The Fault in Our Stars
discussion
Am I the only one who hates this book with burning passion?
Ayesha wrote: "Can we stop arguing, please? Let's discuss the book...Quote the most pretentious and braincell burning monologue from the book. The best braincell burning monologue wins the prize."
"My thoughts are stars that I cannot fathom into constellations."
"You put the killing thing between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do it's killing."
And my personal favorite...
"What a slut time is. She screws everybody."
There's also "some infinities are bigger than other infinities."*slow clap*
John Green is just so witty.
I see your point-you hate this book I really have nothing against you cause I've been in that place where everyone loves this one book and I hate it with all my measly little heart. I read your review and I sort of agree with it, just a little bit, but I still sort of like this book even though I hear what you're saying I guess everyone has their different tastes, right?
"I believe the universe wants to be noticed. I think the universe is improbably biased toward the consciousness, that it rewards intelligence in part because the universe enjoys its elegance being observed. And who am I, living in the middle of history, to tell the universe that it-or my observation of it-is temporary?””I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.”
“There will come a time when all of us are dead. All of us. There will come a time when there are no human beings remaining to remember that anyone ever existed or that our species ever did anything. There will be no one left to remember Aristotle or Cleopatra, let alone you. Everything that we did and built and wrote and thought and discovered will be forgotten and all of this will have been for naught. Maybe that time is coming soon and maybe it is millions of years away, but even if we survive the collapse of our sun, we will not survive forever. There was time before organisms experienced consciousness, and there will be time after. And if the inevitability of human oblivion worries you, I encourage you to ignore it. God knows that’s what everyone else does.”
I WIN!!!
Aly wrote: "@Pilcrow: They're all like "might how philosophical like". (minus the liverpudlian accent)"HAHA! I'm reading it with a liverpudlian accent. Just curious, are you having liverpudlian accent, Aly?
Ayesha wrote: ""I believe the universe wants to be noticed. I think the universe is improbably biased toward the consciousness, that it rewards intelligence in part because the universe enjoys its elegance being ..."
Congrats.
Congrats.
Thank you! When I finished this book all I could think of was how smart it was written to make it simple and cheese enough,and to add cancer, because let's face it, there has to be a major percentage of readers who knew someone with cancer, or just had someone who died really young, and couldn't stop relating. Excellent use of empathy just to make it transversal (death does not respect age) It's just smartly written to sell, and as you pointed out, reaaally flat.
the cheesiest quote is probably.....who knows there are to many to choose from.
My mom had terminal cancer and she went on a week long cruise to Mexico; she wanted to do something she never did before she died. My husband as Sickle Cell and Lupus and while he didn't as for anything grand from the Make a Wish foundation they do grant wishes. I could recall a kid with a terminal disease who wanted to be batman and them granting his wish by constructing an elaborate plan to allow him to save a bunch of people. Seeing someone with cancer; my mom to be exact that I love take her last breath and being there to change her diaper in her last moments this book did nothing to romanticize cancer in the least. What Gus went through in the end is exactly what my mom went through and I never thought that was romantic. Of course you might have seen a "best friend" have cancer but it's nothing like seeing a family member go through it because there are things you would never have to do for a best friend. I loved this book because it was real to me!
I think the people that are bashing this book and criticizing it left and right has every right to do so but don't talk about the people that loved this book because you never know why someone might have loved something and what that book meant to them
At first I was hesitant to read this book at first because it is so popular on Tumblr and other sites but as a long time John Green fan I had to and it is my all time favourite book now, In my opinion it fully lives up to the hype it is funny and heart breaking and just pure perfection.
I mentioned that I hated TFIOS on a different site and I was sent death threats.
@Aly @Katie I guess some people are just hardcore fans of the book. >_>
Amelia wrote: "I mentioned that I hated TFIOS on a different site and I was sent death threats."Whoa, that's bogus.
And the thing is, you won't find any of us on pro-TFIOS stuff saying the same to people who like this book. We just want a corner of the universe where we can hate on TFIOS in peace. :)
Katie wrote: "If I were to get really pissed at someone for hating something, it would be the Animaniacs. That show is so much a part of my life, I cant imagine living without it."lol How old are you? I watched that everyday after school in the 90s. Actually, I'm pretty sure everyone watched it after school in the 90s. God, I feel so old.
@Katie United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Haiti, Jamaica, Peru...
Sometimes i believe some people are so stupid, they don't know how stupid they are.
Amelia wrote: "I mentioned that I hated TFIOS on a different site and I was sent death threats."There are always some stupid fans in every fandom.
I have just read, and reviewed. I am so fucking angry at this book. Lack of research, poor characterisation, bad dialogue, excess pretension. I'm so glad to see this thread.
Siobhan wrote: "I have just read, and reviewed. I am so fucking angry at this book. Lack of research, poor characterisation, bad dialogue, excess pretension. I'm so glad to see this thread."
I'm so glad to see you on here. Post your review for us? Pretty please?
I'm so glad to see you on here. Post your review for us? Pretty please?
Brooke wrote: "Siobhan wrote: "I have just read, and reviewed. I am so fucking angry at this book. Lack of research, poor characterisation, bad dialogue, excess pretension. I'm so glad to see this thread."I'm so..."
Awwh, thank you! It's on this site, at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... I haven't touched upon half the things that grated for me, just the ones that I couldn't see other people mentioning in their reviews, or were a little personal. It's probably really coherent, because I finished the book this morning.
Katie wrote: "The wonder drug, he does say isn't real in the Author's Note at the front of the book."Maybe so, but my problem isn't with the notion of a wonder drug, it's that he doesn't understand how pharmaceuticals work. They're a business, not a miracle in a book that refutes miracles.
Katie wrote: "It is fiction though, meaning the author can write whatever he wants and it wont be misinformed. Well yes it will misinformed, but it is not like a biography of a cancer kid's life. So I guess he c..."Fiction is a grain of truth wrapped in an allegory. Unless it is fantasy, it needs to adhere to some rules of society in order to function as fiction. 'It is fiction' is one of the worst arguments I've ever heard in a fictional story forum. If John Green wants to write whatever he wants and avoid being misinformed, he should write the next Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. Otherwise, like any other writer, he should do his research.
There are many who feel the same way as i do. I thought I was the weird one.
Nope, my BF hated it too. Didn't actually read it, just watched as I would be hysterically laughing one moment and then crying uncontrollably the next. He loathes the book. Mainly because why would somebody want to read about something so doomed? I really liked it though.
Siobhan wrote: "I have just read, and reviewed. I am so fucking angry at this book. Lack of research, poor characterisation, bad dialogue, excess pretension. I'm so glad to see this thread."Welcome aboard!
Emma wrote: "Katie wrote: "If I were to get really pissed at someone for hating something, it would be the Animaniacs. That show is so much a part of my life, I cant imagine living without it."lol How old are..."
That was part of my childhood, too - I'm in my mid-20s now. I don't think we're that old. :)
I didn't even finish the book. I stopped in the middle and said : "Nope. F*ck this shit." I do not regret my decision even though every girl at my school is still gushing about it. I just didn't like it.
I'm a lover of this book altho I would not recommend it for everyone. This book is sooooooo much more than just a cancer story. I found it to be full of positive energy, hope & a lot of laughs not to mention of course, tears.
I was talking to one of my friends who rather enjoyed TFIOS and even she had to admit that the book romanticized cancer.
I don't think Hazel's condition or Gus' relapse and subsequent death is romanticized at all. Romanticize means to make something seem more appealing than it really is. Do you think readers actually come away from reading TFIOS thinking that cancer is somehow appealing? I'm inclined to say no, not at all. Not even by any stretch of the imagination. I don't think they see the illness as romantic either. I think what is being romanticized is Hazel and Gus' outlook on life, which is one that a person can technically have and/or develop with or without cancer. I think what is being romanticized is the idea of living life, having no regrets and being thankful for the good things no matter how short lived they were. I also think that the concept of opening yourself up to the idea of love and forming meaningful relationships even if there is no guarantee that they may not work out the way that you want is worth the risk. It's cliched and corny, but I really do believe in that saying that it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. That sentiment is what is being romanticized. Not the cancer.
Katie wrote: "It did kinda romanize everything. Probably so Middle schoolers could read it and not be all "ewwwwwww, thats disgusting.""
Middle schoolers? It has a sex scenewhich technically shouldn't have been possible.
Middle schoolers? It has a sex scene
Aly wrote: "@Mochaespresso: I still believe cancer is being romanticized. A lot of people that loved the book whom I've spoken to all said that John Green made it seem like cancer isn't that bad."He makes it seem like an excuse to get free stuff and behave badly. He didn't make the suffering realistic.
Agreed: romanticised.
Also, in a book I'm reading now called the etymologicon, it says that romance is basically any fictional story. So on an etymological level, cancer is being romanticised.
Katie wrote: "Oh lots of middle schoolers read stuff like that. EXAMPLE: Twilight, TMI. Lots of books in the teen section have that stuff."As a middle schooler, (i'm thirteen), I can confirm this. (although I'm not a fan of TMI or Twilight)
Speaking of YA books, though, it's hard to find YA that has a good, in-depth plot, and interesting, well written characters. Most YA focuses a lot on romance, and although I do enjoy a few romances myself, it gets extremely tiring reading the same romance plot over and over again.
Everytime I open a YA book, they have this plot:"15-year-old boring Sara is the new girl at Over-used Plot High. She can't fit in, and there's nothing special for her in life - until she meets badboy Male-Version-Of-A-Mary-Sue."
I usually immediately close the book if the first sentence resembles anything like that.
The reason why TFiOS is so popular isn't only because of the tragic love story, but more so because it explores the most debated theme in human history. How do we live a meaningful life? Do we have to die in the name of a specific cause, or create something that leaves an impact on everything around us? Or is Hazel right and our only purpose is to be harmless in a sense and minimize the damage we inflict upon others? Towards the end of the book I believe the author wants us to realize our purpose is simply to love and be loved. This is the only way we can accept the fate of humanity (inevitable oblivion). DISCLAIMER: I don't entirely agree with this, but it's what I got out of the book.
Katie wrote: "Lots of middle schoolers have also seen Les Miserables and Twilight too."I saw the Romeo and Juliet movie (the older version with Romeo's bare butt) in middle school. We survived it.
Aly wrote: "@Amelia: You're thirteen?! I feel so old :(You sound older than that. Maybe because most thirteen year olds I know rite lyk dis and are extremely annoying. -.-
Even though I am 20, I love YA but ..."
Haha, I'm sorry that most of your experiences with people my age haven't gone well. Some of us are intelligent, or as intelligent as a thirteen year old can possibly be, and some of us...are the stereotype. >_>
Aly wrote: "@Mochaespresso: I still believe cancer is being romanticized. A lot of people that loved the book whom I've spoken to all said that John Green made it seem like cancer isn't that bad."A lot of people say and believe a lot of things that aren't necessarily true, though. A lot of people said that Harry Potter promoted Satanic witchcraft, too. Does that make it true? A lot of people misinterpret things that they read all of the time.
Katie wrote: "An then on godhatesgoths.com theres a page that say that J.K. Rowling is in a league with Lucifer>_< crazy people."Harry Potter was even banned in a few school curriculums for it's "supernatural content". I have a friend who's mom won't let her read it because of it's "witchcraft".
Aly wrote: "@Mochaespresso: Unfortunately, that's how I see it. It makes cancer look romantic, it makes a relationship with someone who will die seem like it's great when it obviously isn't and I also think it gives a lot of people the idea that cancer isn't as bad as it seems. I don't know if you have tumblr but the amount of posts I see from teenagers saying they want to be in Augustus' and Hazel's position is gross. Why would anyone wish that on themselves?Were they specifically referring to the cancer when they said that, though? Somehow, I seriously doubt that they were. They were probably referring to the relationship between Hazel and Gus and some of the good things that they experienced together.
...with regards to Tumblr. I just joined today. I didn't see what you are referring to, but this is one of the first posts that I did see in reference to TFIOS. http://tmblr.co/Z8tCXx15suIR2
Amelia wrote: "Everytime I open a YA book, they have this plot:
"15-year-old boring Sara is the new girl at Over-used Plot High. She can't fit in, and there's nothing special for her in life - until she meets ba..."
LOL!
"15-year-old boring Sara is the new girl at Over-used Plot High. She can't fit in, and there's nothing special for her in life - until she meets ba..."
LOL!
Aly wrote: "@Mochaespresso: His blog?And no, quite a few said, "I want cancer, so I can have a love story like that."
Sorry, but that is just plain sick.
Anyway, this is what I saw and my opinions."
I agree with you about that being crazy. I just haven't seen that specific sentiment anywhere that I've been online. I've heard people say that they've seen it, but it's not something that I've ever actually encountered online myself.
Perhaps I mostly hang with the sane and rationals online. lol.
TFIOS definitely romanticizes cancer - you're sick and some guy who barely knows you will use up his one wish to take you halfway around the world to fulfill your dream, read your favorite books, spend unreasonable amounts of time with you, never argue, and fall irrevocably in love with you until he dies. And then we are all supposed to cry. It's not so much a story about cancer as it is a love story that uses cancer as a defense against criticism ("you can't criticize this book, it's about cancer. have you ever had cancer?) and as a vehicle for passing off a subpar cheesy love story onto the public that would otherwise be immediately called out for being a subpar cheesy love story.
The fault in our stars is a bunch of SHIT! BUNCH OF SHIT! I wasted around a day of my life on that book that I can never get back......EVER! FUCK THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, FUCK HAZEL, FUCK AUGUSTUS, AND MOST OF ALL, FUCK JOHN GREEN! Worst book ever.
Nimotalai wrote: "The fault in our stars is a bunch of SHIT! BUNCH OF SHIT! I wasted around a day of my life on that book that I can never get back......EVER! FUCK THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, FUCK HAZEL, FUCK AUGUSTUS, ..."I like your passion!
Katie wrote: "I think its too much passion."I think it summed up perfectly how crap that book is.
all discussions on this book
|
post a new topic
Daughter of Smoke & Bone (other topics)
Things I Know About Love (other topics)
On the Jellicoe Road (other topics)
Zombicorns (other topics)
More...
Lurlene McDaniel (other topics)
Books mentioned in this topic
This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl (other topics)Daughter of Smoke & Bone (other topics)
Things I Know About Love (other topics)
On the Jellicoe Road (other topics)
Zombicorns (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Lurlene McDaniel (other topics)Lurlene McDaniel (other topics)
I read it because of all the hype. Friends recommended the book to me so I decided to check it out. I didn't know whether I'd like it or not until after I finished the book.