Abt 6 Harvard's students' high aspiration and crashed dreams. Poignant. one of my all-time favorite. ( )

Not bad for beach reading on a hot
summer day. ( )

Another one of my eric segal favourites! ( )

El repaso que estos personajes nos brindan de los últimos treinta años de la historia occidental es un mosaico en el que destacan los puntos más trascendentales de una generación que Segal conoce muy bien, pues él mismo perteneció a la promoción del 58.

With my own class reunion approaching, just for amusement, I am reading several books of the “class reunion” theme, hoping to get myself psyched about seeing old friends and acquaintances. The Class is a novel about Harvard’s class of 1958, revolving around five young men from various backgrounds and diverse walks of life. The first half of the book begins in 1954 and covers the 4 years of college. The second half covers 25 years beyond, when they are all preparing to return for the 25 year reunion.

Just getting admitted to Harvard is no small accomplishment. So, each of the students enter this elite institute of higher learning with high expectations and intense pressure to succeed. None of that: drinking until dawn, keg parties, skipping classes, and opting for the easy courses. This is a “suicide if I don’t succeed” mentality. Fierce competition….sacrifice…..determination….

The five young men:
Daniel Rossi – A music major. All he ever wanted was his father’s approval, but Dad is a macho, right wing, conservative saying “Why music?”
Jason Gilbert- An “all American” guy, but Jewish, and Yale turned him down because of it. Harvard is his second choice.
Theodore Lambros – A Greek who has the grades, but not enough money so can’t afford to live on campus. He has to commute and work in his Dad’s restaurant in-between classes.
Andrew Eliot – Born with a silver spoon in his mouth; a long history of Harvard men in the family. He’s a great guy, but he is not ambitious.
George Keller – a foreign student who arrives in the United States barely able to speak English determined to pursue a political life.

There are several reasons I really like The Class:
Besides revealing the inner workings of Harvard; the rituals, the culture, and the mentality of the students who attend, it also takes the reader into the arena of life after graduation in the fields of politics, the arts, and academia. The span of time includes many historical events: The conflict in Israel, JFK’s assassination, The Vietnam War, and Nixon’s impeachment. And touches on many cultural issues: segregation, communism, women’s roles/duties, marriage/divorce. Plus, there are some strong female characters. Also, Erich Segal, the son of a rabbi, was a graduate of the Harvard class of 1958, and also got his Masters and Doctorate at Harvard, and later taught Latin and Greek at Harvard, so even though this is fiction, his own personal experience makes The Class both credible and realistic. ( )