal

There are two kinds of love – one is the slow, insidious kind that creeps up on you and becomes part of your life without your even coming to know about it. This is the taken for granted kind of love – knowing that person is going to be part of your life for ever and ever and never questioning that fact. The problem with this kind of love is, it does get taken for granted – too much so, sometimes. So, that which we call by any other name escapes our grasp and then it’s too late.

The second kind of love comes and bonks you on the head and brrrrrrrraaaaatttttts you in the face and says Hey, lookit me, here I am !!! It can stand you up on your head and dangle you by the ears just like the pixies did Neville Longbottom. Just like Neville, you may question “Why does it always happen to me ?” but no Peskipiksi pesternomi is going to rid you of it. It’s like a roller coaster ride. The problem with this kind of love is, it takes you to a high and drops you flat on your face.

The Story

Matthew Hiller has just had the (mis?)fortune to experience both kinds of love and their cons – the first with Evie, the second with Sylvia. A product of an alcoholic but brilliant father, Matthew is just trying a little too hard to be Mr. Perfect - A wonderful son, terrific brother, sincere friend, music maestro and dedicated doctor. Here he meets Sylvia – Miss even more perfect. Sylvia is beautiful, brainy, rich and an escapist. So they fall in love, are about to get married, when an accident happens and she flees back to her rich, secure world, taking with her Matthew’s lifeline – his music. Matthew immerses himself in science. Many years later, Evie reenters his life, they get married. Then Sylvia reenters his life with a cancer on the brain. What happens next ?

So, why did I pick up this book….

When I’ve read it many times before ?

To tell the truth, it’s not a great book, a once in a lifetime book or even a great love story though Erich Segal’s narrative skills do keep you bound to the characters right to the end.

Even in spite of the title, this book is not about romantic love alone.

Some of the most enjoyable parts of the book (to me) are Matthew’s days in South Africa, his account of the poverty, the disease and the indomitable people. Something in me appreciates the commitment that brings Matthew and his kind of people to this place to help the poorest of the poor. The team’s camaraderie and spirits in spite of the squalor seems real. Similarly, the description of the early Molecular Biology days and Matthew’s search for a gene are aptly described. The concept (all too familiar) of “living in the lab.” is described with just enough humor. In my opinion, these are the high points of the story.

Music runs throughout the book, joining our three intelligent, gifted but very fallible characters. In the end, the question is not whether Matthew finds love, Evie or Sylvia it’s not even if he can find his music again.

The question is - can he find himself ?