Overall, what kind of feeling did you have after reading a few paragraphs of this work? Midway?
I've resisted reading TFiOS because I have a tendency to flee from trendy, of-the-moment fiction. It took me years to read the Twilight series, and anything with Oprah's branding on it guarantees I won't be reading it for awhile. It's not that I won't get around to reading The Latest and Greatest, but I often let years go by so that the bandwagon can pass and I can read the novel in relative peace and obscurity. In this way, I didn't read The Fault in Our Stars when it was published in 2012, and if I'm being totally honest, the timing for reading anything romantic... Well, let's just say that my personal life has had a little rough sailing lately, and the Very Last Thing I want to be emotionally vulnerable to is a love story.
I opened to the first page a bit reluctantly, but within a few paragraphs, I was hooked. I didn't stop reading until an hour later, when I came to the bookmark alerting me that I'd read the assigned chapters for this week--all seven of them. Here are some slightly emotionally-messy thoughts and feelings after reading:
1. I sort of hate that John Green writes a female, adolescent, wise narrator so well. Hazel Grace's voice is so authentic. I always wonder how a male writer can write a young female narrator so effectively. I'm jealously cynical of such creative genius.
2. For someone a bit uncomfortable reading a love story, I feel a little better that cancer is also included. How sick and demented is THAT feeling? Haha -- but really. All cynicism aside, I think Green has chosen an unusually beautiful way to address love (and the truth of falling in love), while also acknowledging the often brutal reality of life's unexpected disappointments.
3. I love that Hazel's parents are decent, loving, supportive people. Hell yes to some positive parental representation in a YA novel. (if we're not allowed to curse on these blogs, Dr. Sty, please forgive me)
Happy reading, my friends!
This is the same question I addressed in my posting on Son of the Mob this week, even though I have not read the whole book yet. I had such a different feeling after reading the second part of the book than I did in the first. I had heard of The Fault is in Our Stars, at least the movie, but never watched it, being mostly a sci fi fan. I just read the synopsis and immediately downloaded a copy. It looks like something my students could like, and I am trying to subject them to as many of the good books I learn about in this class as I can. I appreciate your honesty in (not) choosing this book. I have dodged love story movies and books for so long that the change of pace now seems almost new.
ReplyDeleteBeing the non-English major in the class, what else have you read by John Green? For that matter, what else has he written? We are reading The Outsiders in my classes, and I have noticed how the fact that I know it was written by a female, and a teenager at that, has somewhat skewed my reading. I have observed the author’s tendency to over describe the male character’s hair, eye color, etc. to such a degree that I assumed it was because she was seeing them through female eyes even though writing from a male narrator perspective. Whenever I watch or read a story about someone who has a severe medical issue, it adjusts my lens on life and reminds me to be grateful that I am not suffering the same fate, and that my problems are mostly of a luxury nature. The name Hazel is interesting; I think it is a very old one. There used to be an old sit com on TV in the 60’s called Hazel, and I went to school with a few girls with that name, but hardly ever see it anymore. Ironically, one of my students recently named his newborn daughter Hazel.
So what is the difference, if any, in the middle of the book and the beginning? Is it going in a direction that you predicted or has it changed to an unexpected course? What grade level is the book? Have you already seen the movie? Keep up the great work!
I have to first speak to #3. I totally agree with you--I am SO SICK of idiot parents (see any Nick sitcom), dead parents (see any Disney movie), and absent parents (see any dystopian novel). Now, back to #1. Not only does he write her well, but he writes her smart--and I love that about John Greene. He doesn't dumb it down for kids. he sincerely seems to like and respect teens. Smart kids read him, and he makes smart cool--
ReplyDeleteRosina--
ReplyDeleteI love your thoughts on The Fault in our Stars! I'm kind of like you in that I don't like to read books as soon as they come out unless it's something I'm really into, like Game of Thrones. I got halfway through TFiOS and haven't finished it because I got busy! I did watch the movie, though, and I completely agree with you about how he incorporates something as ugly as cancer into a beautiful love story. I also really like Hazel's personality, too! I'm totally with you when you say how admirable it is how Greene is able to write a teenage girl so authentically. I want to read other books by him just based on my little reading of The Fault in Our Stars. I also really like how you connected it to your personal life, too. No matter how painful, I love when I can connect to a book on an emotional level.