Log #8

Book: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green

Page: (finished)

        I have finished reading this book, and I find myself quite into it. Some people think it’s again that kind of inspiring cancer-fighting and love story, and thus they don’t like it. However, generally I like it because I think this book is more than just cancer and love. What attracts me to keep on reading this book is the way Hazel and Augustus treat death. Hazel fears she would hurt others, so she dares not get too closer to others. On the other hand, Augustus is afraid of being forgotten, so he lives hard to be remembered. Their different ways of treating death make them have deep discussions about the meanings of life and have great argument over their own opinions. I think this is what makes this book worth reading. The two leading roles’ totally different viewpoints can arouse the readers’ deeper thinking of death—the issue that we hardly think about now—and what’s the meaning of life? what we really want to achieve in this limited life?

        Besides, this book makes me have a chance to see the world from cancer patient’s perspective. Hazel once mention that sometimes she thinks cancer is painful because the illness isolates her from others. This impressed me a lot. Sometimes we help patients because we feel pitiful for them and treat them as patients. However, maybe our sympathy also invisibly hurts them even though we truly want to help them. Maybe they want to be treated as normal persons and get along with others naturally as well. Thus, from this book I learn that when getting along with anyone, I should put myself in their shoes and be careful not to hurt others unconsciously.

        All in all, I think The Fault in Our Stars is quite worth reading. Although its subject might not be appealing to some people, but we really can get something by reading it!