Oh my God these are all so beautiful.
(Source: andotherpoems)
RE: The Fault in Our Stars
I am now almost 100% certain that An Imperial Affliction is not a real book. JOHN GREEN, YOU TEASE. But I am absolutely 100% certain that the phrase itself comes from Emily Dickinson:
There’s a certain slant of light,
On winter afternoons,
That oppresses, like the weight
Of cathedral tunes.
Heavenly hurt it gives us;
We can find no scar,
But internal difference
Where the meanings are.
None may teach it anything,
‘Tis the seal, despair,-
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the air.
When it comes, the landscape listens,
Shadows hold their breath;
When it goes, ‘t is like the distance
On the look of death.
I’m not going on record as to whether the quotation from Peter van Houten’s novel An Imperial Affliction used as the epigraph to The Fault in Our Stars is “real,” because to do so would mean bringing up all kinds of questions about what constitutes “real” when you’re talking about fictions. But there’s no question that the title of An Imperial Affliction is indeed taken from this poem.
Also, Hazel pretty explicitly references this poem in the first chapter of TFiOS when she calls the late afternoon light outside the church “heavenly in its hurtfulness.”
An Imperial Affliction by Peter Van Houten
(This will the epigraph to my new novel, The Fault in Our Stars) — fishingboatproceeds
The English language, in all its massive, multi-volumed OED glory, does not contain enough words to express my enthusiasm about TFiOS. It is so. brilliant. I hope you’ve preordered it from your local independent bookshop *hint hint*, because you’d truly be missing out if you did not. I can’t wait to read it again and highlight and annotate and wear down every page. You might think I’m exaggerating a little - I am not. I loved this book and we all know I’m picky, regardless of whether it was written by a friend/secret relative or otherwise.
Here is a link to locate your local independent bookshop and preorder a copy: http://dft.ba/-tfiosindie
(via hermionejg)
(Rosianna is one of the only people who’ve read it. Thanks, Rosi!)
http://dft.ba/-petervanhouten
Click for more about John Green’s epigraph to The Fault In Our Stars!
Peter Van Houten, AN IMPERIAL AFFLICTION
(This will the epigraph to my new novel, The Fault in Our Stars. You can preorder it here or at your local bookstore.)
A fake epigraph like in Gatsby.
(via awordnerd)
Oh, it’s fake? Who faked it? That book isn’t real? Are you sure?
(Source: fishingboatproceeds)
Peter Van Houten, AN IMPERIAL AFFLICTION
(This will the epigraph to my new novel, The Fault in Our Stars. You can preorder it here or at your local bookstore.)
