‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves.’
Julius Caesar, Act I, Scene III, L. 140–141
The young adult fiction novel ‘A Fault in Our Stars’ is authored by John Green. The self-narrated story revolves around sixteen year old Hazel’s last chapter of life. Hazel Grace Lancaster is a teenager from Indiana, diagnosed with stage four incurable thyroid cancer with Mets in her lungs and is a lover of literature.
The story starts with a brief introduction to Hazel’s incurable medical condition and moves on to the Wednesday where she meets seventeen year old Augustus Waters at the Cancer Support Group. Augustus Water was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (a type of tumour affecting the bones) in the starting of high school, and now after the treatment, was NEC for fourteen months. Augustus and Hazel developed a bonding after their first meet at the Cancer Support Group, they exchange novels and enjoyed reading each other’s favourite.
Hazel expresses her wish to meet Peter Van Houten the author of ‘An Imperial Affliction’ (mostly referred to as AIA in the novel). Augustus decides to make her wish happen and manages to reach out to Peter Van Houten’s assistant Lidewij Vliegenthart. He managed striking a deal with Peter Van Houten upon meeting Hazel and Augustus up in Amsterdam.
Augustus lets Hazel use his WISH to go to Amsterdam. Augustus, Hazel and her mother head to Amsterdam. On meeting Peter Van Houten, Augustus and Hazel find him a disappointment in the form of a drunk. Hazel gets disappointed; she, Augustus and Peter Van Houten’s “former” assistant Lidewij head to the Anne Frank house (well they are in Amsterdam!) where the two teens get together.
The next day, Augustus reveals to Hazel that his tumor is back and none of the chemotherapy is working.
On getting back, his health deteriorates. Augustus’s health doesn’t get better and he requests Hazel and special friend Isaac (NEC as well, left blind without two eyes) to write him an eulogy and read at his pre-funeral. He dies eight days later.
On the day of Augustus’s funeral, Peter Van Houten comes to Indiana to tell Hazel the story behind the book ‘An Imperial Affliction’. Hazel later finds out that Augustus had mailed Peter Van Houten a few things so that he could write something for her and receives the whatever Augustus had shared with Peter Van Houten…
Getting hurt in this world is inevitable, but we do get to choose who we allow to hurt us.
Augustus Waters
