The fault in our stars..

Well, I'm not really a fan of love stories.. Much less the mushy ones.. But people seemed to be going gaga over the book and the characters so much that it made me want to read the book.. It's a beautifully written story that touches your heart.. And it makes one think a lot.. I felt all those emotions that the characters were going through.. It was like the protagonist was telling only ME her story.. But the book touched me for reasons other than the obvious ones

The book speaks about kids who're battling cancer.. It's a very simple story about how a guy and a girl meet and become friends and spend a lot of time and bond over a lot of activities.. It truly is a nice feeling to see the friendly banter between Hazel and Augustus.. And it's a beautiful feeling to watch their love bloom.. But for me the most touching moment was when Hazel has a near death experience and her mother says to Hazel's father, 'I won't be a mother anymore'.. That line knocked the wind out of my lungs.. The book is all about the love that Hazel and Gus share.. It somehow doesn't do justice to the other emotions in play.. It doesn't wax eloquent about the love those parents feel for their kids.. It doesn't show that while the kids are battling against their illness, the parents are fighting a battle of their own, each passing day.. There's too much reference to Hazel's father crying, which I find unfair.. One can only imagine the agony of that father who travels a lot on work and who's just pulling through each day wondering if he would see his daughter alive at the end of the week..

So yeah, their love was pure.. And it existed because both Hazel and Augustus were cancer patients.. But I could identify more with the girl who broke up with her boyfriend who was a cancer patient jus before he had to undergo an operation that would render him blind.. THAT, is what I could identify with.. Because there lies the fault in our stars.. We're human.. We're weak.. And when the going gets tough we throw the towel in.. When we know we're going to get hurt we run as fast and as far away as our legs can carry us.. So we want to be loved.. And sometimes would do or say anything to get there.. But the love as portrayed in the book doesn't exist.. There is no unconditional love except for the kind of love a mother feels for her children.. But we all yearn for love and acceptance.. When we love people we expect to be loved in return.. We want to leave our mark in this world, among our loved ones and among people we consider our own..

The book is based on a very thought provoking premise that while we don't have a say in whether we get hurt or not we certainly can decide on who gets to hurt us.. So for those who read this book and to those who plan to read this book, I hope you fondly remember those people who make it worth all the pain they put you through.. Because it is better to have loved and lost than to not have loved at all..