I have come across John Green's (the author) brother, Hank, on twitter where he is very vocal. The front cover says "profoundly moving". That is awesome and I hope it has the same effect on me. The tone of the book from the start was mystery mixed with adventure. The language was quite unique and it didn't feel like any other book I have read. But then again, I have not read many books yet.
I would describe the language of the book as imaginative. What's a better word? Dreamy, fictive, clever and vivid are some other words. I think fictive is the word I am looking for. I am on page fifty and so far, Quintin seems like a chill guy. I can relate. Margo is the rebel and there is a rebel in all of us. We are not going to do what she does but we can live vicariously through her and others like her. This is the quote that stood out for me, "I'm a big believer in random capitalization. The rules of capitalization are so unfair to words in the middle."
I source my books from the "For the love of reading" stand at the cafe in my village. My choices are limited and I find myself choosing books I would not have chosen if Amazon was mines to choose from. In a sense I didn't choose this book. This book chose me. Makes me think, next time you choose a book, use a random book generator and be surprised. That is a nice little project I could code.
By page one hundred and eight, the intrigue had peaked for me. We were being left clues. I imagined what it would be like to be a mystery writer. Midway through the book the author had us wondering if some tragedy had taken place. I was disappointed but hopeful. I wanted this to be an uplifting story not some gruesome discovery.
A good story evokes emotions in us. It allows us to connect with the characters and their experiences on a deeper level. When we read a story, we imagine ourselves in the characters' shoes and feel their emotions as if they were our own.
I took a pause from reading and I think about when the writer was writing this book. What could it have been like? Some days were good days and the words flowed and everything connected. Other days, it was a laborious task. Same for readers. There is a story going on in the book but we are also dealing with the story that is our life. A duality that gives rise to perspectives and interpretations.
The book is one story but so many stories at the same time. Fast forward to almost the end of the book. Margo says, "You had been a paper boy to me all these years - two dimensions as a character on the page and two different, but still flat, dimensions as a person." I couldn't help but think about my realization about duality that came to me in the photo I took yesterday and that I noted in the paragraph above.
I enjoyed this read. I enjoyed finally understanding how the name of the book related to the story. I am becoming a habitual book reader. Something I never imagined while growing up. This will make me a better writer and it will be worth it.
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