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A review by bookphile
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
3.0
2nd re-read review:
SPOILERS
I think this book resonated better with me the first time. Because my nineteen year old cousin died in an accident and the pain was fresh.
I can honestly say that this book is just John Green talking. If you ever watched any of his videos, the writing in his book are exactly how he talks. Somewhat pretentious and funny in a geeky way. But it's fine when a forty something year old man talks like that. But when two teenagers talk like that? It just felt so trite. I don't really buy the fact that Augustus talked that way on purpose. If anything, I feel like he'd talk in slang instead of metaphors.
The first thing that jumped out at me this time was how quickly things happen, maybe only a couple of months. They meet and then maybe two weeks later Augustus asks her to go with him to Amsterdam. They only spend three days there. Then he's sick and within a month he dies.
I don't think their love is as epic as they make it out to be. They barely knew each other. But I think that's the point. Like Augustus says "you gave me an eternity in a numbered amount of days." or whatever. Time is different for them. They know they could die any time.
I knocked this down a star. And I almost knocked it down to two because it means "it's ok" and that would be metaphorical.
First Review:
The humankind thrives on suffering. I'm not trying to be poetic and I know I sound contrite, but it's true. Why else would people write about dying children, more importantly why would anyone read them? Maybe it's because it makes us feel better about ourselves, because hey, I don't have cancer or I don't know anyone who does. Or maybe some people read them because they want to feel connected, because they want to know that they aren't the only ones who suffered through this. But either way it still makes us feel better. Honestly, I didn't like this book at first, because it was annoying. Well, actually the dialogue between the teenagers was annoying because it was extremely unrealistic. Okay, I get it, these kids are dying and they're smart, and this somehow gives this this incredible existential depth that even the adults can't reach. Okay, I know some very smart people: they don't talk like that. Usually, those really, incredibly intelligent people talk like five year olds. Unless they're Sheldon Cooper, and even he talks in more understandable terms than these teenagers. BEWARE SPOILERS AHEAD: The plot twists were actually really easy to pick up on. I guessed about half way through the book, I think right when they went on the trip that the person dying wasn't going to be the one you were led to believe. I started bawling pretty early. I actually hate this book because it was so hard to read because it made me cry so hard. But I liked other things: I liked how it was Hazel's Dad who cried. I liked Isaac. I liked how his girl-friend broke up with him. I liked Hazel's best friend who called her and tried to be nice even if Hazel no longer makes an effort. And the fact that she doesn't doesn't let go even if Hazel already did. I liked that her parents don't let her wallow... not entirely. At the end anyway, her Mom doesn't take shit from her. I think Augustus's parent's reaction were underplayed: I know someone who just passed away, his parents are inconsolable. His Dad talks to him, walks to places where they've been together, keeps talking to him. He keeps crying. This man guzzles vodka like it's nothing, take shit from no one type of guy. And he can't stop crying. His Mom wouldn't let go of the coffin. Mr. Green you really underplayed it. Although I guess when you expect it, it's different than when it just happens.
I don't know. I'm still crying. This book was just really, really hard to read.
SPOILERS
I think this book resonated better with me the first time. Because my nineteen year old cousin died in an accident and the pain was fresh.
I can honestly say that this book is just John Green talking. If you ever watched any of his videos, the writing in his book are exactly how he talks. Somewhat pretentious and funny in a geeky way. But it's fine when a forty something year old man talks like that. But when two teenagers talk like that? It just felt so trite. I don't really buy the fact that Augustus talked that way on purpose. If anything, I feel like he'd talk in slang instead of metaphors.
The first thing that jumped out at me this time was how quickly things happen, maybe only a couple of months. They meet and then maybe two weeks later Augustus asks her to go with him to Amsterdam. They only spend three days there. Then he's sick and within a month he dies.
I don't think their love is as epic as they make it out to be. They barely knew each other. But I think that's the point. Like Augustus says "you gave me an eternity in a numbered amount of days." or whatever. Time is different for them. They know they could die any time.
I knocked this down a star. And I almost knocked it down to two because it means "it's ok" and that would be metaphorical.
First Review:
The humankind thrives on suffering. I'm not trying to be poetic and I know I sound contrite, but it's true. Why else would people write about dying children, more importantly why would anyone read them? Maybe it's because it makes us feel better about ourselves, because hey, I don't have cancer or I don't know anyone who does. Or maybe some people read them because they want to feel connected, because they want to know that they aren't the only ones who suffered through this. But either way it still makes us feel better. Honestly, I didn't like this book at first, because it was annoying. Well, actually the dialogue between the teenagers was annoying because it was extremely unrealistic. Okay, I get it, these kids are dying and they're smart, and this somehow gives this this incredible existential depth that even the adults can't reach. Okay, I know some very smart people: they don't talk like that. Usually, those really, incredibly intelligent people talk like five year olds. Unless they're Sheldon Cooper, and even he talks in more understandable terms than these teenagers. BEWARE SPOILERS AHEAD: The plot twists were actually really easy to pick up on. I guessed about half way through the book, I think right when they went on the trip that the person dying wasn't going to be the one you were led to believe. I started bawling pretty early. I actually hate this book because it was so hard to read because it made me cry so hard. But I liked other things: I liked how it was Hazel's Dad who cried. I liked Isaac. I liked how his girl-friend broke up with him. I liked Hazel's best friend who called her and tried to be nice even if Hazel no longer makes an effort. And the fact that she doesn't doesn't let go even if Hazel already did. I liked that her parents don't let her wallow... not entirely. At the end anyway, her Mom doesn't take shit from her. I think Augustus's parent's reaction were underplayed: I know someone who just passed away, his parents are inconsolable. His Dad talks to him, walks to places where they've been together, keeps talking to him. He keeps crying. This man guzzles vodka like it's nothing, take shit from no one type of guy. And he can't stop crying. His Mom wouldn't let go of the coffin. Mr. Green you really underplayed it. Although I guess when you expect it, it's different than when it just happens.
I don't know. I'm still crying. This book was just really, really hard to read.