The Class

By Erich Segal

Book Overview

From world-renowned author Erich Segal comes a powerful and moving saga of five extraordinary members of the Harvard class of 1958 and the women with whom their lives are intertwined. Five lives, five love stories- Danny Rossi , the musical prodigy, risks it all for Harvard, even a break with his domineering father. Yet his real problems are too much fame too soon-and too many women. Ted Lambros spends his four years as a commuter, an outsider. He is obsessed by his desire to climb to the top of the Harvard academic ladder, heedless of what it will cost him in personal terms. Jason Gilbert ,the Golden Boy-handsome, charismatic, a brilliant athlete-learns at Harvard that he cannot ignore his Jewish background. Only in tragedy will he find his true identity. George Keller , a refugee from Communist Hungary, comes to Harvard with the barest knowledge of English. But with ruthless determination, he masters not only the language but the power structure of his new country. Andrew Eliot is haunted by three centuries of Harvard ancestors who cast giant shadows on his confidence. It is not until the sad and startling events of the reunion that he learns his value as a man. Their explosive story begins in a time of innocence and spans a turbulent quarter century, culminating in their dramatic twenty-five year reunion at which they confront their classmates-and the balance sheet of their own lives. Always at the center; amid thepassion, laughter, and glory, stands Harvard-the symbol of who they are and who they will be. They were a generation who made the rules-then brokethem-whose glittering successes, heartfelttragedies, and unbridled ambitions would stun the world. Praise for The Class "Erich Segal's best." - Pittsburgh Press "First class entertainment." - Cosmopolitan "An absorbing page-turner." - Publishers Weekly "A panoramic saga." - Philadelphia Inquirer

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553270907
• ISBN13: 9780553270907
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: Bantam
• Length: 560 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 4.2" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

The best !!

This is the best book I have ever read and the only book I have read more than once.A very powerful novel that completely touches the reader where it really feels !! No words can say anything about the book. You got to read it.

Wonderful novel.

This is, in my opinion, Segal's best writing. As is his way, he weaves fiction with portions of historical fact, and realism in locale which make the reading more credible, and imminently enjoyable. It moves through conflicts and peacetime; from Cambridge to Europe and the Middle East.It is a delightful journey of a handful of young people through their respective lives. It has unrecognized (by some, at least) and public triumph, the struggles, and uncertainties that we all have gone through. These members of the Harvard Class of 1958 start in very different places, move together in Cambridge, and then move away (and back together). The well managed story takes the fortunate reader right along with them.In this novel, I see friends (and acquaintances) from high school, college and law school. A touching and warm book, I have read (like many other reviewers) time and time and time again.

Inspiring... A Brilliant Saga

Erich Segal is truly one of the greatest novelists of all times, all of his works evoking pathos. "The Class" is no exception. Each character has a distinct personality, and the incorporation of real and fictional characters is pure genuis. This is a book I have read over and over again, and enjoyed each and every time. A wonderful, stirring read.

Well worth the time!

When I was a senior in High School I took a reading course that hadn't been offered before. We were made to read...no, "made" is such a harsh term...we were asked to read several books with The Class being one of the "optional" selections. I've treasured this book ever since. There have been so few books in my life that I've kept after I've read them once or twice. The Class is one of the exceptions. You can't help but feel like you know these characters personally. Before you start reading this book, please make sure you have a clear calendar because you will not be able to put it down. And when you read the last page, you will want to start all over again. You will be cheering for characters and crying for characters. And you will wish that you could meet someone just like one of them, just so you could proudly say you were friends.

Segal takes you on a journey through life.... Your life!

'This is life!'...So was my first thought after I had recovered from the shock that Segal's The Class gave me. The book reflects all the dark, weak and incredibly strong sides of us human beings. It makes you see plainly how a person can affect his own life -and others' alike- as you discover devotion in Jason Gilbert's sacrifice, good-nature in Andrew Eliot's humiliation, ambition in Ted Lambros' battle with life, conflict in George Keller's dilemma, and greed in Daniel Rossi's talent. From the moment you begin reading the first words you feel absorbed by the pages. First, you find yourself having fun in the dorms, together with young, carefree men and women as they shape their future. Later you feel as if you were side-by-side with them, trying to have a place in this world -sometimes they succeed, sometimes they fail. You wonder at the contradiction between what one wants out of life and what one ends up with. In short you learn about life with every page you turn!