London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1970

8vo, pp. 131. Original black and white boards, lettered in black and white to spine. Top edge red. Illustrated dust jacket, author’s photographic portrait to rear panel. A fine copy in an all but fine dust jacket, with the lightest of edgewear to top edge.

First UK edition, INSCRIBED BY SEGAL IN THE YEAR OF PUBLICATION: ‘To Pamela (’delicious’) Regards -- Erich Segal 24 August 1970 London’.
'Love means not ever having to say you're sorry.' (Love Story, the book). 'Love means never having to say you're sorry.' (Love Story, the film). 'I was nauseous and tingly all over. I was either in love or I had smallpox.' (Woody Allen, Annie Hall).

In a reversal of the usual Hollywood model, the film of Love Story was conceived before the book. Erich Segal’s screenplay for the film had been green-lit by Paramount Pictures, who then asked him to write a tie-in novel to form part of the film’s promotional campaign. Love Story was published in the US on Valentine’s Day, 1970. By the time the film was released in December the novel had been on the New York Times Best Seller list for months -- which ensured the film was a world-wide smash.

The recipient of this copy was Pamela Blackwell Price, wife of the book’s literary editor John Blackwell. Price regularly hosted (and catered) welcoming parties for her husband’s visiting foreign authors (hence the ‘delicious’ in the inscription).

A fine copy -- literary editors’ copies are usually in fine unread condition as they’ve already read the book several times before publication -- and an excellent association.