The Fault in Our Stars
discussion
Am I the only one who hates this book with burning passion?
Aly wrote: "I went to the desk and asked for a refund of the book and NEVER bought any of hia books again."Wise decision, Aly.
Aly wrote: "The thing is, I'm pretty sure people easily confuse "good" literature with "the readers will love this" literature. A lot of books that are coming out or have come out in the past couple of years are ideas that have been so overdone, they're not even compelling anymore."Just because a lot of people love a book doesn't automatically mean that it's a masterpiece.
I found it disturbing when Hazel agrees to go to Augustus' house just few minutes after meeting him. I mean, you cannot fall for a stranger's words so easily. What if he were a murderer?
Amelia wrote: "I honestly feel like a lot of YA is turning to crap now."Yes. Mary-Sues, that-same-smokin-hot-guy, cliched plots, insta-love, abusive relationship etc. are aggravating. I feel that YA has got nothing new to offer especially in the dystopian genre.
Ayesha wrote: "Emma wrote: "The infinities thing is actually true.Like I said in my review, it can be proved mathematically but when Hazel compares that quote to the days that Augustus gave her, it becomes absu..."
Just my 2 cents again, but I think she was referring to time and how people's perceptions of just how much time has passed or just how much time they have left can vary. Her perceptions on life have changed so much in a short period of time that when she is looking at pictures from the past, it seems like forever ago to her when they actually were not that long ago. A picture that was only taken a few months ago, seems like a lifetime ago to her.
I actually tried to explain that concept before when I talked about how far removed I was from my HS days when I was in my 20's even though the actual age difference was only a few years. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.
Mochaspresso wrote: "Ayesha wrote: "Emma wrote: "The infinities thing is actually true.Like I said in my review, it can be proved mathematically but when Hazel compares that quote to the days that Augustus gave her, ..."
I get your point.
Mochaspresso wrote: "Not being argumentative again. Just speaking my peace on something that was said.The quote "My thoughts are stars I can't fathom into constellations" actually does make sense within the context ..."
The problem is that the phrase was completely unnecessary. He cluttered up his writing with "witty" sayings in nearly every paragraph. Had he limited it to a handful of flowery speeches they would have had a much stronger impact. He wasn't writing a book of poetry for crying out loud. Here's a quote from Mark Twain on the subject:
"I notice that you use plain, simple language, short words and brief sentences. That is the way to write English--it is the modern way and the best way. Stick to it; don't let fluff and flowers and verbosity creep in. When you catch an adjective, kill it. No, I don't mean utterly, but kill most of them--then the rest will be valuable. They weaken when they are close together. They give strength when they are wide apart. An adjective habit, or a wordy, diffuse, flowery habit, once fastened upon a person, is as hard to get rid of as any other vice." - Mark Twain (Of course, Mr. Irony said this in the most wordy way possible.)
Veronica wrote: "Okay so I read your review and I wanted to response to it more directly, I've read the book a few months ago and I enjoyed it, it had it's problems but on a whole it was enjoyable. And I just want..."Nice :)
Why the infinity thing is in the story: Hazel and Gus represent 2 contrasting schools of thoughts. While Gus is all about heroism and leaving his mark on the world, Hazel is, well kinda going through the motions and taking things as the come.Hazel resumes at the end that even between small numbers like 2 and 3 there still is an infinite amount of numbers, she relates that to her time with Gus being short, but full of emotions and memories, so many in fact she can not count them either.
Ayesha wrote: "I found it disturbing when Hazel agrees to go to Augustus' house just few minutes after meeting him. I mean, you cannot fall for a stranger's words so easily.
What if he were a murderer?"
Well she knew that he was a friend of Isaacs. plus they met at a self help group for kids with cancer and he was of the same age. It is not toooo absurd
But I agree with what you said about the YA Distopia genre, Ayesha. All the Divergents and Deliriums of this world need to disappear, they offer nothing new
Ayesha wrote: "Amelia wrote: "I honestly feel like a lot of YA is turning to crap now."Yes. Mary-Sues, that-same-smokin-hot-guy, cliched plots, insta-love, abusive relationship etc. are aggravating. I feel tha..."
Especially in the dystopian genre. Most dystopian now are all the same.
(*cough* I'm talking to you, Cassandra Clare. Though it's not really 'dystopian' that you write, same concept.)
Katie wrote: "Jace and Clary's relationship wasn't insta love. It just was very quick."Not trying to be rude, but 'insta-love' does mean 'quick'.
Katie wrote: "Also would like to remind you of connotations and denotations. My connotation of "insta-love" is love at first sight(Bella Edward style) or during first few chapters of a book. Sure, Jace kissed C..."I did read the second book and they didn't necessarily "stop" their relationship even though they knew it was incest. (yes, I know, in the 4th book they find out they're not related, blah blah blah, but still...)
Hey, thanks for spoiling a series that I haven't read on a thread that's completely unrelated to those books.
I actually enjoyed the book but I guess each person has their own prefernces with books so I can't blame anyone for not liking it as much as others. Oh well!
Aly wrote: "This book made me so angry. Like, I can't even explain. I think AIA would make a better book than this.Fair enough, there are those who like this book, and I don't blame them, because in itself, ..."
Ditto on the Hazel is obnoxious and self-centered part. John Green has a nice way of stringing words together but almost all the teen characters were unlikeable. Except Isaac. He might just singularly be this book's saving grace. I laughed when he cried and shed mirthful tears at his jokes.
Even though I had to trudge through the first 100 pages, I felt myself eventually warming up to their situation and the general feeling of helplessness maybe it's trying to convey.
Aly wrote: "@Amy: I get what you mean. I sometimes wonder if maybe John Green, because he has such a way with words, would've been better off as a poet."
I feel something similar. I thought that the sprinkling of nice one-liners would be better suited to tweets than to attempting to lend any kind of dept to a trashy romance novel.
Kate wrote: "Hey, thanks for spoiling a series that I haven't read on a thread that's completely unrelated to those books."Seriously! Thankfully I wasn't paying enough attention to know what the series was, but I have a sneaking suspicion it is one I want to read, so I'm going to pretend I didn't read that.
I also think John Green wouldn't make a very good poet. I see how one would think that, but even poets make sense where as his words were sparkly sounding filler.
Aly wrote: "@Rebecca: It becomes a bit of a nuisance. I'd much rather he was straightforward with his descriptions/dialogues than trying to be a replica Shakespeare with his "woe is me attitude"."Is that an attempt at being critical of Shakespeare?
Erm...hence the reason I asked instead of just assuming.
I think the reason you hate it is because you don't understand it or in other words do not want to face death. The things you think of when ultimately knowing you are gonna face death soon are endless and not like a normal person would be thinking. I mean don't get me wrong I'm just a kid but this book in my opinion was written amazingly and has gotten the mind of a person with cancer amazingly also
Charlotte wrote: "Hannah wrote: "I think the reason you hate it is because you don't understand it or in other words do not want to face death. The things you think of when ultimately knowing you are gonna face dea..."Amen.
Charlotte wrote: "Hannah wrote: "I think the reason you hate it is because you don't understand it or in other words do not want to face death. The things you think of when ultimately knowing you are gonna face dea..."Eh and okay the kitten murderer thing u said was pretty funny hahahahah
Amelia wrote: "Charlotte wrote: "Hannah wrote: "I think the reason you hate it is because you don't understand it or in other words do not want to face death. The things you think of when ultimately knowing you ..."Hahahah
Katie wrote: "I don't believe in hating. You can majorly dislike, yes, but hating people/books people wrote/anything in the world isn't humane. I guess you can say I'm following Valjean's footsteps."Quick question who's valjean jk u don't have to answer that
Katie wrote: "Well if Green cant be a poet, he could be a bad pop songwriter."
OH HELL YES
OH HELL YES
Hannah wrote: "I think the reason you hate it is because you don't understand it or in other words do not want to face death. The things you think of when ultimately knowing you are gonna face death soon are end..."Yeah, but no. People don't like this book because it is a godawful mess pretending to be something special. I can tell you that I've read a fair amount of YA and other lit on this subject, and, after A Walk to Remember, TFIOS is the absolute worst "cancer story" I've ever read. There are other books that do the same basic story much better -- and some of them don't even have to kill anybody off to get tears from readers.
Aly wrote: "I totally agree. He probably does. I met him once, back when I first read Looking for Alaska and I aaked him, "Do you like your fans? "
And he said,"Only those who love my work. Not those who like..."
Wow, I hope he was just messing with you - trying to be witty, of course!! -- but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he actually meant it.
Ayesha wrote: "I found it disturbing when Hazel agrees to go to Augustus' house just few minutes after meeting him. I mean, you cannot fall for a stranger's words so easily. What if he were a murderer?"
The whole story was ridiculous, but what really jumped the shark for me was when she and Augustus went to meet van Houten, and after they got into it, didn't she slap the drink out of van Houten's hand or something??? And then he pops up in the back seat of he car later on? What in the actual fuck. Too bizarre even for this book.
Pilcrow wrote: "Hannah wrote: "I think the reason you hate it is because you don't understand it or in other words do not want to face death. The things you think of when ultimately knowing you are gonna face dea..."Just a side note is a walk to remember a good book?
Hannah wrote: Just a side note is a walk to remember a good book? No, it was terrible; that's my point. :)
I just thought the characters were kind of cardboard, and maybe the whole overall story was too sentimental for me. I like snark, just not in when it's being used to carry a whole story. Though I will say that at least A Walk to Remember doesn't pretend to be anything other than a cheesy romance, unlike some books I can think of :))
Amelia wrote: "Especially in the dystopian genre. Most dystopian now are all the same.(*cough* I'm talking to you, Cassandra Clare. Though it's not really 'dystopian' that you write, same concept.)"
Don't get me started on TMI. I read the first 2 books in the series and I hated them not to mention that the whole series is plagiarised. Clare is milking the cash cow by releasing more and more books based on TMI with the repetitive concept every year. I mean, look at TID, Bane chronicles and now I've heard that she's going to release another shadowhunters series with the same-girl-finding-out-that-she's-a-shadowhunter storyline.
Katie wrote: "In TDA, Emma already knows she's a shadowhunter. In TLH, they already know they're shadowhunters. In the last series that I forget its name they already know they are shadowhunters. What are you ta..."I'm talking about the similarities between TMI and TID...
Just like Clary she's immersed in the shadow hunter's world and fights beside them...
where has this thread gone?
I sure wish it was spoilers in this thread since I only read the first TID book and planned on reading the others
so its not really even about tfios anymore.
I like the book, but it's not all these little fangirls make it out to be.
Okay, getting back on track: everyone, name the single most obnoxious piece of dialogue from TFIOS, Good luck picking just one. Aaaaand GO.
You have a right to your opinion... However, I thought this book was really great. It wasn't a typical YA Dystopian novel, or like almost every other book out there in the YA world. I, personally, learned a lesson from this book. Respect life. Don't lose hope. It's such a fragile thing: Life. Yes, it wasn't the perfect novel, but it had a deep meaning... Think of the cancer kids while you hate on this novel. Think of how this novel would impact them...
Cecilia wrote: "so its not really even about tfios anymore."Lol, exactly what I was thinking...
Katie wrote: "I think we should ask actual kids with cancer and see how they look at this story; if its dead on, if its somewhat true, or if its so far from the truth, its off the charts."That's true... I'm pretty sure it had a deep meaning to most of them, though.
That's also very true... All Cancer stories are different, though. :) Some can be closely related, others not so much.
Katie wrote: "I think we should ask actual kids with cancer and see how they look at this story; if its dead on, if its somewhat true, or if its so far from the truth, its off the charts."I think their opinions would vary just as much as anyone else. Cancer does not take away a person's individuality.
Mooooooooooooooo, I'm a cow. (I'm really bored, don't ask)
I thought it was a great book. John Green's best. I've worked with young people for many years and he captures their thoughts, actions, and attitudes better than anyone I've read in a long time.
Am I the only one who hates this thread with a burning passion?
I actually know cancer kids who I have talked to on GR that despise this book.
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Like I said in my review, it can be proved mathematically but when Hazel compares that quote to the days that Augustus gave her, it becomes absurd.
Aly wrote: "@Emma: I like your interpretation. :)
imo though, the infinity thing really wasn't needed in the book. What did it lead to? What does it mean? Why is it in the story?"
Yes, my question exactly .