The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars
My friend is one of the biggest fan of John Green, and she recommend this novel, The Fault in Our Stars, as saying YOU MUST READ THIS! - Well, only some of teenagers enjoy to read books, and she was one of them so I trust her choice - So I bought the book in online book store, and guess what. I rent the book to read just a few pages, and I finished the story before the book was delivered to me. The sentences are easy to read and the story was attractive enough not to let the book down.

1. Author John Green
John Green is one of the most challenging writer in these days, i think. I was really impressed when I knew that he worked for 'Phineas and Ferb' on Disney. As we can guess with his works, he has very unique and creative way to put down his ideas. Stories, sentences, expressions, and every parts of the works, I feel like meet the clean glass that no one touched before. I don't know what I'm saying really, but it's how much that he came new to me.

2. Cancer
When I realized this story is about cancer, honestly, I felt little boring. Because, it's always sorry and sad to hear or read the story about cancer or any other diseases, but because of that reason again, the readers can guess many parts of the story that related to diseases. For example, the main characters survive or overcome the disease, or couldn't but they come to learn to view their lives positively. I'm not saying this kind of story or ending is bad, but it is true that cancer is a common subject now.
However, The Fault in Our Stars gave new impression to me. Hazel Grace is not the one who is trying so hard to be seem too bright or too depressed. She just lived with the cancer with various emotions like other people. I think Hazel (Also Augustus, too) is the best way to show the cancer. Patients can enjoy what they want like Hazel does with books and also they don't have to be too positively like Cinderella. Well, this is only my thoughts by the way.

3. Anne Frank
There is the scene that Hazel and Augustus visited Anne Frank's house in Netherlands. I think John Green selected this place purposely. In the scene, there is a book that listed the victims of Nazi's, and the numbers of name was massive. However, people usually can remember only Anne and her family. Of course it was not their fault, but they are who still alive and live in the Earth. Who will miss or remember those dead people, if people on Earth don't? Maybe this is why John Green named this novel as 'The Fault in Our Stars'.
 Also it is not related directly, but in the scene after Augustus died, his friends uploaded remembrance in his homepage (I guessed Facebook). However, Hazel didn't feel good, because she knew that they gonna forget him soon and live their lives normally again. Again, we can't blame them because that's how we lived the lives. We meet new people and part with them, miss them, and become to forget them one day as having another new relationships. But still, I feel sorry and sad in this scene and look back myself that I forget someone who was important to me once.

4. Netherlands
 My favourite part of this novel is when Hazel and Augustus visited Netherlands to meet Peter Van Houten, Hazel's favourite writer. The floated flowers that looks just like snow, was so beautiful that I can't even imagine it. And the sparkling cocktail, feels like tasting stars to me. All of the days that they spend in their, only except the day met Peter, was like dream to me. With out worries and pain came from cancer and people's attention, they have great time just like other people and it makes me happy.
 By the way, I wish that the Genie for cancer children is real.

5. Books in the book
 "An Imperial Affliction", written by Peter Van Houten, was one of the most interesting part in this book. It is about the girl who suffered from the cancer just like "The Fault in Our Stars", and it includes wonderful quotes. However, the book was ended without "ending". The story was going on just like other parts, and suddenly it's ended. Hazel was dying to want to know the end of the story, but I think that's what make that book special as Peter said. And also that's the real life in reality, too. Only few people can sense their death and ready for it. Others are disappeared someday so suddenly, and that's the reason why people afraid of the death.

6. Pain
 Issac, the friend of Hazel and Augustus, I feel so much sorry for him while I was reading. I couldn't imagine what if it feels like one day I lost my eyes. He lost her girlfriend and his eyes, and it feels like horribly painful. I hate to compare myself with other's pain, because it depends on people and nobody can't measure other's pain, but I realize I have to thanks for my every day again. Maybe I get through the deep pain too. I will not get over easily like Issac too. But I hope that I can remember this book and try hard to get rid the sorrow that day.

7. Conclusion
 After listing all these good parts about "The Fault in Our Stars", I feel like I come to like this book more than when I finished this book. Honestly, it was not that good to say "You have to read this" to me. Because the novel feel little light and the style was so new to me, so it feels like childish sometimes. But I guessed it is John Green his own way. Anyway it was pretty good to read delightfully and thoughtfully.

'Do Jong Hwan' poem "Foot Print"

발자국
도종환

아, 저 발자국
저렇게 푹푹 파이는 발자국을 남기며
나를 지나간 사람이 있었지

Foot Print

Do Jong Hwan

Ah, that foot prints

There was one who passed me

Leaving deep prints like that

'Ko Un' poem

고은

어쩌자고 이렇게 큰 하늘인가
나는 달랑 혼자인데



Ko Un

For what the sky is this big
Whatever I am alone

The Perks of Being Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being Wallflower
I met this story through the film before I read the book. The movie was good, the story was nice and all actors and also their acts were very good. So I came to read the book, and I definitely sure that the book is good as much as the film - actually, it is even better than the film.

There are lots and lots things to talk about this book.

1. It's dark and heavy. Even though the main character and also narrator, Charlie, is very pure in someways, but the story is not that bright. It has profound meaning inside. Also the stuffs that are handed in the book is heavy, like the rape, drugs, suicide or mental illness. I think Charlie is the best narrator for this book because of this reason - if it is not Charlie, it will be even darker than now.

2. Characters' names. Many of the characters such as Charlie's families didn't even named and also characters who were named is not their real name as Charlie mentioned in the beginning. However, since the receiver of the letter is a classmate of Charlie, so even though he used fake name, probably he or she could guess who Charlie is. Ironic.

3. Charlie became to remember what aunt Helen had done to him, when he slept with Sam. One thing to consider is, Charlie slept with Marry Elizabeth before with Sam, but the memory didn't come up in his mind. I think this is because both aunt Helen and Sam are the one who Charlie really loved. He didn't fall in love with Marry, but he really loved Sam and also Helen even though she had raped him.

4. Overlaps. The girl who was raped by her boyfriend in Charlie's room during the party, is similar to Charlie's sister's situation. These two girls got hurt from their boyfriends - the boy hit Charlie's sister's face (Gosh, it is really uncomfortable to write without names) - but they had no choice what to do. Because they still loved their boyfriend, and didn't want to break up. It's kind of sad thing, but they grew enough unlike when Charlie was young, they had to take care of themselves first and know what is right or wrong.

5. Poem that Charlie read for Patrick. My friend taught Charlie's friend who was suicide wrote this poem, but I'm not sure. I couldn't understand this poem exactly, but I can guess it was about how much people changed and it hurts others. Sometimes, we just want to go back to childhood.

6. Charlie was shivering when he freaked out. It was maybe because Aunt Helen got car accident on the load that was covered by snow. And because she was on the way to buy his birthday present, he felt guilty about her death.

There were more things to talk, but these are all that I remember until now. It was good novel and it makes me think about lots of things, like what happened around me now or in my mind. But still, it was complicated and deep, so I think I had to reread this several times.

'Ahn Do Hyun' poem "Ask to You"

너에게 묻는다

안도현

연탄재 함부로 발로 차지 마라
너는
누구에게 한 번이라도 뜨거운 사람이었느냐

Ask to You

Ahn Do Hyun

Do not kick out ashes rashly

Even Once

Have you been ardent love to someone

Submission Result!

Submission result of 'Between the Lines (BTL)', the teenage literary magazine, was released!
I submitted my English poem, Mistaken, and it had been selected! Feels so nice. I'm gonna buy this magazine when it comes out :)

'Ko Un' poem "The Flower"

그 꽃

고은

내려갈 때 보았네 

올라갈 때 보지 못한 

그 꽃

The Flower

Ko Un

Find it on a downhill

That I could not find on a uphill

That flower

Mistaken

A boy was born,

Born to collect

the pieces.

As time went by,

the puzzle pieces were mixed.

Mixed with misses

Missed with mixes

The boy grew up.

Grew up to be a man.

The man

took out the pieces.

And matched them

on a empty canvas.

Puzzled them

on the wrong places.

Finally,

he named it

a memory.

Submission for BTL Summer Edition. [Mistake]. 2013.

Mistake

I used to say,
It was my biggest mistake
To be born as her child.

After a long time,
After I grew up,
I said:

It was my biggest mistake
To bear as her child.


Submission for BTL Summer Edition. [Mistake]. 2013.