What a beautiful story, where the old cliche, "it made me laugh, it made me cry" is realized. The writing style is simple and straightforward, the dialogue is enlightening, and the dramatic turns are both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Harold and Maude, the novel, begged to made into a movie, and the author, Colin Higgins, must have had dramatic aspirations when he wrote this. So they made a movie out of this, one of the greatest movies of all time. The power and basically everything worthwhile in the film comes from this book (not negating the acting of Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, or Vivian Pickles, who are all fantastic), from which Higgins later culled his screenplay. If anything, the experience of reading the novel may have some advantages over watching the film. It is quick and to the point, nothing is drawn out, and any extemporaneous extractions of theme or mood are left to the reader. Read the novel, see the movie, read or watch a staging of the play. Colin Higgins will be remembered for writing Harold and Maude the movie, but his great contribution to literature and mankind was first writing the book. This life-affirming novel needs to be in stock. Especially when there is so much other garbage overflowing the bookstore shelves.

Here is a novel that, as simple as it is, seems the succinct statement of the universal free spirit. Colin Higgins gave a rare power to his lovers; the supporting menagerie of hypocrites and the chimera of convention add color. As a love story, as a lively, hellraising entertainment, as a serious intellectual endeavor, Harold and Maude is stunning.

This is one of the most original, entertaining works I've ever read. As a companion piece to the movie, it's a real find.