Monday, 16 December 2013

The Fault In Our Stars..

My love for books has grown suddenly out of nowhere or may be when I don’t find a direction in life I turn to literature precisely the world of fiction. Few months back I saw a tweet of an author on twitter that said she was really inspired by John Green’s work and instantly my detective mind started searching for this man. After googling I came to know that John Green is an American writer of young adult fiction, a YouTube vlogger and educator. 

His first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. His second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His next novel, Paper Towns, is a New York Times bestseller and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best YA Mystery. In January 2012 he reached number one on a New York Times Best Seller list with The Fault in Our Stars which won 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards for the Best Young Adult Fiction.

And that's how 'The Fault In Our Stars' was on my wishlist. Trust me I had never been too excited to buy a book. I don't know why but the title kind of attracted me. I ordered in October from Amazon.in as a Birthday gift to myself but started reading in December because I had others books to finish before I could start this (I don’t leave any book half read no matter how bad the story is :P).

The Fault In Our Stars is a very simple, sweet, cute, funny yet heartbreaking love story about Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters. The story is narrated by a sixteen year old Hazel who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Thyroid cancer with metastasis forming in her lungs when she was 13, but has managed to live with her disease thanks to doses of an experimental drug called Phalanxifor. Augustus lost his leg to osteosarcoma, and is in remission. She loved being at home, spent quite a lot of time in bed and read the same book (An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten) over and over. As a result she was forced to attend a support group for children living with cancer though she hated it. Hazel met Augustus through Isaac at the support group and their short conversation after the group meeting started their bittersweet story.

Though I want to write the whole story here but I won’t act as spoiler. Let me tell you Augustus is just 17 yrs old and all that he did for Hazel was not so ordinary. I loved their chemistry. If this book suits your taste and you get time do read it. Please don't expect something fancy or extraordinary. As the cover says it is insightful, bold, irreverent and raw. 

There were certain lines in the book that really touched the strings of my heart and I am sharing them here as follows :
  • Don't worry. Worry is useless.
  • Love is keeping the promise anyway.
  • Without pain, how could we know joy?
  • The world is not a wish granting factory.
  • Grief does not change you, it reveals you.
  • Our fearlessness shall be our secret weapon.
  • That's the thing about pain. It demands to be felt.
  • Sometimes it seems the universe wants to be noticed.
  • Pain is like fabric: The stronger it is, the more its worth.
  • In the darkest days, the Lord puts the best people into your life.
  • You gave me a forever within the numbered days and I'm grateful.
  • Everybody should have true love, and it should last atleast as long as your life does.
  • Its hard as hell to hold on to your dignity when the risen sun is too bright in your losing eyes.
  • No matter how hard you kick, no matter how high you get, you can't go all the way around.
  • I'm in love with you and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things.
  • God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

In January 2012, Fox 2000, a division of 20th Century Fox, optioned the rights to adapt the novel into a feature film. Josh Boone signed on to direct a year later, in February 2013. Filming began on August 26, 2013 on location in Pittsburgh, doubling for the novel's setting of Indianapolis, Indiana. Filming is currently underway in Amsterdam. The film is planned to be released on June 6, 2014 and I am really looking forward to the movie :)



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4 comments:

  1. A very different shade of review, I must admit. Although, I liked the way you have penned it. TFIOS is one of my favorite novels and I love the way John narrates a simple scene with a pinch of humor inspite of maintaining the thoughtfulness of it.
    I'm waiting for that movie as well!
    "Okay?"
    OKAY! :)

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    1. @Bhavya Kaushik : Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your views :)
      Okay :D

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  2. It's so lovely, Aura! You have actually taken the lines from the book- each is a pearl of wisdom :)
    Loved reading. Agree with them all. I am a believer too!

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    1. @anitaexplorer : Thanks much.. I am a quote lover so I keep scribbling the good ones.. *Hi-5* :)

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