I would say that Gus is an attempted subversion of the perfect boyfriend. Yes, he uses big words and spouts near-Shakespearean monologues, but he's often using those big words incorrectly and Hazel finds his monologues off-putting. He's also quite selfish; everything after Hazel goes into ICU occurs with Gus knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is going to die but never breathing a word of it to Hazel until her mother basically forces him to. He knowingly deceives her into believing she is falling in love with a healthy person, and admits as much. After all Hazel's attempts to warn him off of her because she is a grenade, he hides his own dynamite-strapped chest under a coat and promptly snuggles up to his would-be girlfriend. Think about his speech about his dead girlfriend and how she made him feel like shit, but he couldn't break up with her
to address your second criticism, because i have nothing better to do, i dont really see augustus as that "perfect character". i see him more as someone who sees himself that way, the metaphors, the tragic backstory, the long winding dialogue (that often has hilarious misuses of words) seems to be an extension of a sort of level pretense augustus has, which is contrasted later with how shocking and ungraceful (pardon the expression) he is while hes dying. but it still does stand that he pulled some legendary feats, more than i can believe your average teenager could.
That really made me think about the entire permeation of the theme into the story in a much greater and more interesting light. Really good. I have two points, though.
You know one of these days I might actually have already read one of the books you have reviewed, because you definitely make a solid case in favor of John Green's works (at least two of them). If nothing else, whenever I do read some of these books I will be able to grow as a writer by coming to understand themes and writing style and such; although I suppose I have alternate routes to access those.
My girlfriend has been obsessing over this book with her friends. She let me borrow it to read and i had to think about how i feel about it before telling her what i think. In short, you took the words right out of my mouth, and i finally have found someone who stands with me in contrast to all the hype over this book. Thank you for helping me know that i was justified in my thoughts and not alone in thinking against the current.
I always wondered, if Augustus knew he was dying of his returning cancer couldn't he just get the procedure while it worked THEN went with Hazel to (I forgot the place already). I mean, why sacrifice your life when there's a way to fix it.
I thought this book was okay/good. Didn't love it so much but didn't hate it a lot. Just liked it. Maybe it's because I know someone with cancer so it's more personal but it was a good book overall :)
Yes it is like the same book but its different it may have the same theme but its different kinds of love. And you learn more about it in the end. The characters go through different stages. Im not just saying it because i am a girl but each book has a specific lesson in the end about what love is and what it can do for someone. So technically in my view it isnt the same bool.
Hazel did not choose to fall in love, but she chose to allow him into her life (once she realized what was happening) as we see her do when shes ignoring him and then decides to talk to him again after her hospital stint. Though i get what you're saying, that love is not a decision (and i agree), this "deciding who gets to hurt you" was a choice for her, a choice that she consciously made because prior to meeting him and calling him back she had decided not to let anybody close enough to truly get hurt when she died.
