The Fault In Our Stars

For Those Who Haven't Read The Book:

John Green's The Fault In Our Stars is a gripping story about the close friendship and romance between Hazel Grace Lancaster, who has terminal thyroid cancer, and Augustus Waters, who is in remission from osteosarcoma, after they meet in a cancer support group. Green has written about a difficult topic with the right balance of humour and seriousness to create a heartbreaking classic which made me laugh, cry (almost always in a public place), and longing for more.

If you have not read The Fault In Our Stars I would recommend you run out immediately to the closest bookshop, money in hand, and bang on the door until they let you in and sell you a copy.

For Those Who Have:
(Warning: may contain some spoilers - you have been warned)

I instantly fell in love with The Fault In Our Stars from the moment I first read it. I had previously loved Green's writing after reading Looking For Alaska, but once I finished this I knew that I had found a new favourite.

I liked the plot, in which the main theme is love having to tackle difficult obstacles. The theme is presented through Hazel and Augustus's love story, which is present throughout the novel (as they are the main characters), however Green also presents the theme through Isaac's relationship. I really enjoyed reading about Isaac because he is funny, smart, and his failed relationship helps point out the sad fact that, most of the time, love does not conquer all. Familial love also plays a part in the novel as Hazel's parents clearly want the best things for her that she can have, and when Gus does die it is heartbreaking to read because all they want to do is take away Hazel's pain but they cannot.

I think Green has done a brilliant job of creating realistic characters, Hazel is very sarcastic and can be quite naive at times and mature at others. Her sarcastic nature is usually directed at the ideas that people have about people dying from cancer, at one point saying:
"According to the conventions of the genre, Augustus Waters kept his sense of humour till the end, did not for a moment waiver in his courage...". This is said at a point where Augustus is disgusted with himself and all he wants is for his life to end.
While I don't think that Green is trying to say that they are not brave, I think that he wanted to show that there are moments in everyone where, no matter how brave and strong we are, where we cannot handle what life has thrown at us.

Augustus is also an interesting character, as he is sweet and deep (as he is obsessed with metaphors and what they say about life), however he can also be painfully unthoughtful, as his desire to be remembered and have a meaningful life does insult Hazel and makes her feel that she is not enough for him. Above all the characters can be related to by the reader despite their circumstances as they are just teenagers, and not 2 dimensional.

John Green manages to create a captivating story which is insightful and heartbreaking in the best way possible. Many people will have their own opinions on the book, but I love it all over again every time I read it. It really made me think about what I would classify as a meaningful life, I came to the conclusion that while it is great to be remembered, it does not mean everything, and the mark of a successful life is if you feel happy and have achieved what you want out of life. But I do appreciate that it will be different for everyone and I would love to hear other views on the matter.

The L-Shaped Room

For Those Who Haven't Read The Book:

The L-Shaped Room by Lynne Reid Banks is a novel about an unmarried woman called Jane who finds herself pregnant in 1950s Britain. This comes as a shock to both her and her father, who then forces her out of their house, and she moves into a rundown boarding house, where she meets other people who society has isolated. The book is narrated from her point of view which helps to create a bond between the reader and Jane, particularly during the times when she is treated horribly. This can be very shocking at times, especially for readers who are younger. Altogether enlightening and enjoyable to read.


For Those Who Have:
(Warning: may contain some spoilers - you have been warned)

The first time I read The L-Shaped Room I was not really expecting to be so moved by Jane's experiences. As a teenager who had not been around during the 50s, I didn't realise just how much women who were not married were ostracised if they accidentally fell pregnant. I found it interesting as a woman to read how almost all the men in the novel placed the blame solely on Jane for the pregnancy. She is referred to as a 'tart' and even Dr Graham, an educated man, tells her that she is morally obligated to have an abortion, and refuses to listen to what she wants. And then later on Dr Maxwell blames her for nearly having a miscarriage, saying that she must have deliberately caused it. The 'other' Jane (one of the prostitutes) is used to represent how the rest of society views her, however later on, as we get to know the characters, we realise just how wrong that generalisation is. Even her friend John tells her that she is no better than a prostitute. As well as this, the fact that Jane herself chooses to live in the boarding house and doesn't, at first, decorate, when she could have moved into somewhere nicer because she almost wants to punish herself, shows how deeply set these negative attitudes are, that she almost blames herself.

The boarding house in the novel is a microcosm for British society, so again there are harsh attitudes towards the other characters in the boarding house: John, a black man whose face scares Jane when she sees it for the first time; Toby, a Jewish writer who is Jane's somewhat tragic love interest; and the two prostitutes in the basement. As well as hostility towards women in Jane's position, there is racism towards John and Toby; Toby even tells Jane that she wouldn't have wanted to marry him because of his religion, and even Jane is scared by the idea of being close to John. This again was a surprise at how normal it was for her to have these feelings. Toby is also discriminated against because of his career as a writer, as at the time it is seen as an inferior job. Finally, the attitude towards the prostitutes and how they were in the basement, at the bottom of society, was very clever. They also show how women were seen as the inferior gender, but also held to a higher standard than men, as they are the ones who are outcasts, not the men who use them, who are the ones that allow them to continue what they are doing. The reader learns more about the 'other' Jane whose character defies everything that people think about prostitutes as she is kind and considerate, which is demonstrated by her concern for Jane when she is having her miscarriage.

As I have previously mentioned, Jane does have her own prejudices throughout the novel, at the start it is towards John, but she also tells the reader about an experience she had when she was a young actress. There was an actor in her theatre group who was gay and had a crush on another actor in the group, so she and this other actor decided to make sure that this man saw the two of them kissing. This plan resulted in Jane being attacked and ashamed, to the point where she left her acting career behind.

This novel is all about prejudice and isolation, and I think that Lynne Reid Banks has created a story that highlights how cruel a species humans can be, and how we need to be more accepting about people who are different and are in difficult circumstances because it can happen to everybody. I also believe that now in the 21st century the book is even more striking, as it lets us enter a world that is becoming day by day more foreign to us.