entertain

Some books you finished like it was done. Other books you finish, but you wish it could go on forever because it’s just so addicting. And then there are those kinds of books that you finish, yet you felt like it’s a new beginning—like John Green’s “The Fault in Our Star’.

The book is basically about a sixteen years old thyroid cancer patient, Hazel Grace who is in a support group which her parents force her to go to. There, she met Augustus Water, who’s in remission. Thus, their love story unfolds, and for philosophers, their “life journey” begin. According to the author, the book’s title came from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar”. For those who had read it, you might remember that Cassius once said to Brutus: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars.” Yes, some things in life could not be controlled, like cancer, for example. And this is part of what the book is about, teenagers with cancer fighting the disease. But notice I said part of what the book is about, not what the book is about. The book is not trying to prick your conscious with the how-lucky-you-are-to-be-healthy-so-you-should-be-content (although personally I think that most of us need to be reminded how lucky we are, me included), or how-hard-these-kids-fight-and-we-should-set-them-as-role-models (we should, but that’s beside the point). In fact, the story itself seems to be against that thing about over-glorifying fights against cancer. The book is just trying to raise the philosophical questions in our mind which we probably had often asks ourselves: is there a next life? Will I leave behind my footstep on this world? Is there true love? What does infinity truly means? And most importantly, the book is giving us an insight to reality. It’s about kids facing their lives every day when they know that they might die, any seconds. The author knows that the truly courageous people face reality every day, without trying to cover it up with fancy laces of wistful hope or desires.

I felt kind of sad when I finished the book, because it is a good book. But as I said before, it’s also a new beginning. I said goodbye to Hazel, but at the same time, she will stay in my heart as I continue on life with new outlooks on things.
So, I would just like to say, thanks, John Green.