My Rating - 7.5/10
The story is about two kids who have cancer - and who fall in love. The story of Hazel and Gus. Hazel, who has terminal cancer, and Augustus (or Gus, as we fondly remember him), who has recovered from osteosarcoma all hale and hearty, with just an amputated leg. And of their (mostly Hazel's) obsession over a book, An Imperial Affliction, by Peter Van Houten. It is a story of a boy trying to fulfill the dreams of a girl he loves, who is not going to be around for too long. Until his cancer gets revived, and the tables are turned.
I have expended on this book an all-nighter, and not regretted it for a second. This is one of those books that grips you from the very beginning, and does not let go of you till you find you are at the very last page (and finishing off the acknowledgements as well, you just don't seem to be able to stem the flow). Or maybe it was my fuzzled brain, lacking the rest it so badly yearned for (and deserved), already wrecked by a myriad of emotions. For yes, this book triggered some very deep and unsettling emotions. It is a romance, no doubt, but so realistic, you sometimes mistake it for your own story.
It is a kind of a coming-of-age story, but then very adult at the same time. As is the manner of the great romances, there is no mush, no starry-eyed craze or lust, just the more serene love. Deeper affections, the promise of being together through the thick and thin of life. You somehow do not expect such deep sentiments from teenagers; but then, maybe the proximity of death makes you grow up faster. As Hazel puts it, "It is a side-effect of death".
Maybe I connected more with this story because it reflected some of my very personal emotions. The no-nonsense approach to love, to the difficulty of being in it. For it is easy to fall in love, but difficult, very difficult, to stay in love. And then, you realize, 'true love' as the world puts it (and which I find a very inadequate term to express what it means), means that you love the person no matter what, even if he goes away.
The end brought tears to my eyes. But then, I am a romantic with my faucets opening up at the slightest provocation. (Or maybe it was my slow, sleep-deprived brain that could not handle the shock of the deep emotions so close to my own).
The end brought tears to my eyes. But then, I am a romantic with my faucets opening up at the slightest provocation. (Or maybe it was my slow, sleep-deprived brain that could not handle the shock of the deep emotions so close to my own).
Gus wants to be a hero, to be immortalized by his work, which I guess is the most common of human endeavours. We are so afraid of dying, that we want to immortalize ourselves through our work. But death never immortalizes anyone. All it does is rob you of your dignity - of life. It does not even allow us to fulfill our dreams. But love makes us try to fulfill the dreams of those we love - even with our dying breath.
And so is love depicted. True love. The reason why this book touched me so much. I was into a debate as to whether I should pen down my thoughts and surging emotions immediately, or let them settle down, get a shape. I wanted to pour away my thoughts and emotions right away, but my overtaxed brain demanded sleep. And so I gave in. And had to get on with this review the first thing after I woke up.
Yes, this book touched me - not by its superfluous prose, but by its underlying poetry. It is simply written, with more of feelings than wit or sarcasm. Yes, there are humorous parts as well - but not too much to take away the gravity of the emotions. The language is simple, everyday. The book portrays a very short set of characters, but builds up those characters to perfection.
I loved the book because it portrays reality, and I will recommend it for anyone who wants to get a glimpse of the truest of emotions.
And so is love depicted. True love. The reason why this book touched me so much. I was into a debate as to whether I should pen down my thoughts and surging emotions immediately, or let them settle down, get a shape. I wanted to pour away my thoughts and emotions right away, but my overtaxed brain demanded sleep. And so I gave in. And had to get on with this review the first thing after I woke up.
Yes, this book touched me - not by its superfluous prose, but by its underlying poetry. It is simply written, with more of feelings than wit or sarcasm. Yes, there are humorous parts as well - but not too much to take away the gravity of the emotions. The language is simple, everyday. The book portrays a very short set of characters, but builds up those characters to perfection.
I loved the book because it portrays reality, and I will recommend it for anyone who wants to get a glimpse of the truest of emotions.
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