The Fault in Our Stars

First of all, I didn’t cry. I know many of you did, and I can understand why, I really can. But, the thing is… this book has a balanced atmosphere. It’s both sad and full of life. During my reading, I concentrated on the joyful parts and the humour. Maybe that’s why I didn’t feel crushed by the ‘cancer’ part. The number of times I laughed out loud or giggled are uncountable. Of course, there were some times when I felt my eyes burn because what happens in this book is not fair. Then again, is life ALWAYS fair for any of us? Hint: no. Hazel is such an honest main character. At first, I thought it was impossible she had cancer. Sometimes, I even forgot she had cancer! She accepts it and I began to accept it as well. I rarely read books with diseases or heavy subjects in fact, so loving this book wasn’t in my pre-read expectations. BUT, I DID. OH, I DID. Will I re-read this book? YES, YES AND YES. I’m not the queen of re-readings, I know a queen of re-readings and it’s definitely not me. I’m way too excited about newly released books or ones I’m dying to read and haven’t to take the time to re-read books. In fact, I think I only re-read 12 books in my entire life. And that was when I was younger and didn’t know Goodreads existed, hehe. However, I know that, when I’m going to re-read The Fault in Our Stars, I’ll appreciate it even more than I do now, fall harder in love with Augustus and feel an even greater connection to Hazel. The originality of this book is beyond amazing. I kept thinking, ''how did John Green manage to invent all of that?'' He’s a fantastic author with an impressive writing style and choice of words. I’m so eager to read his other novels, in occurrence Looking for Alaska of which I heard only great things; it has a big amount of raving reviews. Hazel's family is adorable and full of love. She's so lucky to grow up surrounded by such comfortable and loving parents. I rarely see similar families in real life but they do exist so, yes, the story is also a believable one. Even the ‘author’ inside it feels real.

I have sharii my experience with this book as below John Green is possibly the most renowned author of Young Adult Fiction currently operating. His most well known book so far is probably this one, The Fault In Our Stars. The basis of the story is that a girl named Hazel who has cancer meets a boy named Augustus who she falls in love with. The two of them try to deal with cancer, love, and books. It's your average boy meets girl, girl has cancer, boy and girl talk about how a fictional book ends book. The whole story is beautifully written and is just breathtaking. The metatextual elements with references to the fictional book which the two are both a fan of (An Imperial Affliction) have a very Third Policeman–esque vibe to it, which, as a great fan of The Third Policeman was very enjoyable. I thought the plot was wonderful, the characters were absolutely believable and you do completely fall in love with them. Hazel and Augustus are fantastically drawn and the voice of them both is very funny and very well done. It is not a sick lit novel, despite having many of the trappings associated with the genre, it is a story about two people in love, one of whom has cancer. It also has a certain philosophical bent in which it discusses the meaning of life and death. Of course, I cannot talk about The Fault In Our Stars without mentioning the brilliant film adaptation. Despite what the Guardian film critic might say (apologies Guardian, but you are for once wrong about this. Stick to politics and children's books next time and stay away from films) it is equally as brilliant as the book and, in my opinion, enhances the novel which very few films do. For me, the novel and book are now as one, each dependent on the other. Augustus will always be Ansel Elgort and Peter Van Houten will always be that guy who I thought was John Hurt but wasn't and then realised was in The Life Aquatic. Or Willem Dafoe for short. I would recommend that everyone reads this book. It is beautiful, enthralling, funny and just fantastic. It shows how a short life can still be an infinity, even if it is a lesser one. It enthralls, entertains and educates and offers a jumping off point for young people to explore and discuss important philosophical issues. And yes, I did get something in my eye at the end. But it was totally dust. Totally. 10/10 Thank to Amazon for great deals with Amazon Prime Free and Fast Delivery

I had not read any of the John Green’s work earlier and being privy to the praises and kudos this book has garnered, I purchased this one hoping that it does hold true to all the praises. My initial thoughts about the book were of being skeptical as it dealt with cancer suffering characters and I thought, would have the usual story line unnecessary baking up the sentimental stuff in an attempt to forcibly touch the emotional chord of the reader (that’s why it perhaps remained in my ‘to read’ list for long). However, now when I have read the book, it did not really disappoint me per se. ‘The Fault in our Stars’ is a typical teenage romance where a boy meets girl, fall in love and then spends his life exploring answers to quench girl’s quest for the ending of a fictional story she adores. Despite being so predictive, there’s something in the book which connects with the reader the instant one starts reading the same. It’s actually a beautifully narrated human story of a cancer survivor boy and a cancer ridden girl that encompasses all the human emotions of love, longingness and affliction. Though it’s about the cancer suffering / surviving characters, this book is neither about the disease nor about the final fate it leads to but about the life that remains in between. As the story matures and characters evolve, the reader feels to be the one in Hazel & Augustus world, experiencing their ecstasy, pains and longings. The book paints the story of Hazel Grace who despite struggling to live lives out her struggle to survive, it is about Augustus Walters who despite being an amputee infuses enthusiasm and positivity in the life of people around, it is about Isaac who despite losing his eyes to the cancer manage to stay afloat and it is about many other lives which are intervened and tangled in their affairs. The plot of the book is simple and doesn’t really have that edge of the seat twists and turn & tend to flow effortlessly with the story, the high point of the book, however, is the dialogues. The manner in which the author effortlessly strings his words together to form sentences which are simple and uncomplicated yet deep and impactful is simply great. The inherent humour amidst the conversation and the ease with which the same has been crafted further add to the pleasure. However, at some junctures the book and the language thereof did appear ostentatious and far from being true. I specifically disliked the character of Peter Van Housten and the subplot of the story involving him. His character never really fit in the whole scheme of events and right of the beginning it appeared the odd one in the bunch. Infact, his character has been portrayed in a sketchy and shabby manner that all the scenes involving him actually appear sluggish and would have been better, if avoided. The cover page of the book is simple with blue ground its name written on a black patch. The title of the book is apt as it reflects the ironies in the lives of its characters which the contours of their hands structure. The printing, font and word spacing are decent enough to grant reader a comfortable read. The Final Word. . . ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ isn’t completely path breaking and remarkable but it does have its moments and phases which touch the chord. High on wit and humor & rich in emotional quotient, this one has been written beautifully with some amazing quotes providing an enthralling reading experience. Nothing life changing stuff here but the book surely moves you in bits telling you that even the most mediocre and short life can make a difference to the one around them. Recommended to be read & experienced for the wonderful quotes and statements and nuggets it offers. Rating: 3.5/5 Read the complete review here >>> http://musingsofawanderingheart.blogspot.in/2015/11/book-review-the-fault-in-our-stars.html

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It was an amazing read and I was hooked like crazy till the end. The chapters are a bit long but yet I flew through it... And honestly Augustus deserved so much better... Totally loved it... Please get it

It's a #sweet #bitter book. All right, straight to the point, this book is really heavy on the emotions and yet, you find yourself smiling at little moments present in the book. . I have to admit though, after reading a few classics I was a bit turned off with the teenage slang present in the first few chapters. But then again, we are looking at life through the eyes of a teenager. And I will say this, by the end of the book, I was sort of cursing myself for the decision to read this. I would have been just happy not knowing how someone suffers because of the disease. Not just the terminally ill, but also those around them. It's just. . If you want to read a book, no cancel that, if you want to torture yourself by reading a story where you know how it's going to end but just have to stay there with the characters and hold their hands and just delude yourself into thinking that they will have a happy ending if you never let them go......well, I say go for it. . Irrelevant verdict: I finally know why John Green is famous. And also there is a reason it's a best seller. Just read it, will ya!

iyi

A narrativa conta a estória de Hazel que aos treze anos foi diagnosticada com um câncer agressivo. Contudo, com o uso de uma nova droga, os médicos conseguiram reduzir e interromper o desenvolvimento de seu tumor. Aos dezesseis anos, em estágio terminal, seus pulmões não conseguem funcionar sozinhos e ela está sempre com um tubo de oxigênio em seus nariz. Em uma de suas reuniões em um grupo de ajuda para crianças portadores de câncer ela conhece Augustus Waters (o Gus), um jovem que possui a perna amputado em decorrência de um câncer que ele conseguiu vencer. A descoberta do amor e da alegria de viver é que vai delinear o enredo desta linda estória. Aqui, o câncer não é romantizado, não haverá atos incríveis de altruísmo, de superação, rendição ou pessoas que realmente deixaram sua marca no mundo. Não. São apenas dois extraordinários adolescentes descobrindo a vida. Há um passagem do livro, na qual John Green faz referência à peça Julius Cesar de Shakespeare: "A culpa, caro Brutus, não está nas estrelas, mas em nós mesmos". O que Julius Cesar inferia é que não há um destino traçado, nós é quem fazemos a nossa própria estória. O enredo e o título do livro, no entanto, demonstram exatamente o contrário: temos o livre arbítrio para alterar inúmeras coisas na nossa vida, mas algumas coisas já estão fadadas a acontecer, já estão escritas nas estrelas e por mais que tentamos não conseguimos alterá-la. O livro é lindamente escrito, cheio de metáforas e ironia. Os diálogos são fantásticos e os personagens extremamente cativantes. Se ele é triste? Sim, mas não é só isso, ele traz uma montanha russa de emoções. Eu sofri, chorei e também ri com os personagens que são extremamente reais e críveis. A culpa é das estrelas é um livro imperdível que vai te deixar com o coração partido.

John Green’s approach to the ultimate existential problem (time) is rather brilliant. He has demonstrated with gut-wrenching accuracy, what it is like to feel like a ticking time-bomb, and what makes this love story exceptionally thought-provoking, is that it actually IS thought-provoking. Not simply because of its premise, but the way in which it is dealt with; seemingly mundane, and in every way imaginable, extraordinary. For children to be grappling with life-crises most adults postpone until old age is heart-breaking as it is, but also unfathomably eye-opening. And the questions raised, while paint an ugly picture of the cruel reality of being ill, help extricate nuances (by definition, small and seemingly insignificant) which are surprisingly powerful in changing one’s mindset about why we are here, why it is transient, and whether or not that’s ok. I was shook to the core by this narrative, and though it was becoming painful to sob uncontrollably every few pages or so, it was also incredibly cathartic because every single word confirmed a reality I know exists, but which I would never want to experience for myself. The Fault in our Stars is unprecedented. It is raw, ugly, spellbinding, beautiful, infuriating, heart-breaking, and most importantly, it forces you to feel. It has dawned on me that all things—whether in or out of existence—pertain to the ultimate existential crisis. Not simply as relevant to us as human begins, but as fundamental as what it means to be a rock. To be a collection of molecules devoid of what we as humans deem as ‘awareness’. It would take a lifetime to decipher the enigma of what life is, and at best it seems, the most satisfactory conclusion is: that we simply do not know. And it can seem disheartening, not knowing what it is about life we cling onto so desperately, and why we fear its loss the most, even though there are losses far more excruciating within the realm of our experience: loss of hope, loss of freedom, loss of self, of dignity, of time. And there it is: time. The one commodity we falsely assume we have enough of. And once you have managed to grapple with its uncompromising nature, once you think you have planned your life well enough to do all that matters to you with the time you've been given, you only wind up with more questions than answers; and not the kind of answers you find, but the kind of answers you concoct. And we do so, because not knowing what lurks in the dark is infinitely more terrifying than the death sentence itself. So what it is about, this 'life'? Is it about living it as comfortably as you can manage? Is it about self-actualization? About leaving something behind? Is it ultimately about deciphering it? And most importantly, is this 'meaning of life' universal, or is it as personal as it can possibly get? The most comfort I have found in questioning virtually everything there is to question has been this: That most certainly, the only thing certain thing about life and death is uncertainty. And I’ve found that acknowledging this fact has in many ways relinquished my responsibility of a life-long pursuit for answers I will never get. In some ways, that is the simultaneous beauty and pitfall of philosophy: raising more unanswerable questions, but broadening horizons in the process. So what do you prefer? Do you prefer never loving, never laughing, never experiencing neither the peaks nor the valleys of life, so that once death comes, you can easily part with this ‘life’ you have not lived? Or do you want experience every beautiful and ugly facet of life alike, so that when it comes to part with it, you simply cannot? It seems to me that if parting with my life is not the most tragic, frightening, and unbearable thing imaginable, then my dreams have not been big enough; that I have not been living a full enough life. And the last thing I'd want on my death-bed (or within the last seconds of still retaining my consciousness) is feeling like: 'I cannot believe I could, and I didn't.' I believe not having anything to lose is the most tragic thing about loss.

Normalmente non sono un’amante dei libri strappalacrime. Preferisco i libri e gli scrittori più sfumati, che indagano i toni grigi della vita, le emozioni più confuse e perciò più vere. I grandi drammi mi sembrano sempre troppo facili. Ma il modo migliore per descrivere questo libro sono le parole di un mio studente, in una classe in cui l’ho dato da leggere: “Questo libro è strano. Mi fa ridere, però allo stesso tempo mi fa anche piangere.” The fault in our stars affronta sì uno dei drammi peggiori della vita – la morte, la morte incombente e ineluttabile e in giovane età -, ma lo affronta come piace a me, scavando nel profondo delle cose. Non è tutto una lacrima o tutto una lezione di vita; le lezioni di vita le trovi solo se vuoi, e sono piccole e perciò fondamentali. E ci sono passaggi estremamente comici, e ce ne sono altri di una crudezza indicibile – la definizione dei malati di cancro come effetti collaterali, scarti nel processo di evoluzione. Augustus Waters è uno dei personaggi più veri di cui io abbia mai letto – e più incantevoli. È impossibile non innamorarsene, magari in modo materno come è capitato a me, ed è impossibile non credergli. Nulla viene edulcorato: la ragazza malata di tumore al cervello, che la malattia rende crudele ma che non si sa se incolpare della sua crudeltà, perché forse è il cancro a parlare per lei; il ragazzo che diventa cieco e che viene mollato, perché nella vita spesso accade così e non tutti continuano ad amarci quando non siamo più interi; il peggioramento delle condizioni di Hazel e di Augustus, di cui non ci viene risparmiato nulla. E infine, la capacità e il bisogno di amare, che io non ho mai capito così tanto, e ammirato così tanto come in questo libro. Non mi è facile aggiungere qualcosa senza rovinare la magia del testo; è un libro privo di speranza, perché non offre miracoli, né fisici né mentali – non si guarisce dalle malattie terminali, non si guarisce dalla morte di una figlia, non si guarisce dalla voglia di vivere senza poter vivere; ed è un libro pieno di speranza, perché mostra come sia possibile vivere mille vite in pochi anni, in pochi mesi, in pochi giorni – l’infinito in una serie di istanti rubati. Il primo bacio di Hazel e Gus ha luogo nella casa di Anna Frank e non credo ci sia modo migliore di spiegare come questo romanzo trovi la vita nella morte; eppure non fornisce false e semplici risposte e illusioni, nessuno dei personaggi vorrebbe vivere la vita che ha ricevuto, tutti farebbero a cambio; e credo che la perfezione si raggiunga in Van Houten, che legge dal vivo la storia di Hazel e Gus e non riesce ad usarla per cambiarsi, per riprendersi, per rinascere: non ci sono risposte. Non ci sono verità finali, conversioni, illuminazioni. C’è il tentativo di rendere speciale quello che abbiamo, anche se quello che abbiamo fa schifo, e c’è la sfida più importante di tutte le vite di tutti gli esseri umani: ridere mentre si piange. Come dovremmo saper fare ogni giorno.

Buchinhalt: Hazel Lancaster ist krank, todkrank. Seit 4 Jahren leidet sie an Lungenkrebs im Stadium IV. Medikamente halten die Krebszellen in Schacht. Doch immer wieder auftretende Nebenwirkungen, der ohnehin schon geschwächte Körper der 16-jährigen sowie ihr treuer Begleiter - ein Sauerstofftank - hindern sie schon lange daran ein normales Leben zu führen. Von ihrer Mutter wird sie aus dem Haus getrieben um vermeintlichen Depressionen gegen zu wirken. So sitzt sie eines Tages in einer Selbsthilfegruppe für Krebskranke. Als ein Junge namens Augustus Waters in der Runde Platz nimmt, wird die abgestumpfte Hazel wachsam. Denn Augustus alias Gus kann den Blick nicht von ihr abwenden. Aus einer zufälligen Begegnung, entstehen weitere Treffen bei denen sie erfährt, dass Augustus den Krebs bekämpfen konnte. Der aufgeweckte, lebensfrohe Junge lockt Hazel aus ihrem Schneckenhaus und macht ihr unmissverständlich klar, dass er ein reges Interesse an ihr hat. Doch mehr als Freundschaft ist Hazel, trotz ihrer Gefühle für Augustus, nicht bereit zu geben. Zum ersten Mal seit langer Zeit beginnt Hazel sich wieder wohler zu fühlen, wird aktiver und lässt Augustus an ihren Gedanken und Träumen teilhaben. Und während diese beiden jungen Menschen gerade eben noch Hazels schmerzfreie Momente genießen konnten, schlägt das Schicksal im nächsten Augenblick erbarmungslos zu. Persönliche Meinung: Selbst nach Wochen ist es schwer für mich, trotz Notizen passende Worte zu finden, die John Greens The Fault in our Stars" gerecht werden. Es gibt alle paar Jahre ein Autor, der mit seinen Geschichten eine Generation bewegt. Zu diesen Autoren kann sich Green eindeutig zählen. Es ist eines, eine wundervolle insgesamt stimmige Geschichte zu erzählen. Doch John Greens Bücher überwiegen diese. Wenn Green das Schicksal seiner Protagonisten umschreibt, haut er dem Leser nicht nur eine Wolke geballter, intelligenter Worte um die Ohren. Man stellt sich besser auf ein Gewitter mit Regen, Hagel und dem schönsten Regenbogen am Himmel ein. The Fault in our Stars" wird getragen von Ehrlichkeit, Scharfsinnigkeit, Glück und viel Schmerz. In dieser fiktionalen Geschichte um Hazel Grace Lancaster und Augustus Waters wird die Krankheit Krebs nicht verschönigt. So achtete Green darauf, den Leser auf jeder Seite seines Buches auf das Thema zu stoßen, ohne daraus eine gänzlich tragische Krebsgeschichte zu machen. Der Autor lässt seine Protagonistin Hazel nicht als verletzliche Krebspatientin dastehen. Wenn ein Mensch sich auf einen Kampf um sein Leben einstellen muss, dann ist es wahrhaftig ein Kampf. Denn wer möchte sein eigenes Leben schon so leichtfertig aufgeben?! Hazel muss seit 4 Jahren mit einer sehr aggressiven Krebsart leben, immer wieder Rückschläge einstecken. Da benötigt sie nicht nur eine Menge Überlebenswillen sondern auch Humor. Und Hazel gibt dem Leser rabenschwarzen Humor. Man lacht auf der einen Buchseite herzlich und im nächsten Kapitel, während die Protagonistin über ihren beispiellosen Alltag berichtet, wird heftig geschluckt. Ich sage es immer wieder: jedes gute Buch braucht starke Protagonisten. John Green gibt uns neben Hazel, Augustus Walters. Eine Naturgewalt mit der das Mädchen nicht mehr gerechnet hat. Kalt erwischt hat er nicht nur Hazel, sondern auch mich. ,Gus` kennt ihre Schmerzen, er versteht ihre Gedanken und lässt es gerade deshalb nicht zu, Hazel in eine Depression gleiten zu lassen. So zeigt er ihr auf sehr ehrliche und gefühlvolle Art, dass sie noch lange nicht tot ist. Das ihr Leben es nicht nur verdient, gelebt zu werden sondern das sie es ihrem Leben schuldig ist, es auch zu leben. Mit einer Wende kann die Geschichte natürlich auch dienen. Es ist keine schöne Wende. Sie ist leise und erbarmungslos. An The Fault in our Stars" können sich sowohl Erwachsene als auch Jugendliche heranwagen. Es ist ein Buch, welches alle Altersklassen lesen können. Es ist ein Buch, über das man sehr lange nachdenkt und sicher auch reden sollte. Ich musste darüber reden. Fazit: The Fault in our Stars" ist schön, grausam, clever, ehrlich, witzig und sprüht dank seiner totkranken Protagonisten gar über vor Leben. Mit diesem Buch hat sich John Green vollends in mein Herz geschrieben.