“Doctors” by Erich Segal

I have heard that every student who joins a medical school reads this book. I do not know how true is that but I liked this book very much even without going to medical school. It is one of those books that I have enjoyed reading multiple times and have felt happy every time I have read it. As the name suggests “Doctors” is a story of group of Medical students from Harvard Medical School. The story starts from their childhood till they become doctors and thereafter.

Even though there are other characters in the book, it is the characterization of main stars Barney and Laura that keeps you hooked throughout the story. Their friendship starts from childhood and the reader starts waiting when it will get transformed into love but Segal does not let that happen till late in the book. For me this makes the book almost a suspense thriller. You know something will happen but you do not know when and how Segal will bring it along. The story of their friendship before it gets transformed in love was the main highlight of this book for me.

The book is also very well researched depiction of life in medical school. The students have to really fight for their career and along with that ethics and their own personal problems. Segal has also given space to other characters in the book and he goes into details of their life as well. The book is detailed on medical studies but at the same time written in such a way that a person not related to medicine can also appreciate and enjoy the book.

Most adorable moment for me in the book was when Barney and Laura meet for the first time as kids and discover that they are boy and girl and hence different from each other.

“Love Story” by Erich Segal

I guess all college going students get introduced to this book in some way or the other. It is one of those timeless romantic classics that is enjoyed for the first time by kids who suddenly start taking interest in opposite sex. The story is very simple and is about a rich boy meeting a poor girl and falling in love and how in the end the girl dies due to illness leaving the guy alone.

For me the book was a classic example of dialog writing. Many times I have found that it is difficult to come up with conversation in a book. Movies are great for conversations. You don’t have to keep writing A says; B says; You don’t need to write expressions, you can leave sentences half-finished. The medium of movie allows that since you have a powerful dimension of visuals. But in the books, you need to describe everything and sometimes that can be a killer for impromptu conversation. Segal has overcome this limitation with wonderful conversational dialogs in this book. You really feel as though you are seeing that conversation happening between two characters and writer is not killing it by putting in extra words.

The book is of course very emotional. But it brings a smile to your face as well. The playfulness of Jennifer even during the hard times that they have touches your heart.

I had read this book when I had started going to college and later on read other books of Segal as well. I will probably write about them in separate pages. Recently, I also saw the movie, but I did not like the movie as much.