Friday, January 25, 2019

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

I saw the movie. Then Komal asked me if I had read the book. So I decided to read the book. Augustus and Hazel, seventeen, both cancer patients with serious afflictions meet at a Cancer Kid Support group and fall in love. How they cope with life and death and love is the rest of the story.

The tone is irreverent. The boy seems fully devoted to her. She loves him completely. They are both heading to an early death it appears despite temporary reprieves. Augustus gives Hazel a book to read titled 'The Imperial Affliction' written by a writer named Van Houten who lives in Amsterdam. It's a story about a cancer-afflicted child and the two like it enough to plan a trip to Amsterdam to meet the writer who moved them so much. Augustus uses up a wish to get Hazel to realise her dream and they go. Van Houten, they find is unbearably uncouth. They return after spending a wonderful time by themselves in Amsterdam which includes making love and visiting the Anne Frank House.. Gus reveals his disease is fully advanced. Before his dies Hazel, another friend called Isaac, and Augustus arrange a pre-funeral service for Gus. Van Houten comes to attend the funeral. Turns out he wrote about his own daughter. Hazel finds that Augustus wrote to Van Houten - But the message was for her. A love letter.

It's the same as the movie. Hazel does not die as the book ends.

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