Title The fault in our stars
Author John Green
First publication 2012
I Summary
Hazel Grace Lancaster is a 17-year-old girl who lives with cancer. Her parents are worried that she
might be depressed because she spends a lot of time in bed and constantly thinks about the death.
That’s why they decide to send her to a Support Group for people with cancer. In one of the
meetings, she met Augustus Waters, a friend of Isaac who’s also part of the group. Augustus
introduced himself and told the group he also had cancer but he managed to recover. After the
meeting, Augustus approaches Hazel. They start a conversation and he tells her she looks just like
Natalie Portman from V for Vendetta. That same day, Augustus invites Hazel to come over and watch
V for Vendetta together. Hazel also shares her obsession with one certain book called An Imperial
Affliction. They agree to read each other’s favourite book so Augustus recommends The Price of
Dawn. Hazel explains the book and many reasons why she likes the book so much. It’s about a girl
named Anna who has cancer. She also tells that the book has a very sudden ending and she doesn’t
like the fact that she would probably never find out what actually happened to Anna. The author,
Peter van Houten, moved to Amsterdam after he published An Imperial Affliction. Hazel used to have
a little bit of hope for a sequel but after 10 years she gave up and accepted that she would never
found out what happened to the main characters. After about a week, Augustus tells Hazel that he
sent an e-mail to the assistant of Peter van Houten who wrote that there will not come a sequel of
An Imperial Affliction. Hazel is very disappointed and decides to write him back and askes many
questions about the book. Shortly after, she receives a response with him inviting her to come over if
she’s ever in Amsterdam because he says he can only answer those questions in person. The next day
Augustus invites Hazel on a picnic. After a small conversation about nearly everything what has to do
with the Netherlands, Augustus tells Hazel he was allowed to make a wish as he was once a cancer
patient. The foundation agreed with his wish; taking Hazel with him to Amsterdam to visit Peter van
Houten. As they arrive at Van Houtens place, he is definitely not the person Hazel hoped he would
be. He is a mean-spirited drunk person who cannot answer any of Hazel’s questions. His assistant
apologizes for his behaviour and proposed to visit the Anne Frank house without Peter. When they
arrived all the way up in the museum, Augustus and Hazel kissed. The following day, Augustus tells
Hazel that he had a body scan which revealed his cancer has returned and spread everywhere. They
return back with the horrible feelings of fear and distress. Hazel's feelings for Augustus were now
stronger than before and she realizes that she and Augustus don't have much time left together.
Augustus dies eight days later. And Hazel was incredibly surprised to find van Houten at the funeral.
He answered a few of Hazel’s questions and explains that Augustus wanted him at the funeral so he
and Hazel could meet again. Hazel also finds out that Anna was the name of van Houten’s daughter.
An Imperial Affliction was his literary attempt at moving on.
II
A: Major characters
Hazel Grace Lancaster
Hazel is a seventeen year old girl who lives in America. She has cancer for a long time. She cannot
breathe by herself and that’s why she takes an oxygen tank everywhere with her. She is really smart.
She knows exactly what she wants and doesn’t want.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller lvandermade. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.80. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.