The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

“This book is a work of fiction. I made it up.” With that the author washes his hands off any and all emotional upheaval that the reader might possibly go through as she (me) goes through the twenty-five chapters of this beautifully woven young love story.

“The Fault in our stars” by John Green is a beautiful young love story. There is the usual uncertainty of the youth about acceptance, about feelings, about your own body, self image and sensuality; about life, the future, companionship, love, passion and the infinite certainty. What’s special you may ask! Well the fact that these are teenagers dying of cancer and finding love in the short life they have is what’s special!

The characters are all realistic and might even be children we grew up with or know from down the street. The jokes they make about life and the cruelty of their prognosis is so ‘in your face’ but quite believable.  

The fact that I read the book before I have seen the movie might possibly make it less appealing in a theater, but for once this is a book adapted movie that I want to see. I want to see everything that Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters saw when they went to Amsterdam. I want to live the absolutely romantic dinner they had, I want to sit on the park bench with them and smell the smells of beautiful and quaint Jordaan, I want to pick up the tiny confetti seeds and thrown them up in the sky and watch them waltz back down to earth...

A lovely story told simply and beautifully! (I can’t seem to get enough of the adjective ‘beautiful’ while describing this book). Having said that, it almost pained me to remember that the characters are all fictional and there exists no Hazel Grace and no Augustus Walters. Alas!!!

Nonetheless, I would recommend this book to all star crossed lovers, all teenagers, anyone looking for a simple quick read between heavy reading and well just about anyone who wants to kill time with a book in hand.

Simply said, beautifully written (there beautiful again) and ironically hilarious at times. Read this book if not for anyone else but beautiful Hazel Grace and dashing Augustus Waters.

#thefaultinourstars #romance #love #teenagers #cancer #johngreen #newyorkbestseller #death #loss

                                                                          

Inferno by Dan Brown

“Seek and you shall find” is the reoccurring phrase all through this book...... and ‘Seek’ I did!

Dan Brown’s Inferno was actually quite infuriating for me. I mean, I am a fan of Dan Brown and have read and enjoyed and reread his Angels & Demons, The Da Vinci Code, Deception Point and Digital Fortress. I have lamented the lack of pulsating excitement in the movie The Da Vinci Code that is so much there in the book. However in the ‘Inferno’, there seems to be something amiss.

The plot is there, the symbols are there, the secrecy is there, the chase all over the world is there, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is very much there, the codes are there, everything is there and yet the book lacks something.

Having read his previous books, I get the feeling that in trying to give us all the details, explain all the meanings and implications and post-mortem every single context; Mr Brown has over done himself. The book drags and keeps dragging as it gets close to the climax. Unfortunately all that build-up and euphoria gets completely washed out towards the end of the book.

The plot seems genuine, the possibility of the human race growing to uncontrollable proportions seems very true, the need for saving the earth is absolutely spot on, the need to spread a virus and cause plague seems like a necessity albeit chilling; however all the injected sub plots seem too farfetched! The book has lots of characters and there are times you wonder why they are even there!

“Mankind, if unchecked, functions like a plague, a cancer...our numbers intensifying with each successive generation until the earthly comforts that once nourished our virtue and brotherhood have dwindled to nothing.... unveiling the monsters within us....fighting to the death to feed our young.”

Dante's death mask

This is a book for die hard Dan Brown fans who can forgive the man for his over enthusiasm and for those who are willing to skip pages and come to the thrilling parts without having to suffer all the details. However, if you are those who love to travel and explore the world I recommend the book. All you need to do is take down notes and visit all the places that are listed in the book. It could add drama to your trip and you can come back home and talk about walking in Prof Langdon’s shoes.

For the rest who have picked up the book because of Mr Brown... “The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis.”

#Inferno #Danbrown #bookreview #robertlangdon #dante #deathmask