The Fault in Our Stars is the sixth novel by author John Green, published in January 2012. The title is inspired by Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare‘s play Julius Caesar, in which the nobleman Cassius says to Brutus: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” The story is narrated by Hazel Grace Lancaster, a sixteen-year-old girl with cancer. Hazel is forced by her parents to attend a support group in the “Literal Heart of Jesus” where she subsequently meets and falls in love with 17 year old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player and amputee. A feature film adaptation of the novel directed by Josh Boone and starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort and Nat Wolff was released on June 6, 2014.[1] Both the book and its film adaptation were met with strong critical and commercial success.
Plot
Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old with thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs, attends a cancer patient support group at her mother’s behest. During the support meeting, Hazel meets a 18-year old boy named Augustus Waters, whose Osteosarcoma caused him to lose his right leg, which was replaced with a prosthetic. Augustus is at the meeting to support his friend, Isaac, whose only remaining eye is soon to be removed due to cancer. Hazel and Augustus strike a bond immediately and agree to read each other’s favorite novels. Augustus gives Hazel The Price of Dawn, and Hazel recommends An Imperial Affliction, a novel written by Peter Van Houten about a cancer-stricken girl named Anna that parallels Hazel’s own experience. After Augustus finishes reading her book, he is frustrated upon learning that the novel ends abruptly without a conclusion. Hazel explains the novel’s author had retreated following the novel’s publication and has not been heard from since.
A year later, Augustus reveals to Hazel that he has tracked down Van Houten’s assistant, Lidewij, and, through her, has managed to start an e-mail correspondence with Van Houten. The two write to Van Houten with questions regarding the novel’s ending and the fate of the mother of Anna. Van Houten eventually replies, explaining that he can only answer Hazel’s questions in person. At a picnic, Augustus surprises Hazel with tickets to Amsterdam to meet Van Houten.
While in Amsterdam, Augustus confesses his love for Hazel. Hazel and Augustus finally meet Van Houten but are shocked to find that he is a mean-spirited drunk. Horrified by Van Houten’s behavior, Lidewij confesses to having arranged the meeting on his behalf, angering Van Houten, who proceeds to insult Hazel’s cancer, starting an argument and causing Hazel and Augustus to flee from the drunken author’s home.
Augustus confesses that his health is not as good as Hazel had been led to believe. The two affirm their love and support for each other. Upon their return to Indianapolis, Augustus’ health worsens and he ends up in the ICU for a few days. Fearing his death, Augustus invites Isaac and Hazel to his pre-funeral, where they give eulogies. An extremely sick Augustus dies soon after. After this traumatic event, Van Houten shows up at Augustus’ funeral to apologize to Hazel.
Hazel learns that Augustus was writing a sequel to An Imperial Affliction. Hazel reads Augustus’ words. He says getting hurt in this world is inevitable, but we do get to choose who we allow to hurt us, and that he is happy with his choice, and hopes she likes her choice too. The book closes with Hazel stating that she is happy with her choice.
Writing
John Green speaking at a conference in 2014.
Green stated that the first inspiration for The Fault in Our Stars came from when he worked as a student chaplain at a kids’ hospital. He found the children to be as human as healthy people, and wanted to capture the feeling that “the stories that I was reading sort of oversimplified and sometimes even dehumanized them. And I think generally we have a habit of imagining the very sick or the dying as being kind of fundamentally other. I guess I wanted to argue for their humanity, their complete humanity.”[2] He was initially intimidated by the idea and knew that it was not his story to tell, but said he has received positive comments from sick children.[2] The novel was also influenced by Esther Earl, a girl whom Green was friends with who died when she was 16 years old of thyroid cancer.[3] Green credits Earl for inspiring him to finally write the book, as she demonstrated how a short life could also be a full one. Green was able to add the humor he wanted to the story, as in 2000 when he received the inspiration at the hospital he was too angry at people dying young that he did not feel he would be able to capture the complexity of their lives.[3] In its early stages, the novel was about a group of young cancer patients who formed a “Dead Person’s Society”, and would sneak out to convene in a cave near the children’s hospital.[4] The birth of his first child during the writing process also influenced The Fault in Our Stars, as it allowed him to understand the love between parent and child.[4]
Green once considered writing the story from Isaac’s point of view, as it fit into the epic genre, going so far as the storyteller being blind. Ultimately, he decided to use Hazel’s point of view, as books rarely depict cancer patients from their point of view.[4] Hazel’s father’s belief that “the universe wants to be noticed” came from YouTuber Vi Hart, who explained that point of view to Green in conversation.[3][4] Green has stated that the last line of the book, “I do”, symbolizes marriage because “Shakespeare’s comedies end in marriage and his tragedies end in death, and I was rather fond of the idea that my book could end (symbolically, at least) in both
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