I decided to read this book as I found out that the movie is coming out this summer. I don't want my imagination to be tainted by the actors, so I bought the book in London and started reading. I don't know why but for some reason I've just been reading such sad books lately. Sad, but brilliant.
If I could ignore the fact that the main characters in this book, Hazel and Augustus, seemed far too clever for their age (I've met countless ridiculously smart and wise teenagers and somehow they seemed nothing in comparison to them) that made me sink back to reality and realise I'm reading fiction, the book was a joy to read. The book told by two cancer-stricken teenagers teaches us to live. Love. No matter what. Even with cancer.
"Without pain, we couldn't know joy"
I wish I could say more about the book, but after those hundreds of pages, the message is clear and is coherent throughout.
To end this post on a less ambiguous, rather patriotic note, apparently according to the book, "there are only two emotions, love and fear, and that Afasi och Filthy navigate between them with the kind of facility that one simply does not find in hip-hop music outside of Sweden." I was curious and looked up Afasi och Filthy and listened to their music. I must say, I didn't understand what the author was trying to say with that passage. I'ts probably because I can understand everything Afasi och Filthy are singing. It's probably only those who don't speak Swedish who can understand what the author was trying to say. You non-Swedish speaking people are in for an additional treat then. Nevertheless, I appreciate the shout-out to Swedish music. Woop.
Bottom line, read the book before watching the movie this summer. Heart-warming. Oh, and why not join me and listen to some more Swedish hip-hop while you're at it too.
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