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muneca_bravaEven though, like I said, I'm not starting the 100 Things Challenge until June, thinking about it has made me want to change the way I blog a little. I usually think that nobody will read my posts unless I just make them as short as possible with lots of bullet points and memes, and a lot of the time I love doing that. I react to new episodes best in a fragmented way because I tend to be too overwhelmed to be eloquent, and I cannot stress enough how much I love memes. However, I sometimes want to talk about a book I've read or a movie I've seen or a thing that's happened to me or a thought I've had. And I don't do that because I think 'who cares' or because I'm too lazy.
So I'm going to make an effort to sometimes - in between the fangirly squee posts - write blogs that are a bit longer and about things that aren't necesarily big fandom discussion points or cute questionnaires. This is primarily for myself so I can practise writing and think a bit more about why I like what I like, but if one or two of you enjoy them that would be a bonus of course ;)
I. I finished The Fault in our Stars by John Green and was pleasantly surprised by it. It was the first novel of his I'd read. While I love his videos and knew he was an interesting and intelligent guy I wasn't sure that would mean he's a good author. But while I think I would have treasured this book more than I'm now able to if I had read it a few years ago, I was impressed by how engaging and emotional it was
.It's very funny, the characters are interesting and while they sometimes seem too witty and wise to be realistic they turn out to be flawed and painfully human. I read the book in less than 24 hours, which doesn't happen often to me (it's not a big book of course but still) and found it hard to put down to, say, go to sleep. I also cried over it - harder than I have cried over a book in several years. This is a big deal for me because I don't, in general, cry over books. Movies, tv shows, and fics all the time, but I think it's not happened more than five or six times that I've full-on sobbed while reading a novel. And this time I started at a certain point that I won't spoil and just didn't stop. So I know tis alone will make TFioS stand out in my memory. Even if I forget the plot and the characters and the ideas of it, I'll remember that I got so involved in it, and that it was written so effectively, and that I came to care so much, that I cried over it.
Other than describing my emotional reaction it's hard for me to explain why I liked it because I've been finding it hard to articulate it even to myself. As I say, it was hard to put down, yet every time I did I ended up wondering what it was that made me want to keep reading so badly. Of course a lot of it is down to the writing. It's very light and easy to fly through, but also has a great rhythm to it and lines that can make you stop in your tracks (for those who've read it; last line of ch. 14.) The second part of what makes the book work so well are the two main characters. They are teenagers, and while they are very mature at times and spend more time than most people thinking about mortality and the ~meaning of life (not that it ever gets that cheesy) because of their illness, they are still allowed to be teenagers. My favourite thing about this book is expressed by Hazel herself when she mocks typical stories about children with cancer who are brave and strong until the end etc; my favourite thing is the focus on how unfair all of this is, and how ugly it's allowed to be. They get angry because they are dying, they cry and they lash out and they feel lost, and they act like idiots. Which we all would, and we should. I like that sometimes you forget you're reading a book about cancer patients because you end up just reading a book about teenagers falling in love. I love that Hazel loves America's Next Top Model and that she sometimes yells at her parents but mostly gets on great with them, and I like that Augustus tries too hard to be cool. I like that it's about people and not about a disease, or even - despite what I said earlier - about the unfairness of it all. It's there of course, but the book only works, like any book, because we can all see ourselves in these kids. We all want our life to have meaning, even if we define 'meaning' differently, and we all worry about death. All that is there, and it's impossible not to contemplate for a bit, but it's mostly just a story. A love story, with humour and romance.
It's not a perfect book, it's not going to become one of my all-time everlasting favourites and I don't think everyone would enjoy it. But I spent a whole day with those characters, I grinned at them in the train and cried over them in my bedroom, and when I went to bed that night I fell asleep thinking of them. So if you're interested in reading this book at all but haven't because you think it'll be too much of a downer or too after-school specialy because of the subject, trust me and go get it. And if you don't want to now because I made a big deal about how much it made me cry, don't be stupid about that either because wouldn't you love to let a book affect you so much it does that? Isn't that the whole point?
II. Audience participation required for the 100 Things! I want to talk about 10 different 'subcategories' of culture so I get a 10x10 format, but I'm having trouble coming up with a tenth. So far I have movies, books, plays, poems, paintings, non-painting works of art, songs, places, and tv shows. Originally I was going to do 10 non-fictional texts but I'm having trouble finding more than two or three that were in any way influential to me.
So is there anything you'd want me to talk about, or do you just have any general ideas for a subject? :)
So I'm going to make an effort to sometimes - in between the fangirly squee posts - write blogs that are a bit longer and about things that aren't necesarily big fandom discussion points or cute questionnaires. This is primarily for myself so I can practise writing and think a bit more about why I like what I like, but if one or two of you enjoy them that would be a bonus of course ;)
I. I finished The Fault in our Stars by John Green and was pleasantly surprised by it. It was the first novel of his I'd read. While I love his videos and knew he was an interesting and intelligent guy I wasn't sure that would mean he's a good author. But while I think I would have treasured this book more than I'm now able to if I had read it a few years ago, I was impressed by how engaging and emotional it was
.It's very funny, the characters are interesting and while they sometimes seem too witty and wise to be realistic they turn out to be flawed and painfully human. I read the book in less than 24 hours, which doesn't happen often to me (it's not a big book of course but still) and found it hard to put down to, say, go to sleep. I also cried over it - harder than I have cried over a book in several years. This is a big deal for me because I don't, in general, cry over books. Movies, tv shows, and fics all the time, but I think it's not happened more than five or six times that I've full-on sobbed while reading a novel. And this time I started at a certain point that I won't spoil and just didn't stop. So I know tis alone will make TFioS stand out in my memory. Even if I forget the plot and the characters and the ideas of it, I'll remember that I got so involved in it, and that it was written so effectively, and that I came to care so much, that I cried over it.
Other than describing my emotional reaction it's hard for me to explain why I liked it because I've been finding it hard to articulate it even to myself. As I say, it was hard to put down, yet every time I did I ended up wondering what it was that made me want to keep reading so badly. Of course a lot of it is down to the writing. It's very light and easy to fly through, but also has a great rhythm to it and lines that can make you stop in your tracks (for those who've read it; last line of ch. 14.) The second part of what makes the book work so well are the two main characters. They are teenagers, and while they are very mature at times and spend more time than most people thinking about mortality and the ~meaning of life (not that it ever gets that cheesy) because of their illness, they are still allowed to be teenagers. My favourite thing about this book is expressed by Hazel herself when she mocks typical stories about children with cancer who are brave and strong until the end etc; my favourite thing is the focus on how unfair all of this is, and how ugly it's allowed to be. They get angry because they are dying, they cry and they lash out and they feel lost, and they act like idiots. Which we all would, and we should. I like that sometimes you forget you're reading a book about cancer patients because you end up just reading a book about teenagers falling in love. I love that Hazel loves America's Next Top Model and that she sometimes yells at her parents but mostly gets on great with them, and I like that Augustus tries too hard to be cool. I like that it's about people and not about a disease, or even - despite what I said earlier - about the unfairness of it all. It's there of course, but the book only works, like any book, because we can all see ourselves in these kids. We all want our life to have meaning, even if we define 'meaning' differently, and we all worry about death. All that is there, and it's impossible not to contemplate for a bit, but it's mostly just a story. A love story, with humour and romance.
It's not a perfect book, it's not going to become one of my all-time everlasting favourites and I don't think everyone would enjoy it. But I spent a whole day with those characters, I grinned at them in the train and cried over them in my bedroom, and when I went to bed that night I fell asleep thinking of them. So if you're interested in reading this book at all but haven't because you think it'll be too much of a downer or too after-school specialy because of the subject, trust me and go get it. And if you don't want to now because I made a big deal about how much it made me cry, don't be stupid about that either because wouldn't you love to let a book affect you so much it does that? Isn't that the whole point?
II. Audience participation required for the 100 Things! I want to talk about 10 different 'subcategories' of culture so I get a 10x10 format, but I'm having trouble coming up with a tenth. So far I have movies, books, plays, poems, paintings, non-painting works of art, songs, places, and tv shows. Originally I was going to do 10 non-fictional texts but I'm having trouble finding more than two or three that were in any way influential to me.
So is there anything you'd want me to talk about, or do you just have any general ideas for a subject? :)
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Date: 2012-04-28 19:05 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-28 20:04 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-28 20:16 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-01 04:40 (UTC)TEARS ALL OVER MY FACE
Absolutely amazing. John Green just gets to the heart of what he's saying, and it brings tears to my eyes. "I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once." I CANNOT
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Date: 2012-05-01 09:05 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-01 15:42 (UTC)I also bought Will Grayson, Will Grayson which he co-wrote with David Leviathan, so I'm excited to read that!
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Date: 2012-05-01 15:56 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-28 20:42 (UTC)i've read Looking For Alaska as well and i really really loved it. it made me laugh outloud more than a few times and imo has a better flow/rhythm than TFiOS has so far.
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Date: 2012-04-28 22:03 (UTC)I think I'll definitely read Looking for Alaska too!
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Date: 2012-04-28 22:42 (UTC)I love Paper Towns a lot, and I've only read An Abundance of Katherines once but I enjoyed it. I'm hesitate to rec it as much as the others just because it normally takes at least a few re-reads for me to solidify how I feel about a book in my mind and I haven't had the chance to do that yet, but I definitely enjoyed reading it. There was quite a lot of maths though. You don't need to understand any of it, but I hate not understanding things I read about. That was my issue with lots of stuff going on in A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time as well - I just didn't understand the maths!
This comment is getting looong. You should read Will Grayson, Will Grayson as well because it's such a different sort of book, and it's co-written with David Levithan and basically I don't know anyone else who's read it and I like discussing books!
I am going to shut up now because it's almost midnight and I'm rambling, but I'm glad you enjoyed it! And I hope you enjoy his other books if you do try them out.
xxx
p.s. In terms of your hundred things, maybe you could cover fannish culture and make it something like 10 fanfics which have meant a lot to you? Or is that the kind of thing which would come under non-painting works of art? Maybe 10 people? I know they're not culture in the way that movies and artworks and things are, but perhaps if it were 10 people who have influenced you culturally or something? IDK, ignore me if my ideas are terrible! I hope you find one though, and I look forward to seeing all the things you come up with!
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Date: 2012-04-30 13:52 (UTC)I'll check the others out, other that Looking for Alaska I don't even know what they're about. It'll be a while though because it's not like I don't have other books to read :P But if I do read them, especially Will Grayson, Will Grayson, I'll be sure to talk to you ;)
Your ideas are good! I did think of doing 10 fannish things but I want it to all be things I don't talk about here and I do talk about fanfic I like or stuff like that. The people thing is good though, I'll think about it.
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Date: 2012-04-29 03:40 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-30 13:44 (UTC)Hm, I'll consider it but I can't immediately think of cultural events that meant a lot to me.
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Date: 2012-04-29 17:24 (UTC)I like the suggestion for ten people, because I think everyone has a handful of celebrities that they consider lifespirations or just love desperately with all of their hearts.
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Date: 2012-04-30 13:55 (UTC)I don't know if I do have ten people - especially celebrities - that I find inspirational, but I'll think about it.
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Date: 2012-04-30 14:20 (UTC)I will ponder on your question and get back to you!
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Date: 2012-04-30 17:09 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-01 10:48 (UTC)Also, for the record, I do enjoy your posts! I don't always comment because I feel like I have nothing to really contribute and I'd feel bad for cluttering up your comment space just to let you know I read it xD
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Date: 2012-05-01 11:56 (UTC)And you're without a doubt my most frequent commenter so I really don't mind if you skip a post now and then ;)