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{{Short description|2012 novel by John Green}}
:''For the upcoming film based on the novel, see ]''
{{about|the novel|the film|The Fault in Our Stars (film)|other uses}}
{{Infobox book | <!-- See Misplaced Pages:WikiProject_Novels or Misplaced Pages:WikiProject_Books -->
{{Use American English|date=April 2021}}
| name = The Fault in Our Stars
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
| image = ]
{{Infobox book
| caption =
| author = ] | name = The Fault in Our Stars
| country = ] | image = The Fault in Our Stars.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| language = ]
| caption =
| cover_artist = ]
| genre = ] | author = ]
| country = United States
| publisher = ]
| language = English
| release_date = January 10, 2012
| media_type = Print (], ]) | cover_artist = ]
| genre = {{hlist|]|]}}
| pages = 313
| published = January 10, 2012 (])
| isbn = 0-525-47881-7
| media_type = Print (], ]), audiobook, ebook
| congress=
| pages = 313
| oclc=
| isbn = 0-525-47881-7
| preceded_by =
| congress =
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}} }}
'''''The Fault in Our Stars''''' is a novel by ]. It is his fourth solo novel, and sixth novel overall. It was published on January 10, 2012. The title is inspired by Act 1, Scene 2 of ]'s play '']'', in which the nobleman ] says to ]: "Men at some time were masters of their fates, / The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings." Author John Green was inspired to write the book after working as a student chaplain in a children's hospital, and it is dedicated to his friend Esther Earl, who died of Thyroid cancer in 2010, age 16. The story is narrated by Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old girl with ] that has affected her lungs. Hazel is forced by her parents to attend a ] where she subsequently meets and falls in love with 17-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player, amputee, and survivor of ].


An American ] of the same name as the novel directed by ] and starring ], ], and ] was released on June 6, 2014.<ref name="deahl"/> A ] feature film adaptation of the novel, titled '']'', which was directed by ] and starring ], ], ], ] and ], was released on July 24, 2020, on ].<ref name=fp1/> The American film adaptation and the book enjoyed strong critical and commercial success, with the latter becoming ].
'''''The Fault in Our Stars''''' is the fourth ] by author ], published in January 2012. The story is narrated by a sixteen-year-old ] patient named Hazel, who is forced by her parents to attend a ], where she subsequently meets and falls in love with the seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-] player and ].


== Plot ==
The title is inspired by a famous line from ]'s play ]'' (Act 1, scene 2). The nobleman Cassius says to Brutus, 'The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.'
Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old with ] that has spread to her lungs, attends a cancer patient support group at her mother's behest. At one meeting, Hazel meets a 17-year-old boy currently in remission named Augustus Waters, whose ] caused him to lose his right leg. Augustus is at the meeting to support Isaac, his friend who has ]. Hazel and Augustus strike a bond immediately and agree to read each other's favorite novels. Augustus gives Hazel ''The Price of Dawn'', and Hazel recommends ''An Imperial Affliction'', a novel about a cancer-stricken girl named Anna that parallels Hazel's own experience. After Augustus finishes reading her book, he is frustrated upon learning that the novel ends abruptly without a conclusion, as if Anna had died suddenly. Hazel explains the novel's author, Peter van Houten, retreated to ] following the novel's publication and has not been heard from since.


A week later, Augustus reveals to Hazel that he has tracked down Van Houten's assistant, Lidewij, and, through her, has managed to start an e-mail correspondence with Van Houten. The two write to Van Houten with questions regarding the novel's ending; he eventually replies, explaining that he can only answer Hazel's questions in person. At a picnic, Augustus surprises Hazel with tickets to Amsterdam to meet Van Houten, acquired through the story's version of the ], "The Genie Foundation".
In January 2012, the film rights to the book were optioned by ],<ref name="deahl"/> and on February 19, 2013, it was announced that ] would be directing the ]. It is set to star ], ] and ].


Upon meeting Van Houten, Hazel and Augustus are shocked to discover that he is a mean-spirited alcoholic. Horrified by Van Houten's hostile behavior towards the teenagers, Lidewij confesses to having arranged the meeting on his behalf. Lidewij resigns as Van Houten's assistant and takes Hazel and Augustus to the ], where Augustus and Hazel share their first kiss. Later that night Hazel and Augustus lose their virginity to one another in Augustus's hotel room, confessing their mutual love for each other.
==Plot==
The story takes place in Indianapolis, Indiana, where sixteen year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster reluctantly attends a cancer patients' support group at her mother’s behest. Because of her cancer, she uses a portable oxygen tank to breathe properly. In one of the meetings she catches the eye of a teenage boy, and through the course of the meeting she learns the boy’s name is Augustus Waters. He's there to support their mutual friend, Isaac. Isaac had a tumor in one eye that he had removed, and now he has to have his other eye taken out as well. After the meeting ends, Augustus approaches Hazel and tells her she looks like ] in '']''. He invites Hazel to his house to watch the movie, and while hanging out, the two discuss their experiences with cancer. Hazel reveals she has thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. Augustus had ], but he is now cancer free after having his leg amputated. Before Augustus takes Hazel home, they agree to read one another’s favorite novels. Augustus gives Hazel ''The Price of Dawn'', and Hazel recommends ''An Imperial Affliction''.


The next day, Augustus reveals that his cancer has returned. Upon their return to Indianapolis, Augustus's health continues to deteriorate, resulting in him staying in the ICU for a few days. Fearing his death, Augustus invites Isaac and Hazel to his ], where they give eulogies. Augustus dies soon after, leaving Hazel heartbroken. Van Houten shows up at Augustus's funeral to apologize to Hazel.
Hazel explains the magnificence of ''An Imperial Affliction'': It is a novel about a girl named Anna who has cancer, and it's the only account she's read of living with cancer that matches her experience. She describes how the novel maddeningly ends midsentence, denying the reader closure about the fate of the novel’s characters. She speculates about the novel’s mysterious author, Peter Van Houten, who fled to Amsterdam after the novel was published and hasn’t been heard from since.


Hazel learns that Augustus had written an ] for her, and reads it after Lidewij discovers it amidst Van Houten's letters. It states that getting hurt in this world is unavoidable, but we do get to choose whom we allow to hurt us, and that he is happy with his choice, and hopes she likes hers too. The book closes with Hazel stating that she is happy with her choice.
A week after Hazel and Augustus discuss the literary meaning of An Imperial Affliction, Augustus miraculously reveals he tracked down Van Houten's assistant, Lidewij, and through her he's managed to start an email correspondence with the reclusive author. He shares Van Houten's letter with Hazel, and she devises a list of questions to send Van Houten, hoping to clear up the novel’s ambiguous conclusion. Hazel is most concerned with the fate of Anna’s mother. She figures that if Anna’s mother survives her daughter’s death, then her own parents will be alright after Hazel dies. Van Houten eventually replies, saying he could only answer Hazel’s questions in person. He invites her to stop by if she is ever in Amsterdam.
Shortly after Augustus invites Hazel on a picnic. It turns out he's planned an elaborate Dutch-themed picnic where he reveals that a charitable foundation that grants the wishes of kids with cancer has agreed to grant his: he's taking the two of them to Amsterdam to meet Van Houten. She is thrilled, but when he touches her face she feels hesitant for some reason. Over time she realizes that she likes him a lot, but she knows she'll hurt him when she dies. She compares herself to a grenade.


==Characters==
In the midst of her struggle over what to do about Augustus, Hazel suffers a serious episode in which her lungs fill with fluid and she goes to the ICU. When she is released after a period of days, she learns that Augustus never left the hospital’s waiting room. He delivers Hazel another letter from Van Houten, this one more personal and more cryptic than the last. After reading the letter, Hazel is more determined than ever to go to Amsterdam. There is a problem though: Her parents and her team of doctors don’t think Hazel is strong enough to travel. The situation seems hopeless until one of the physicians most familiar with her case, Dr. Maria, convinces Hazel’s parents that Hazel must travel because she needs to live her life.
* '''Hazel Grace Lancaster''': Hazel Grace Lancaster is a 16-year-old college student with lung cancer. She is depressed and knows that she'll die one day. She knows very well that being famous and loved widely does not matter as much as being who she is and being loved deeply because oblivion is inevitable.
* '''Augustus "Gus" Waters''': Augustus Waters is a 17-year-old boy who suffered from cancer and subsequently had a leg amputation. He ironically needs to have a pack of cigarettes around him at all times to help with his overwhelming emotions as he sees it as a powerful metaphor.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/the-fault-in-our-stars/symbols#:~:text=Augustus's%20Cigarettes,-Augustus%20uses%20cigarettes&text=But%20Augustus%20explains%20that%20he,power%20to%20do%20its%20killing.”}}</ref> Gus wants to be known widely and have people remember him when he dies. Prior to meeting Hazel, Gus had a girlfriend, Caroline Mather, who died from a cancerous ], and it is stated that Hazel resembles her.
* '''Isaac''': Isaac is 17 years old and goes to the same support group as Hazel because of his eye cancer. His eye cancer has caused him to become blind.
* '''Peter Van Houten''': Peter Van Houten is Hazel's favorite author, who wrote her favorite book, the ] ''An Imperial Affliction''. Later he turns out to be an alcoholic who is neither planning to write a sequel for AIA nor willing to imagine a future for the characters in the book. He had an eight-year-old daughter who died of leukemia.
* '''Patrick''': The strange support group leader who runs the meeting in the literal heart of Jesus at the church and had prostate cancer.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster''': They are Hazel's parents. Mrs. Lancaster's main job is to (as Hazel would say) "hover over her." She eventually plans to become a social worker and is already working for a year on her MSW. Mr. Lancaster is working for a real estate company – Morris Property Inc.
* '''Mr. and Mrs. Waters''': They are Gus's parents. They have words of wisdom or Encouragements (as they used to call them) written all over their home. Gus's father along with Hazel agree that they have weird kids.
* '''Lidewij Vliegenthart''': She is the assistant to the author Peter Van Houten who resigns in the later part of the book. Lidewij is also a graduate student pursuing her PhD in American literature. She was the one who first wrote back to Augustus and made Peter reply to Hazel and Augustus's emails. It is Lidewij who takes them for a visit to Anne Frank's house and pays (on behalf of the author) for their dinner at Oranjee. After Augustus dies, she finds the last letters that Augustus wrote to Peter Van Houten before his death and emails them to Hazel.


Other characters include:
The plans are made for Augustus, Hazel, and Hazel's mother to go to ], but when Hazel and Augustus meet Van Houten they find that, instead of a prolific genius, he is a mean-spirited drunk who claims he cannot answer any of Hazel’s questions. The two leave Van Houten’s in utter disappointment, and accompanied by Lidewij, who feels horrified by Van Houten's behavior, they tour Anne Frank’s house. At the end of the tour, Augustus and Hazel share a romantic kiss, to the applause of spectators. They head back to the hotel where they make love for the first and only time.
* '''Julie and Martha''': Augustus's paternal half-sisters, both married to bankers called Dave and Chris. Among them, they have three boys.
* '''Graham''': Isaac's ten-year-old brother.
* '''Kaitlyn''': Hazel's only friend from her pre-cancer life. Apparently, she is the one who suggests that Gus might have written something and mailed somebody else.
* '''Caroline Mathers''': Gus's ex-girlfriend who died of brain cancer before Gus and Hazel met.
* '''Drs. Maria and Simon''': Hazel's doctors.
* '''Monica''': Isaacs ex girlfriend. She broke up with him after he went blind because of the pressure of having to help him.


== Origins ==
The following day, Augustus confesses that while Hazel was in the ] he had a body scan which revealed his cancer has returned and spread everywhere. They return to Indianapolis, and Hazel realizes Augustus is now the grenade. As his condition worsens he is less prone to his typical charm and confidence. He becomes vulnerable and scared, but is still a beautiful boy in Hazel’s mind. As this change occurs, she ceases calling him Augustus and starts referring to him as just Gus, as his parents do. Hazel recognizes that she loves him now as much as ever. Augustus’s condition deteriorates quickly. In his final days Augustus arranges a prefuneral for himself, and Isaac and Hazel give eulogies. Hazel steals a line from Van Houten about larger and smaller infinities. She says how much she loves Augustus, and that she would not trade their short time together for anything in the world.
After graduating from ], Green spent about five months working as a student ] at ] in ].<ref>{{Citation|title=Hospital Chaplain: The Miracle of Swindon Town #33| date=November 2, 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1udWGw7KsIc| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/1udWGw7KsIc| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2021-09-12}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He has cited this experience as inspiration for his story:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kenyon College: John Green - Thoughts on How To Make Things and Why| date=February 13, 2014 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4peoHkXsJg&t=2172s| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/R4peoHkXsJg| archive-date=2021-11-17|url-status=live|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>


<blockquote>I tried to write that book for almost 10 years. Ever since I worked as a chaplain, I would go back, I was trying to work on what I called the Children's Hospital Story, although in all of its previous incarnations, it starred this 22-year-old hospital chaplain, who was, like, surprisingly handsome and, like, hooking up with doctors. It was very embarrassing. I hope that — it was just terrible. But you know, I would go back to that story and go back to it and go back to it. Then in 2010 a good friend of mine died of cancer, a young friend, and I went back to the story, and I went back to it angry and needing to work.</blockquote>This young friend who died was ], who is named in the book's dedication.<ref name="Huffington Post">{{Cite news |date=March 28, 2013 |title=John Green Contributes To 'This Star Won't Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl,' Book About Cancer Victim |work=Huffington Post |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/28/john-green-book-esther-grace-earl_n_2970100.html |access-date=November 4, 2014 |archive-date=November 4, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104094631/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/28/john-green-book-esther-grace-earl_n_2970100.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
Augustus dies eight days later. Hazel is astonished to find Van Houten at the funeral. Van Houten explains that he and Gus maintained correspondence and that Augustus demanded Van Houten make up for ruining the trip to Amsterdam by coming to his funeral to see Hazel. Van Houten abstractly reveals the fate of Anna’s mother, but Hazel is not interested.


Green worked on ''The Fault in our Stars'' in 2011, while staying as a writer in residence in Amsterdam at the invitation of the ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Residency for Writers in Amsterdam - Programs - Letterenfonds |url=https://www.letterenfonds.nl/en/residency-for-writers-in-amsterdam |access-date=2023-04-24 |website=www.letterenfonds.nl |archive-date=April 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412150144/https://www.letterenfonds.nl/en/residency-for-writers-in-amsterdam |url-status=live }}</ref>
A few days later Isaac informs Hazel that Augustus was writing something for her. He had hinted about writing a sequel to An Imperial Affliction for her, and as Hazel scrambles to locate the pages she encounters Van Houten once more. He drunkenly reveals that Anna was the name of his daughter. She died of cancer when she was eight, and An Imperial Affliction was his literary attempt at reconciling himself with her death. Hazel tells Van Houten to sober up and write another book.


Two books served as an inspiration for the fictional book ''An Imperial Affliction'': ''The Blood of the Lamb'' by ] and '']'' by ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=An Imperial Affliction — The Fault in Our Stars FAQ |url=http://www.johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars-faq/category/An+Imperial+Affliction |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=John Green |language=en-US |archive-date=January 12, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112173410/https://www.johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars-faq/category/An+Imperial+Affliction |url-status=live }}</ref>
Eventually Hazel learns that Augustus sent the pages to Van Houten because he wanted Van Houten to use the pages to compose a well-written ] about Hazel. Lidewij forces Van Houten to read the pages and sends them straight off to Hazel. The novel concludes with Hazel reading Augustus’s words. He says getting hurt in this world is inevitable, but we do get to choose who we allow to hurt us, and that he is happy with his choice. He hopes she likes her choice too. The final words of the novel come from Hazel, who says she does.


==Publication history==
==Writing==
On December 21, 2011, ] accidentally shipped 1,500 copies of ''The Fault in Our Stars'' before the release date to people who had pre-ordered the book. Green released a statement saying, "Mistakes happen. The people who made this error were not bad or incompetent people, and they were not acting maliciously. We all make mistakes, and it is not my wish to see Barnes and Noble or any of their employees vilified."<ref>{{cite web|first=John|last=Green|url=http://fishingboatproceeds.tumblr.com/post/14578172294/the-leaking-of-the-fault-in-our-stars|archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20120109022454/http://fishingboatproceeds.tumblr.com/post/14578172294/the%2Dleaking%2Dof%2Dthe%2Dfault%2Din%2Dour%2Dstars|archive-date=January 9, 2012|title=The Leaking of The Fault in Our Stars|website=John Green's ]|date=December 21, 2011|access-date=December 26, 2013}}</ref> Many people who received the book pledged not to read it until its release date, January 10, 2012, or discuss it until the next day, January 11, as per a request of Green's not to spoil it for other readers. Most kept to this promise, leaving the experience untarnished for those who got the book on the intended release date.<ref>{{cite web|last=Green|first=John|title=There Will Be NO SPOILERS!!!|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOuGTNYGi7Y| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/fOuGTNYGi7Y| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|publisher=]|date=December 23, 2011|access-date=January 12, 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
Green stated that the first inspiration for ''The Fault in Our Stars'' came from when he worked as a student ] at a children's hospital. He found the children to be as human as healthy people, and wanted to capture the feeling that "the stories that I was reading sort of oversimplified and sometimes even dehumanized them. And I think generally we have a habit of imagining the very sick or the dying as being kind of fundamentally other. I guess I wanted to argue for their humanity, their complete humanity."<ref name="Atlantic">{{cite web|first=Rebecca J|last=Rosen|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/02/how-john-green-wrote-a-cancer-book-but-not-a-bullshit-cancer-book/273441/|title=How John Green Wrote a Cancer Book but Not a 'Bullshit Cancer Book'|work=]|date=25 February 2013|accessdate=23 December 2013}}</ref> He was initially intimidated by the idea and knew that it was not his story to tell, but said he has received positive comments from sick children.<ref name="Atlantic"/> The novel was also influenced by Esther Earl, a girl whom Green was friends with who died when she was 16 years old of thyroid cancer.<ref name="goodreads">{{cite web|first=Jade|last=Chang|url=http://www.goodreads.com/interviews/show/828.John_Green|title=Interview with John Green|publisher=]|date=December 2012|accessdate=23 December 2013}}</ref> Green credits Earl for inspiring him to finally write the book, as she demonstrated how a short life could also be a full one. Green was able to add the humor he wanted to the story, as in 2000 when he received the inspiration at the hospital he was too angry at people dying young that he did not feel he would be able to capture the complexity of their lives.<ref name="goodreads"/> In its early stages, the novel was about a group of young cancer patients who formed a "Dead Person's Society", and would sneak out to convene in a cave near the children's hospital.<ref name="faq"/> The birth of his first child during the writing process also influenced ''The Fault in Our Stars'', as it allowed him to understand the love between parent and child.<ref name="faq"/>


The book rose to #84 on the ] and Barnes & Noble bestseller lists in June 2011 shortly after its title was announced.<ref name="wsj1">{{cite web|last=Trachtenberg|first=Jeffrey A|date=July 1, 2011|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304450604576418161912396814|title=Tweeting from a La-Z-Boy, An Unfinished Book Hits No. 1|work=]|access-date=December 24, 2013|archive-date=February 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205095205/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304450604576418161912396814|url-status=live}}</ref> Green promised that every pre-order would be hand-signed by him, requiring him to sign every copy of the first printing. He proposed that the general public vote on the color ] he would use to sign the books, resulting in him signing the 150,000 books with a variety of Sharpie colors, each in proportion to the number of votes received for that color.<ref>{{cite web|last=Green|first=John|title=The Fault in Our Stars|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xF-T8XXXR8| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/3xF-T8XXXR8| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|publisher=]|date=June 29, 2011|access-date=July 1, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> However, some people who ordered from international booksellers received unsigned copies because those bookstores, including Amazon UK, underestimated how many books they needed and ordered more after the signing was complete, but Green agreed to fix this problem, telling people with unsigned pre-orders to email him so they could be sent a signed bookplate.<ref name="qTuesday is here">{{cite web |first=John |last=Green |title=Question Tuesday: The Fault in Our Stars is Here Edition |url=http://johngreenbooks.com/question-tuesday-the-fault-in-our-stars-is-here-edition/ |publisher=John Green Books |date=January 10, 2012 |access-date=February 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310134602/http://johngreenbooks.com/question-tuesday-the-fault-in-our-stars-is-here-edition/ |archive-date=March 10, 2014 }}</ref> Many fans submitted their book cover designs to various outlets including Tumblr and Twitter, tagging Green in these posts so he could see them. The sizeable number of posts received prompted Green's publisher Penguin to seek a fan-designed cover for a reprint of one of Green's other books, '']''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Green|first=John|title=An Abundance of Covers Competition|url=http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/youngreaders/minisites/john_green/|publisher=Penguin Group|access-date=December 14, 2011|archive-date=February 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227044354/http://www.us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/youngreaders/minisites/john_green/}}</ref> ''The Fault in Our Stars'' debuted at No.{{nbsp}}1 on ] for Children's Chapter Books<ref>{{cite news |title=Best Sellers: January 29, 2012 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2012-01-29/chapter-books/list.html |work=] |date=January 22, 2012 |access-date=January 22, 2012 |archive-date=January 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121154544/http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2012-01-29/chapter-books/list.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and remained in that spot for seven consecutive weeks.<ref name="Heyman">{{cite news |first=Marshall |last=Heyman |title=The Young and the Sociable |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204792404577229360592101868 |newspaper=] |date=February 18, 2012 |access-date=February 18, 2012 |archive-date=July 1, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701155645/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204792404577229360592101868 |url-status=live }}</ref> A Hebrew edition of ''The Fault in Our Stars'' was published in Israel in August 2012 and more editions of the novel are forthcoming{{as of?|date=July 2021}} in Dutch, German, Spanish, French, Swedish, Danish, Icelandic, Chinese, Persian and Portuguese. ''The Fault in Our Stars'' has also gained places on several bestseller lists. It was No.{{nbsp}}1 on '']'' bestseller list, No.{{nbsp}}1 on the ''Indiebound'' bestseller list, and No.{{nbsp}}9 on '']'' bestseller list. The novel was also '']'' Book Review Editor's Choice.<ref>{{cite web|title=JohnGreenBooks.com: The Fault in Our Stars|url=http://johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars/|access-date=February 27, 2012|archive-date=March 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327194143/http://johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars/|url-status=live}}</ref> As of January 2013, there are nearly 1 million copies of the novel in print.<ref name="Minzesheimer">{{cite news |author=Bob Minzesheimer |title=John and Hank Green rock Carnegie Hall |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/01/16/john-green-hank-green-nerdfighters-fault-in-our-stars/1839151/ |newspaper=] |date=January 16, 2013 |access-date=January 17, 2013 |archive-date=July 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726170341/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/01/16/john-green-hank-green-nerdfighters-fault-in-our-stars/1839151/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In December 2012, it was announced that a special edition with a silver cover and an expanded Q&A, dubbed the 'Exclusive Collector's Edition', would be available from Barnes & Noble. All or at least most of the copies first available for purchase of this edition of the book contained a printing error wherein several pages of the first chapter were replaced with pages from the Q&A section at the back of the book.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sprague|first=Rachel|title='The Fault in Our Stars' collector's edition publish date pushed back|url=http://www.hypable.com/2013/01/04/the-fault-in-our-stars-collectors-edition-publish-date-pushed-back|date=January 4, 2013|access-date=January 5, 2013|archive-date=August 3, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230803000645/https://www.hypable.com/the-fault-in-our-stars-collectors-edition-publish-date-pushed-back/|url-status=live}}</ref> As of October 2017, the book has sold 23 million copies, making it one of the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/arts/2017/10/20/john-green-book-event-balances-anxiety-laughs/769477001/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220727105544/https://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/arts/2017/10/20/john-green-book-event-balances-anxiety-laughs/769477001/|title=John Green 'Turtles' book tour balances anxiety, laughs|date=October 20, 2017|access-date=July 27, 2022|archive-date=July 27, 2022|url-status=live|first=David|last=Linquist|website=IndyStar}}</ref>
Green once considered writing the story from Isaac's point of view, as it fit into the ], going so far as the storyteller being blind. Ultimately, he decided to use Hazel's point of view, as books rarely depict cancer patients from their point of view.<ref name="faq"/> Hazel's father's belief that "the universe wants to be noticed" came from ]r ], who explained her point of view to Green in conversation.<ref name="goodreads"/><ref name="faq"/> Green has stated that the last line of the book, "I do", symbolizes marriage because "] end in marriage and ] end in death, and I was rather fond of the idea that my book could end (symbolically, at least) in both."<ref name="faq">{{cite web|first=John|last=Green|url=http://johngreenbooks.com/questions-about-the-fault-in-our-stars-spoilers/|title=Questions about The Fault in Our Stars (SPOILERS!)|publisher=John Green Books|accessdate=24 December 2013}}</ref>


==Reception==
==Publication history==
]
On December 21, 2011, ] accidentally shipped 1500 copies of ''The Fault in Our Stars'' before the release date to people who had pre-ordered the book. Green released a statement saying, "Mistakes happen. The people who made this error were not bad or incompetent people, and they were not acting maliciously. We all make mistakes, and it is not my wish to see Barnes and Noble or any of their employees vilified."<ref>{{cite web|first=John|last=Green|url=http://fishingboatproceeds.tumblr.com/post/14578172294/the-leaking-of-the-fault-in-our-stars|title=The Leaking of The Fault in Our Stars|website=John Green's ]|date=21 December 2011|accessdate=26 December 2013}}</ref> Many people who received the book pledged not to read it until its release date, January 10, 2012, or discuss it until the next day, January 11, as per a request of Green's not to spoil it for other readers. Most kept to this promise leaving the experience untarnished for those who got the book on intended release date.<ref>{{cite web|last=Green|first=John|title=There Will Be NO SPOILERS!!!|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOuGTNYGi7Y|publisher=]|date=December 23, 2011|accessdate=January 12, 2012}}</ref>


''The Fault in Our Stars'' received critical acclaim. Critics mostly praised the book for its humor, strong characters, language, themes and new perspective on cancer and romance. According to ], based on mostly American publications, the book received "rave" reviews based on ten critic reviews, with ten being "rave".<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Fault in Our Stars|url=https://bookmarks.reviews/reviews/the-fault-in-our-stars/|access-date=16 January 2024 |website=Book Marks}}</ref> On ] March/April 2012 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a {{rating|4.0|5}} (4.0 out of 5) based on critic reviews with the critical summary stating, "In the end, ''The Fault in Our Stars'' is a moving story of teenage romance, couched in a heartbreaking framework that asks philosophical questions about life and death".<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Fault in Our Stars By John Green|url=http://www.bookmarksmagazine.com/book-review/fault-our-stars/john-green|access-date=14 January 2023 |website=Bookmarks|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090620/http://www.bookmarksmagazine.com:80/book-review/fault-our-stars/john-green|archive-date=5 Sep 2015}}</ref>
The book rose to #1 on the ] and ] bestseller lists in June 2011 shortly after its title was announced.<ref name="wsj1">{{cite web|last=Trachtenberg|title=Jeffrey A|date=1 July 2011|url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304450604576418161912396814.html|title=Tweeting from a La-Z-Boy, An Unfinished Book Hits No. 1|work=]|accessdate=24 December 2013}}</ref> Green promised that every pre-order would be hand-signed by him, requiring him to sign every copy of the first printing. He proposed that the general public vote on the color ] he would use to sign the books, resulting in him signing the 150,000 books with a variety of Sharpie colors, each in proportion to the amount of votes received for that color.<ref>{{cite web|last=Green|first=John|title=The Fault in Our Stars|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xF-T8XXXR8&feature=channel_video_title|publisher=]|date=29 June 2011|accessdate=1 July 2011}}</ref> However, some people who ordered from international booksellers received unsigned copies because those bookstores, including Amazon UK, underestimated how many books they needed and ordered more after the signing was complete, but Green agreed to fix this problem, telling people with unsigned pre-orders to email him so they could be sent a signed bookplate.<ref name="qTuesday is here">{{cite web |first=John |last=Green |title=Question Tuesday: The Fault in Our Stars is Here Edition |url=http://johngreenbooks.com/question-tuesday-the-fault-in-our-stars-is-here-edition/ |publisher=John Green Books |date=January 10, 2012 |accessdate=February 11, 2012 }}</ref> Many fans submitted their book cover designs to various outlets including Tumblr and Twitter, tagging Green in these posts so he could see them. The sizeable number of posts received has prompted Green's publisher Penguin to seek a fan designed cover for a reprint of one of Green's other books, '']''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Green|first=John|title=An Abundance of Covers Competition|url=http://us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/youngreaders/minisites/john_green/|publisher=Penguin Group|accessdate=14 December 2011}}</ref> ''The Fault in Our Stars'' debuted at #1 on ] for Children's Chapter Books<ref>{{cite news |title=Best Sellers: January 29, 2012 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2012-01-29/chapter-books/list.html |work='']'' |date=January 22, 2012|accessdate=January 22, 2012 }}</ref> and remained in that spot for seven consecutive weeks.<ref name="Heyman">{{cite web |first=Marshall|last= Heyman |title=The Young and the Sociable |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204792404577229360592101868.html |publisher='']'' |date=February 18, 2012|accessdate=February 18, 2012 }}</ref> A Hebrew edition of The Fault in Our Stars was published in Israel on August 2012 and more editions of the novel are forthcoming in Dutch, German, Spanish, French, Swedish, Danish, Icelandic, Chinese, and Portuguese. ''The Fault in Our Stars'' has also gained places on several bestseller lists. It was #1 on the '']'' bestseller list, #1 on the bestseller list, and #9 on '']'' bestseller list. The novel was also the '']'' Book Review Editor's Choice.<ref>{{cite web|title=JohnGreenBooks.com: The Fault in Our Stars|url=http://johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars/|accessdate=27 February 2012}}</ref> As of January 2013, there are nearly 1 million copies of the novel in print.<ref name="Minzesheimer">{{cite web |author=Bob Minzesheimer |title=John and Hank Green rock Carnegie Hall |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/01/16/john-green-hank-green-nerdfighters-fault-in-our-stars/1839151/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed |publisher= '']'' |date=2013-01-16 |accessdate=2013-01-17 }}</ref> In December 2012 it was announced that a special edition with a silver cover and an expanded Q&A, dubbed the 'Exclusive Collector's Edition', would be available from Barnes and Noble. All or at least most of the copies first available for purchase of this edition of the book contained a printing error wherein several pages of the first chapter were replaced with pages from the Q&A section at the back of the book.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sprague|first=Rachel|title='The Fault in Our Stars' collector's edition publish date pushed back|url=http://www.hypable.com/2013/01/04/the-fault-in-our-stars-collectors-edition-publish-date-pushed-back|date=January 4, 2013|accessdate=5 January 2013}}</ref>


'']''{{'}} review of the book called it "a blend of melancholy, sweet, philosophical and funny" and said that it "stays the course of tragic realism", while noting that the book's unpleasant plot details "do nothing to diminish the romance; in Green's hands, they only make it more moving".<ref>{{cite news|last=Standiford|first=Natalie|title=The Tenacity of Hope|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/books/review/the-tenacity-of-hope.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=childrensbooks|date=January 15, 2012|access-date=January 17, 2012|archive-date=January 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121094423/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/books/review/the-tenacity-of-hope.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=childrensbooks|url-status=live}}</ref> ]'s Rachel Syme noted that {{nowrap|"}} voice is so compulsively readable that it defies categorization", saying that the "elegantly plotted" book "may be his best".<ref>{{cite web|last=Syme|first=Rachel|title='The Fault In Our Stars': Love In A Time Of Cancer|url=https://www.npr.org/2012/01/17/145343351/the-fault-in-our-stars-love-in-a-time-of-cancer|publisher=]|date=January 17, 2012|access-date=January 17, 2012|archive-date=January 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118041732/http://www.npr.org/2012/01/17/145343351/the-fault-in-our-stars-love-in-a-time-of-cancer|url-status=live}}</ref> '']'' called ''The Fault in Our Stars'' "damn near genius".<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Lev Grossman |title=The Topic of Cancer |magazine=] |date=February 6, 2012 |access-date=September 12, 2013 |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2105454,00.html }}</ref> '']'' wrote, {{nowrap|"}} love story is as real as it is doomed, and the gut-busting laughs that come early in the novel make the luminous final pages all the more heartbreaking", and gave the novel an overall A− grade.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Stephan Lee |title=The Fault in Our Stars |url=https://ew.com/article/2012/01/04/fault-our-stars-john-green/ |magazine=] |date=January 11, 2012 |access-date=January 29, 2012 }}</ref> The '']'' says that the book is "a collection of maudlin scenes and trite observations about the fragility of life and the wisdom of dying. And while it does talk about those things and more, the treatment of it is far from being maudlin or trite."<ref name="Manilla Bulletin">{{cite news|title=Love in The Time Of The Big C|newspaper=Manila Bulletin|date=March 9, 2012}}</ref> The ''Manila Bulletin'' also added that "Just two paragraphs into the work, and he immediately wallops the readers with such an insightful observation delivered in such an unsentimental way that its hard not to shake your head in admiration."<ref name="Manilla Bulletin"/> The ''Manila Bulletin'' stated that ''The Fault in Our Stars'' was a triumph for John Green.<ref name="Manilla Bulletin"/> '']'' called it an "elegiac comedy".<ref name="USA Today">{{cite journal|last=Minzesheimer|first=Bob|title='The Fault in Our Stars": not a cancer book|journal=USA Today|date=February 2, 2012|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/06/28/the-fault-in-our-stars-not-a-cancer-book/2470369/|access-date=February 26, 2012|archive-date=July 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719073829/http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/06/28/the-fault-in-our-stars-not-a-cancer-book/2470369/|url-status=live}}</ref> They gave the book a rating of four out of four stars.<ref name="USA Today"/> '']'' stated that it was "a strong choice for young adult collections".<ref name="School Library Journal">{{cite journal |date=April 2012 |title=The Fault in Our Stars |url=https://www.slj.com/review/the-fault-in-our-stars |journal=School Library Journal |access-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-date=November 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127000838/https://www.slj.com/review/the-fault-in-our-stars |url-status=live }}</ref> ''The Fault in Our Stars'' received a starred review from '']'', who described it as "a smartly crafted intellectual explosion of a romance".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/john-green/fault-in-our-stars/|title=The Fault in Our Stars|work=]|date=January 10, 2012|access-date=December 24, 2013|archive-date=November 10, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110063952/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/john-green/fault-in-our-stars/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Critical reception==
''The Fault in Our Stars'' has received highly positive reviews from critics. '']''{{'}} review of the book called it "a blend of melancholy, sweet, philosophical and funny" and said that it "stays the course of tragic realism", while noting that the book's unpleasant plot details "do nothing to diminish the romance; in Green’s hands, they only make it more moving."<ref>{{cite news|last=Standiford|first=Natalie|title=The Tenacity of Hope|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/books/review/the-tenacity-of-hope.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=childrensbooks|date=January 15, 2012|accessdate=17 January 2012}}</ref> ]'s Rachel Syme noted that " voice is so compulsively readable that it defies categorization," saying that the "elegantly plotted" book "may be his best." <ref>{{cite web|last=Syme|first=Rachel|title='The Fault In Our Stars': Love In A Time Of Cancer|url=http://www.npr.org/2012/01/17/145343351/the-fault-in-our-stars-love-in-a-time-of-cancer|publisher=]|date=January 17, 2012|accessdate=17 January 2012}}</ref> '']'' called ''The Fault in Our Stars'' "damn near genius."<ref>{{cite journal |author=Lev Grossman |title=The Topic of Cancer |publisher='']'' |date=February 6, 2012 |accessdate=September 12, 2013 |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2105454,00.html }}</ref> '']'' wrote, " love story is as real as it is doomed, and the gut-busting laughs that come early in the novel make the luminous final pages all the more heartbreaking", and gave the novel an overall A&minus; grade.<ref>{{cite web |author=Stephan Lee |title=The Fault in Our Stars |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20558309,00.html |publisher='']'' |date=January 11, 2012 |accessdate=January 29, 2012 }}</ref> ] calls it “insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw” and Green’s “most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet.”<ref name="Amazon.com: The Fault in Our Stars">{{cite web|title=Amazon.com: The Fault in Our Stars|url=http://www.amazon.com/Fault-Our-Stars-John-Green/dp/0525478817/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330332511&sr=8-1=|accessdate=27 February 2012}}</ref> The '']'' says that the book is "a collection of maudlin scenes and trite observations about the fragility of life and the wisdom of dying. And while it does talk about those things and more, the treatment of it is far from being maudlin or trite."<ref name="Manilla Bulletin">{{cite news|title=Love in The Time Of The Big C|newspaper=Manila Bulletin|date=9 March 2012}}</ref> The ] also added that "Just two paragraphs into the work, and he immediately wallops the readers with such an insightful observation delivered in such an unsentimental way that its hard not to shake your head in admiration."<ref name="Manilla Bulletin"/> The Manila Bulletin stated that ''The Fault in Our Stars'' was a triumph for John Green.<ref name="Manilla Bulletin"/> '']'' called it a "elegiac comedy."<ref name="USA Today">{{cite journal|last=Minzesheimer|first=Bob|title='The Fault in Our Stars": not a cancer book|journal=USA Today|date=2012-02-02|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/06/28/the-fault-in-our-stars-not-a-cancer-book/2470369/|accessdate=February 26, 2012}}</ref> They gave the book a rating of four out of four stars.<ref name="USA Today"/>'']'' stated that it was "a strong choice for Adult Collections."<ref name="School Library Journal">{{cite journal|title=The Fault in Our Stars|journal=School Library Journal|date=April 2012|year=2012}}</ref> ''The Fault in Our Stars'' received a starred review from '']'', who described it as "a smartly crafted intellectual explosion of a romance."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/john-green/fault-in-our-stars/|title=The Fault in Our Stars|work=]|date=10 January 2012|accessdate=24 December 2013}}</ref>


Several well-known authors have contributed their own positive reviews for the book. ], author of '']'', calls ''The Fault in Our Stars'' "an electric portrait of young people who learn to live life with one foot in the grave." She goes on to say that the novel is "filled with staccato bursts of humor and tragedy." Bestselling author of '']'', ], describes it as "a novel of life and death and the people caught in between" and "John Green at his best". Pertaining to Green's writing throughout the book, ], author of ''The Boyfriend List'', says "He makes me laugh and gasp at the beauty of a sentence or the twist of a tale. He is one of the best writers alive and I am seething with envy of his talent."<ref name="Amazon.com: The Fault in Our Stars"/> '']'' named ''The Fault in Our Stars'' as the #1 fiction book of 2012.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lev Grossman|url=http://entertainment.time.com/2012/12/04/top-10-arts-lists/slide/john-green-the-fault-in-our-stars/|title=Top 10 Fiction Books|publisher='']'' |date=December 4, 2012|accessdate=December 7, 2012}}</ref> ''Kirkus Reviews'' listed it among the top 100 children's books of 2012.<ref>{{cite web|first=Vicky|last=Smith|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/issue/2012-best-of/section/children/?page=24|title=Best Children's Books of 2012 (Page 24)|work=]|date=|accessdate=24 December 2013}}</ref> It also made ''USA Today''{{'s}} list of the top 10 books of 2012.<ref>{{cite web|authors=Deirdre Donahue, Jocelyn McClurg, Carol Memmott, Bob Minzesheimer and Craig Wilson|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2012/12/19/10-books-we-loved-reading-in-2012/1767987/|title=10 books we loved in 2012|work=]|date=21 December 2012|accessdate=26 December 2013}}</ref> In 2013, the '']'' named the book one of their "favourite books of the year."<ref>{{cite web|first=Brittney|last=Le Blanc|url=http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Edmonton+Journal+staff+pick+favourite+books+year/9288968/story.html|work=]|date=16 December 2013|accessdate=26 December 2013}}</ref> Several well-known authors have contributed their own positive reviews for the book. ], author of '']'', calls ''The Fault in Our Stars'' "an electric portrait of young people who learn to live life with one foot in the grave". She goes on to say that the novel is "filled with staccato bursts of humor and tragedy". Bestselling author of '']'', ], describes it as "a novel of life and death and the people caught in between" and "John Green at his best". Pertaining to Green's writing throughout the book, ], author of ''The Boyfriend List'', says: "He makes me laugh and gasp at the beauty of a sentence or the twist of a tale. He is one of the best writers alive and I am seething with envy of his talent."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-fault-in-our-stars-9780143567592 |title=The Fault in Our Stars by John Green |website=penguin.com.au |access-date=April 1, 2020 |archive-date=August 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815065808/https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-fault-in-our-stars-9780143567592 |url-status=live }}</ref> '']'' named ''The Fault in Our Stars'' as the No. 1 fiction book of 2012.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Lev Grossman|url=https://entertainment.time.com/2012/12/04/top-10-arts-lists/slide/john-green-the-fault-in-our-stars/|title=Top 10 Fiction Books|magazine=] |date=December 4, 2012|access-date=December 7, 2012}}</ref> ''Kirkus Reviews'' listed it among the top 100 children's books of 2012.<ref>{{cite web|first=Vicky|last=Smith|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/issue/2012-best-of/section/children/?page=24|title=Best Children's Books of 2012 (Page 24)|work=]|access-date=December 24, 2013|archive-date=November 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125021609/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/issue/2012-best-of/section/children/?page=24}}</ref> It also made ''USA Today''{{'s}} list of the top 10 books of 2012.<ref>{{cite web|author=Deirdre Donahue |author2=Jocelyn McClurg |author3=Carol Memmott |author4=Bob Minzesheimer |author5=Craig Wilson |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2012/12/19/10-books-we-loved-reading-in-2012/1767987/|title=10 books we loved in 2012|work=]|date=December 21, 2012|access-date=December 26, 2013|archive-date=March 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200304052436/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2012/12/19/10-books-we-loved-reading-in-2012/1767987/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2013, the '']'' named the book one of their "favourite books of the year".<ref>{{cite web | first = Brittney | last = Le Blanc | url = https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/Edmonton+Journal+staff+pick+favourite+books+year/9288968/story.html | title = Edmonton Journal staff pick favourite books of the year | work = ] | date = December 16, 2013 | access-date = December 26, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140311200908/http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Edmonton+Journal+staff+pick+favourite+books+year/9288968/story.html | archive-date = March 11, 2014 }}</ref>


One notable unfavorable opinion appeared in the '']'': the entire genre, as well as the genre of young-adult novels dealing with suicide and self-harm, was criticized as being "distasteful" and inappropriate for their target audience of teens.<ref name="The Guardian Response">{{cite news | last = Pauli | first = Michelle | title = ′Sick-lit′? Evidently young adult fiction is too complex for The Daily Mail | newspaper = ] | location = United Kingdom | date = January 4, 2013 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jan/04/sick-lit-young-adult-fiction-mail | access-date = August 22, 2013 | archive-date = October 24, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131024212813/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jan/04/sick-lit-young-adult-fiction-mail | url-status = live }}</ref> '']'' criticized the piece, pointing out in particular that ''The Fault in Our Stars'' was chosen by ''The Guardian'' as that month's "teen book club choice" because "it's a gripping read, featuring two compelling characters, that deals sensitively and even humorously with a difficult situation without descending into mawkishness". In general, ''The Guardian'' faulted the ''Daily Mail'' for suggesting that the issues of illness, depression, and sexuality are inappropriate precisely "in the one place where difficult subjects have traditionally been most sensitively explored for teens: fiction written specifically for them".<ref name="The Guardian Response"/> For his part, in an interview for ''The Guardian'', John Green said: "The thing that bothered me about ''The Daily Mail'' piece was that it was a bit condescending to teenagers. I'm tired of adults telling teenagers that they aren't smart, that they can't read critically, that they aren't thoughtful, and I feel like that article made those arguments."<ref name="The Guardian Glasgow Interview">{{cite news | title = John Green: 'I'm tired of adults telling teenagers that they aren't smart' | newspaper = ] | location = United Kingdom | date = February 27, 2013 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2013/feb/27/john-green-adults-teenagers-smart-interview | access-date = August 22, 2013 | archive-date = November 13, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131113043125/http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2013/feb/27/john-green-adults-teenagers-smart-interview | url-status = live }}</ref>
One notable unfavorable opinion appeared in the '']''.<ref name="Daily Mail">{{cite news
| last =Tanith | first =Carey | title = The ′sick-lit′ books aimed at children: It's a disturbing phenomenon. Tales of teenage cancer, self-harm and suicide... | newspaper = ] | location = ] | date = 2013-01-03 | url =http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2256356/The-sick-lit-books-aimed-children-Its-disturbing-phenomenon-Tales-teenage-cancer-self-harm-suicide-.html | accessdate = 2013-08-22 }}</ref> In the piece, the plot of ''The Fault in Our Stars'' was described as ″mawkish at best, exploitative at worst″ and the book was characterized as belonging to the ″sick-lit″ ] genre, together with other young-adult novels such as ''Never Eighteen'' and '']''. This entire genre, as well as the genre of young-adult novels dealing with suicide and self-harm (the piece mentions '']''; '']''; '']''; and '']'') was criticized as being ″distasteful″ and inappropriate for their target audience of teens.<ref name="The Guardian Response">{{cite news | last =Pauli | first =Michelle | title = ′Sick-lit′? Evidently young adult fiction is too complex for The Daily Mail | newspaper = ] | location = ] | date = 2013-01-04 | url =http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jan/04/sick-lit-young-adult-fiction-mail | accessdate = 2013-08-22 }}</ref> '']'' criticized the piece, pointing out in particular that ''The Fault in Our Stars'' was chosen by ''The Guardian'' as that month's ″teen book club choice″ because ″it's a gripping read, featuring two compelling characters, that deals sensitively and even humorously with a difficult situation without descending into mawkishness.″ In general, ''The Guardian'' faulted ''The Daily Mail'' for suggesting that the issues of illness, depression, and sexuality are inappropriate precisely ″in the one place where difficult subjects have traditionally been most sensitively explored for teens: fiction written specifically for them.″<ref name="The Guardian Response"/> However, ], a writer of young adult novels, sided with ''The Daily Mail'' in her comment to the reply by writing in her blog, ''Almost True'', "Don't throw the baby out with the Sick Lit."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wheniwasjoe.blogspot.com/ |title=Almost True |publisher=Wheniwasjoe.blogspot.com |date=2012-10-17 |accessdate=2013-11-07}}</ref> For his part, in an interview for ''The Guardian'', John Green said, ″The thing that bothered me about ''The Daily Mail'' piece was that it was a bit condescending to teenagers. I'm tired of adults telling teenagers that they aren't smart, that they can't read critically, that they aren't thoughtful, and I feel like that article made those arguments.″<ref name="The Guardian Glasgow Interview">{{cite news | title = John Green: 'I'm tired of adults telling teenagers that they aren't smart' | newspaper = ] | location = ] | date = 2013-02-27 | url =http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2013/feb/27/john-green-adults-teenagers-smart-interview | accessdate = 2013-08-22 }}</ref>


==Film adaptation== ==Adaptations==
===English-language film===
{{Main|The Fault in Our Stars (film)}} {{Main|The Fault in Our Stars (film)}}


In January 2012, Fox 2000, a division of ], optioned the rights to adapt the novel into a feature film.<ref name="deahl">{{cite news |first=Rachel |last=Deahl |date=January 31, 2012 |title=Fox Options John Green's 'Fault in Our Stars' |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/50442-fox-options-john-green-s-fault-in-our-stars.html |magazine=] |accessdate=July 23, 2013 }}</ref> ] signed on to direct a year later, in February 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Fault in Our Stars Movie Lands Director|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fault-stars-movie-lands-director-422485|publisher=]}}</ref> Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen are producing the film.<ref name="kroll">{{Cite news |first=Justin |last=Kroll |date=July 23, 2013 |title=Laura Dern Joins ‘Fault in Our Stars’ |magazine=Variety |url=http://variety.com/2013/film/news/laura-dern-fault-in-our-stars-1200566848/ |accessdate=July 23, 2013 }}</ref> ] will star as Hazel, while ] will play Augustus.<ref>{{cite web|author=Sara Vilkomerson|title=Shailene Woodley offered lead role for 'The Fault in Our Stars'|url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/03/19/shailene-woodley-fault-in-our-stars/|publisher=''Entertainment Weekly''|date=March 19, 2013|accessdate=March 19, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Sara Vilkomerson |title=Ansel Elgort offered lead in 'The Fault in Our Stars' opposite Shailene Woodley -- Exclusive |url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/05/10/ansel-elgort-gus-fault-in-our-stars/ |publisher=''Entertainment Weekly'' |date=May 10, 2013 |accessdate=May 11, 2013 }}</ref> ] was cast as Isaac, the friend that introduces them, and ] will star as Hazel's mother.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Sara |last=Vilkomerson |date=July 23, 2013 |title=Nat Wolff cast as Isaac in 'The Fault in Our Stars' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/07/23/nat-wolff-fault-in-our-stars-isaac/ |accessdate=July 23, 2013 }}</ref> ] was cast as Mr. Lancaster, Hazel's father.<ref>{{cite web|last=David |first=Jesse |url=http://www.vulture.com/2013/08/fault-in-our-stars.html |title=True Blood’s Trammell Joins Fault in Our Stars |publisher=Vulture |date=2013-08-15 |accessdate=2013-11-07}}</ref> On August 29, 2013, John Green announced that ] would be playing the role of Patrick, and on September 6, 2013, Green announced that ] would portray Peter van Houten. In January 2012, ] optioned the movie rights to adapt the novel into a feature film.<ref name="deahl">{{cite news |first=Rachel |last=Deahl |date=January 31, 2012 |title=Fox Options John Green's 'Fault in Our Stars' |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/50442-fox-options-john-green-s-fault-in-our-stars.html |magazine=] |access-date=July 23, 2013 |archive-date=December 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181212120014/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/50442-fox-options-john-green-s-fault-in-our-stars.html |url-status=live }}</ref> ], ] and ] wrote the adapted screenplay, with Josh Boone also serving as director.<ref name=Pittsburgh/> ] stars as Hazel, while ] plays Augustus.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Sara Vilkomerson |title=Ansel Elgort offered lead in 'The Fault in Our Stars' opposite Shailene Woodley -- Exclusive |url=http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/05/10/ansel-elgort-gus-fault-in-our-stars/ |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=May 10, 2013 |access-date=May 11, 2013 }}</ref>


Filming began on August 26, 2013 in ], doubling for the novel's setting of ], ].<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 9, 2013 |title=Fox 2000 shoots for 'Stars' in Pittsburgh |first=Tim |last=Schooley |newspaper=Pittsburgh Business Times |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2013/07/09/the-fault-in-our-stars-to-shoot-in.html |accessdate=July 11, 2013 }}</ref> ] and ] wrote the adapted screenplay. Filming also took place in ].<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 10, 2013 |title= New film 'Fault in Our Stars' to be shot in Pittsburgh |first=Jacob |last=Axelrad |newspaper= Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/movies/the-fault-in-our-stars-to-start-filming-here-aug-26-694852/ |accessdate=July 11, 2013 }}</ref> The film is planned to be released on June 6, 2014.<ref>{{cite web|first=Lindsay|last=Deutsch|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/10/08/john-green-social-media-tfios/2944079/|title='The Fault In Our Stars' movie gets a release date|work=]|date=8 October 2013|accessdate=26 December 2013}}</ref> Principal photography took place between August and October 2013, with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, doubling for the novel's setting of Indianapolis, and included some location shooting in Amsterdam.<ref name=Pittsburgh>{{Cite news |date=July 9, 2013 |title=Fox 2000 shoots for 'Stars' in Pittsburgh |first=Tim |last=Schooley |newspaper=Pittsburgh Business Times |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2013/07/09/the-fault-in-our-stars-to-shoot-in.html |access-date=July 11, 2013 |archive-date=July 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130715030535/http://www.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/news/2013/07/09/the-fault-in-our-stars-to-shoot-in.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was released on June 6, 2014, in the United States,<ref>{{cite web|first=Lindsay|last=Deutsch|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/10/08/john-green-social-media-tfios/2944079/|title='The Fault In Our Stars' movie gets a release date|work=]|date=October 8, 2013|access-date=December 26, 2013|archive-date=November 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115203544/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/10/08/john-green-social-media-tfios/2944079/|url-status=live}}</ref> receiving positive reviews and grossing over $307{{nbsp}}million worldwide against its budget of $12{{nbsp}}million.<ref name="BOM">{{cite web |url= https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=faultinourstars.htm |title= The Fault In Our Stars (2014) |publisher= IMDB |work= ] |access-date= August 10, 2014 |archive-date= November 11, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141111024232/http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=faultinourstars.htm |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name="tomatoes">{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_fault_in_our_stars/ |title=The Fault In Our Stars |website=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=June 6, 2014 |archive-date=June 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140608042423/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_fault_in_our_stars/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Hindi-language film===
{{Main|Dil Bechara}}

In August 2014, India's ] announced it would adapt the novel into an Indian ]-language film, with the working title of ''Kizie Aur Manny''. Producer ] was supposed to produce the film but eventually backed out.<ref name=News18>{{cite news|url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/sushant-singh-rajputs-next-titled-kizie-aur-manny-1807299.html|title=The Fault in Our Stars' Hindi Adaptation Titled Kizie Aur Manny|publisher=CNN-News18|date=July 11, 2018|access-date=July 18, 2018|archive-date=June 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621173551/https://www.news18.com/news/movies/sushant-singh-rajputs-next-titled-kizie-aur-manny-1807299.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Filming began in July 2018, in ],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/the-fault-in-our-stars-hindi-remake-kizie-aur-manny-features-a-rajinikanth-twist/articleshow/64916012.cms|title='The Fault In Our Stars' Hindi remake 'Kizie Aur Manny' features a Rajinikanth twist|work=The Economic Times|date=July 9, 2018|access-date=July 18, 2018|archive-date=July 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718150321/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/the-fault-in-our-stars-hindi-remake-kizie-aur-manny-features-a-rajinikanth-twist/articleshow/64916012.cms}}</ref> with first-time director ] guiding lead actor ] (in his final film role<ref name="release">{{cite web | title=Dil Bechara, Sushant Singh Rajput's last film, to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on 24 July | website=Firstpost | date=June 25, 2020 | url=https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/dil-bechara-sushant-singh-rajputs-last-film-to-premiere-on-disney-hotstar-on-24-july-8525261.html | access-date=July 3, 2020 | archive-date=August 5, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805075326/https://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/dil-bechara-sushant-singh-rajputs-last-film-to-premiere-on-disney-hotstar-on-24-july-8525261.html | url-status=live }}</ref>) and lead actress Sanjana Sanghi (in her film debut).<ref name=fp1>{{cite web|title=The Fault In Our Stars remake: Sushant Singh Rajput, debutante Sanjana Sanghi in Mukesh Chhabra's directorial debut|url=http://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/the-fault-in-our-stars-remake-sushant-singh-rajput-debutante-sanjana-sanghi-in-mukesh-chhabras-directorial-debut-4395745.html|website=Firstpost|date=March 19, 2018|access-date=March 19, 2018|archive-date=March 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180319080013/http://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/the-fault-in-our-stars-remake-sushant-singh-rajput-debutante-sanjana-sanghi-in-mukesh-chhabras-directorial-debut-4395745.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This adaptation ages up the characters and changes the main setting to India. The title of the movie was later changed to '']'' ("''The Helpless Heart''") and is named after one of the original songs written for the movie that the director felt summed up the message of the film. Music composer ] has composed the background music and songs of the movie.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.news18.com/news/movies/sushant-singh-rajputs-dil-bechara-postponed-to-2020-likely-to-release-on-ott-2385753.html|title=Sushant Singh Rajput's Dil Bechara Postponed to 2020, Likely to Release on OTT|date=November 13, 2019|access-date=November 13, 2019|language=en-US|archive-date=November 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191114145510/https://www.news18.com/news/movies/sushant-singh-rajputs-dil-bechara-postponed-to-2020-likely-to-release-on-ott-2385753.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The film was scheduled to be released on May 8, 2020, after having been initially scheduled in November 2019, but was later postponed due to the ]. It was released on July 24, 2020, on ] and was met with mainly positive reviews.<ref name=fp1/>

===Stage play===
In 2017, Green authorized an amateur ] adaptation of the book. The play was written by theatre director Tobin Strader of ] in Indianapolis and four students at the high school. It was performed in 2019.<ref name="StagePlay">{{cite news |last1=Lindquist |first1=David |title=John Green's 'The Fault in Our Stars' is a play for the first time, and it's close to home |url=https://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/arts/2019/10/03/john-greens-the-fault-our-stars-play-first-time/2434133001/ |access-date=9 May 2022 |work=The Indianapolis Star |archive-date=June 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629171222/https://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/arts/2019/10/03/john-greens-the-fault-our-stars-play-first-time/2434133001/ |url-status=live }}</ref>


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}} {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|The Fault in Our Stars}}
* {{Wikiquote-inline|John Green (author)#The Fault in Our Stars (2012)|The Fault in Our Stars}}

{{John Green}}
{{Portal bar|United States|Children's literature|Novels}}


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Latest revision as of 22:35, 11 December 2024

2012 novel by John Green This article is about the novel. For the film, see The Fault in Our Stars (film). For other uses, see The Fault in Our Stars (disambiguation).

The Fault in Our Stars
AuthorJohn Green
Cover artistRodrigo Corral
LanguageEnglish
Genre
PublishedJanuary 10, 2012 (Penguin Books)
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover, paperback), audiobook, ebook
Pages313
AwardsPremio Bartolomé Hidalgo
ISBN0-525-47881-7

The Fault in Our Stars is a novel by John Green. It is his fourth solo novel, and sixth novel overall. It was published on January 10, 2012. The title is inspired by Act 1, Scene 2 of Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, in which the nobleman Cassius says to Brutus: "Men at some time were masters of their fates, / The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings." Author John Green was inspired to write the book after working as a student chaplain in a children's hospital, and it is dedicated to his friend Esther Earl, who died of Thyroid cancer in 2010, age 16. The story is narrated by Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old girl with thyroid cancer that has affected her lungs. Hazel is forced by her parents to attend a support group where she subsequently meets and falls in love with 17-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player, amputee, and survivor of osteosarcoma.

An American feature film adaptation of the same name as the novel directed by Josh Boone and starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, and Nat Wolff was released on June 6, 2014. A Hindi feature film adaptation of the novel, titled Dil Bechara, which was directed by Mukesh Chhabra and starring Sushant Singh Rajput, Sanjana Sanghi, Saswata Chatterjee, Swastika Mukherjee and Saif Ali Khan, was released on July 24, 2020, on Disney+ Hotstar. The American film adaptation and the book enjoyed strong critical and commercial success, with the latter becoming one of the best-selling books of all time.

Plot

Hazel Grace Lancaster, a 16-year-old with thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs, attends a cancer patient support group at her mother's behest. At one meeting, Hazel meets a 17-year-old boy currently in remission named Augustus Waters, whose osteosarcoma caused him to lose his right leg. Augustus is at the meeting to support Isaac, his friend who has eye cancer. Hazel and Augustus strike a bond immediately and agree to read each other's favorite novels. Augustus gives Hazel The Price of Dawn, and Hazel recommends An Imperial Affliction, a novel about a cancer-stricken girl named Anna that parallels Hazel's own experience. After Augustus finishes reading her book, he is frustrated upon learning that the novel ends abruptly without a conclusion, as if Anna had died suddenly. Hazel explains the novel's author, Peter van Houten, retreated to Amsterdam following the novel's publication and has not been heard from since.

A week later, Augustus reveals to Hazel that he has tracked down Van Houten's assistant, Lidewij, and, through her, has managed to start an e-mail correspondence with Van Houten. The two write to Van Houten with questions regarding the novel's ending; he eventually replies, explaining that he can only answer Hazel's questions in person. At a picnic, Augustus surprises Hazel with tickets to Amsterdam to meet Van Houten, acquired through the story's version of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, "The Genie Foundation".

Upon meeting Van Houten, Hazel and Augustus are shocked to discover that he is a mean-spirited alcoholic. Horrified by Van Houten's hostile behavior towards the teenagers, Lidewij confesses to having arranged the meeting on his behalf. Lidewij resigns as Van Houten's assistant and takes Hazel and Augustus to the Anne Frank House, where Augustus and Hazel share their first kiss. Later that night Hazel and Augustus lose their virginity to one another in Augustus's hotel room, confessing their mutual love for each other.

The next day, Augustus reveals that his cancer has returned. Upon their return to Indianapolis, Augustus's health continues to deteriorate, resulting in him staying in the ICU for a few days. Fearing his death, Augustus invites Isaac and Hazel to his pre-funeral, where they give eulogies. Augustus dies soon after, leaving Hazel heartbroken. Van Houten shows up at Augustus's funeral to apologize to Hazel.

Hazel learns that Augustus had written an obituary for her, and reads it after Lidewij discovers it amidst Van Houten's letters. It states that getting hurt in this world is unavoidable, but we do get to choose whom we allow to hurt us, and that he is happy with his choice, and hopes she likes hers too. The book closes with Hazel stating that she is happy with her choice.

Characters

  • Hazel Grace Lancaster: Hazel Grace Lancaster is a 16-year-old college student with lung cancer. She is depressed and knows that she'll die one day. She knows very well that being famous and loved widely does not matter as much as being who she is and being loved deeply because oblivion is inevitable.
  • Augustus "Gus" Waters: Augustus Waters is a 17-year-old boy who suffered from cancer and subsequently had a leg amputation. He ironically needs to have a pack of cigarettes around him at all times to help with his overwhelming emotions as he sees it as a powerful metaphor. Gus wants to be known widely and have people remember him when he dies. Prior to meeting Hazel, Gus had a girlfriend, Caroline Mather, who died from a cancerous brain tumor, and it is stated that Hazel resembles her.
  • Isaac: Isaac is 17 years old and goes to the same support group as Hazel because of his eye cancer. His eye cancer has caused him to become blind.
  • Peter Van Houten: Peter Van Houten is Hazel's favorite author, who wrote her favorite book, the fictional book An Imperial Affliction. Later he turns out to be an alcoholic who is neither planning to write a sequel for AIA nor willing to imagine a future for the characters in the book. He had an eight-year-old daughter who died of leukemia.
  • Patrick: The strange support group leader who runs the meeting in the literal heart of Jesus at the church and had prostate cancer.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster: They are Hazel's parents. Mrs. Lancaster's main job is to (as Hazel would say) "hover over her." She eventually plans to become a social worker and is already working for a year on her MSW. Mr. Lancaster is working for a real estate company – Morris Property Inc.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Waters: They are Gus's parents. They have words of wisdom or Encouragements (as they used to call them) written all over their home. Gus's father along with Hazel agree that they have weird kids.
  • Lidewij Vliegenthart: She is the assistant to the author Peter Van Houten who resigns in the later part of the book. Lidewij is also a graduate student pursuing her PhD in American literature. She was the one who first wrote back to Augustus and made Peter reply to Hazel and Augustus's emails. It is Lidewij who takes them for a visit to Anne Frank's house and pays (on behalf of the author) for their dinner at Oranjee. After Augustus dies, she finds the last letters that Augustus wrote to Peter Van Houten before his death and emails them to Hazel.

Other characters include:

  • Julie and Martha: Augustus's paternal half-sisters, both married to bankers called Dave and Chris. Among them, they have three boys.
  • Graham: Isaac's ten-year-old brother.
  • Kaitlyn: Hazel's only friend from her pre-cancer life. Apparently, she is the one who suggests that Gus might have written something and mailed somebody else.
  • Caroline Mathers: Gus's ex-girlfriend who died of brain cancer before Gus and Hazel met.
  • Drs. Maria and Simon: Hazel's doctors.
  • Monica: Isaacs ex girlfriend. She broke up with him after he went blind because of the pressure of having to help him.

Origins

After graduating from Kenyon College, Green spent about five months working as a student chaplain at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. He has cited this experience as inspiration for his story:

I tried to write that book for almost 10 years. Ever since I worked as a chaplain, I would go back, I was trying to work on what I called the Children's Hospital Story, although in all of its previous incarnations, it starred this 22-year-old hospital chaplain, who was, like, surprisingly handsome and, like, hooking up with doctors. It was very embarrassing. I hope that — it was just terrible. But you know, I would go back to that story and go back to it and go back to it. Then in 2010 a good friend of mine died of cancer, a young friend, and I went back to the story, and I went back to it angry and needing to work.

This young friend who died was Esther Earl, who is named in the book's dedication.

Green worked on The Fault in our Stars in 2011, while staying as a writer in residence in Amsterdam at the invitation of the Dutch Foundation for Literature.

Two books served as an inspiration for the fictional book An Imperial Affliction: The Blood of the Lamb by Peter De Vries and Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.

Publication history

On December 21, 2011, Barnes & Noble accidentally shipped 1,500 copies of The Fault in Our Stars before the release date to people who had pre-ordered the book. Green released a statement saying, "Mistakes happen. The people who made this error were not bad or incompetent people, and they were not acting maliciously. We all make mistakes, and it is not my wish to see Barnes and Noble or any of their employees vilified." Many people who received the book pledged not to read it until its release date, January 10, 2012, or discuss it until the next day, January 11, as per a request of Green's not to spoil it for other readers. Most kept to this promise, leaving the experience untarnished for those who got the book on the intended release date.

The book rose to #84 on the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble bestseller lists in June 2011 shortly after its title was announced. Green promised that every pre-order would be hand-signed by him, requiring him to sign every copy of the first printing. He proposed that the general public vote on the color Sharpie he would use to sign the books, resulting in him signing the 150,000 books with a variety of Sharpie colors, each in proportion to the number of votes received for that color. However, some people who ordered from international booksellers received unsigned copies because those bookstores, including Amazon UK, underestimated how many books they needed and ordered more after the signing was complete, but Green agreed to fix this problem, telling people with unsigned pre-orders to email him so they could be sent a signed bookplate. Many fans submitted their book cover designs to various outlets including Tumblr and Twitter, tagging Green in these posts so he could see them. The sizeable number of posts received prompted Green's publisher Penguin to seek a fan-designed cover for a reprint of one of Green's other books, An Abundance of Katherines. The Fault in Our Stars debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list for Children's Chapter Books and remained in that spot for seven consecutive weeks. A Hebrew edition of The Fault in Our Stars was published in Israel in August 2012 and more editions of the novel are forthcoming in Dutch, German, Spanish, French, Swedish, Danish, Icelandic, Chinese, Persian and Portuguese. The Fault in Our Stars has also gained places on several bestseller lists. It was No. 1 on The Wall Street Journal bestseller list, No. 1 on the Indiebound bestseller list, and No. 9 on The Bookseller bestseller list. The novel was also The New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice. As of January 2013, there are nearly 1 million copies of the novel in print. In December 2012, it was announced that a special edition with a silver cover and an expanded Q&A, dubbed the 'Exclusive Collector's Edition', would be available from Barnes & Noble. All or at least most of the copies first available for purchase of this edition of the book contained a printing error wherein several pages of the first chapter were replaced with pages from the Q&A section at the back of the book. As of October 2017, the book has sold 23 million copies, making it one of the best-selling books of all time.

Reception

A tour van decorated for The Fault In Our Stars book tour in 2012

The Fault in Our Stars received critical acclaim. Critics mostly praised the book for its humor, strong characters, language, themes and new perspective on cancer and romance. According to Book Marks, based on mostly American publications, the book received "rave" reviews based on ten critic reviews, with ten being "rave". On Bookmarks March/April 2012 issue, a magazine that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a (4.0 out of 5) based on critic reviews with the critical summary stating, "In the end, The Fault in Our Stars is a moving story of teenage romance, couched in a heartbreaking framework that asks philosophical questions about life and death".

The New York Times' review of the book called it "a blend of melancholy, sweet, philosophical and funny" and said that it "stays the course of tragic realism", while noting that the book's unpleasant plot details "do nothing to diminish the romance; in Green's hands, they only make it more moving". NPR's Rachel Syme noted that " voice is so compulsively readable that it defies categorization", saying that the "elegantly plotted" book "may be his best". Time called The Fault in Our Stars "damn near genius". Entertainment Weekly wrote, " love story is as real as it is doomed, and the gut-busting laughs that come early in the novel make the luminous final pages all the more heartbreaking", and gave the novel an overall A− grade. The Manila Bulletin says that the book is "a collection of maudlin scenes and trite observations about the fragility of life and the wisdom of dying. And while it does talk about those things and more, the treatment of it is far from being maudlin or trite." The Manila Bulletin also added that "Just two paragraphs into the work, and he immediately wallops the readers with such an insightful observation delivered in such an unsentimental way that its hard not to shake your head in admiration." The Manila Bulletin stated that The Fault in Our Stars was a triumph for John Green. USA Today called it an "elegiac comedy". They gave the book a rating of four out of four stars. The School Library Journal stated that it was "a strong choice for young adult collections". The Fault in Our Stars received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, who described it as "a smartly crafted intellectual explosion of a romance".

Several well-known authors have contributed their own positive reviews for the book. Jodi Picoult, author of My Sister's Keeper, calls The Fault in Our Stars "an electric portrait of young people who learn to live life with one foot in the grave". She goes on to say that the novel is "filled with staccato bursts of humor and tragedy". Bestselling author of The Book Thief, Markus Zusak, describes it as "a novel of life and death and the people caught in between" and "John Green at his best". Pertaining to Green's writing throughout the book, E. Lockhart, author of The Boyfriend List, says: "He makes me laugh and gasp at the beauty of a sentence or the twist of a tale. He is one of the best writers alive and I am seething with envy of his talent." Time named The Fault in Our Stars as the No. 1 fiction book of 2012. Kirkus Reviews listed it among the top 100 children's books of 2012. It also made USA Today's list of the top 10 books of 2012. In 2013, the Edmonton Journal named the book one of their "favourite books of the year".

One notable unfavorable opinion appeared in the Daily Mail: the entire genre, as well as the genre of young-adult novels dealing with suicide and self-harm, was criticized as being "distasteful" and inappropriate for their target audience of teens. The Guardian criticized the piece, pointing out in particular that The Fault in Our Stars was chosen by The Guardian as that month's "teen book club choice" because "it's a gripping read, featuring two compelling characters, that deals sensitively and even humorously with a difficult situation without descending into mawkishness". In general, The Guardian faulted the Daily Mail for suggesting that the issues of illness, depression, and sexuality are inappropriate precisely "in the one place where difficult subjects have traditionally been most sensitively explored for teens: fiction written specifically for them". For his part, in an interview for The Guardian, John Green said: "The thing that bothered me about The Daily Mail piece was that it was a bit condescending to teenagers. I'm tired of adults telling teenagers that they aren't smart, that they can't read critically, that they aren't thoughtful, and I feel like that article made those arguments."

Adaptations

English-language film

Main article: The Fault in Our Stars (film)

In January 2012, Fox 2000 Pictures optioned the movie rights to adapt the novel into a feature film. Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber and Josh Boone wrote the adapted screenplay, with Josh Boone also serving as director. Shailene Woodley stars as Hazel, while Ansel Elgort plays Augustus.

Principal photography took place between August and October 2013, with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, doubling for the novel's setting of Indianapolis, and included some location shooting in Amsterdam. The film was released on June 6, 2014, in the United States, receiving positive reviews and grossing over $307 million worldwide against its budget of $12 million.

Hindi-language film

Main article: Dil Bechara

In August 2014, India's Fox Star Studios announced it would adapt the novel into an Indian Hindi-language film, with the working title of Kizie Aur Manny. Producer Karan Johar was supposed to produce the film but eventually backed out. Filming began in July 2018, in Jamshedpur, with first-time director Mukesh Chhabra guiding lead actor Sushant Singh Rajput (in his final film role) and lead actress Sanjana Sanghi (in her film debut). This adaptation ages up the characters and changes the main setting to India. The title of the movie was later changed to Dil Bechara ("The Helpless Heart") and is named after one of the original songs written for the movie that the director felt summed up the message of the film. Music composer A. R. Rahman has composed the background music and songs of the movie.

The film was scheduled to be released on May 8, 2020, after having been initially scheduled in November 2019, but was later postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India. It was released on July 24, 2020, on Disney+ Hotstar and was met with mainly positive reviews.

Stage play

In 2017, Green authorized an amateur stage play adaptation of the book. The play was written by theatre director Tobin Strader of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis and four students at the high school. It was performed in 2019.

References

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