(2012) VS (2014)
I was surprised to find out last week that so many of my blogger friends still haven’t read this book or seen the movie. I thought I was all kinds of deficient in waiting as long as I did to read it. But I listened to the excellent audio and then watched the movie with my ‘no, that’s just the sun in my eyes and that’s not me wiping tears away with my sleeve’ husband. (hmm, sometimes he actually reads this blog…) We both had the same assessment.
The Story/Plot They both told the cancer-ridden story of two teens who fall in love against all odds and they were both spot on in that aspect. There were differences though. In the book there was more of an understanding of Hazel than in the movie. In the book we see her go to college classes, meet a friend at the mall, visit Isaac in the hospital, discover that Augustus had and ex-girlfriend (I will spoil no more about that), have more conversations with her parents. As for Augustus we missed a lot of his struggle at the end of the book (no more spoilers). The movie focused primarily on the love story, which it is at it’s heart, but it lacked the nuance and depth of the book. And I missed one of the more lighthearted scenes of the book about the swingset as it was left out of the movie. Thumbs Up- Book
The Visual I’ll give the props to the movie on this one. For one, I loved the visit to Amsterdam and want to visit someday. Also, in the book there was always Hazel with her oxygen tank and it was surprising how by the end of the movie I didn’t even notice it. It became a permanent part of Hazel and it wasn’t distracting and that illustrated that the beauty within a person shines through even if physical ailments exist. Thumbs Up- Movie
Characters vs. Actors I read the book well after the movie came out, so I was already picturing Shailene Woodley as Hazel and Ansel Elgort as Augustus. I was more familiar with Shailene’s work and she felt right in this role. She was a great Hazel. I loved the casting of Laura Dern and and Sam Trammell as the parents, I thought they were perfect. As for Augustus, well Ansel came so close that I won’t hold it against him. I think Augustus is such a difficult character because he was so everything, so perfect teen girl fantasy, so witty, so smart, so romantic. That is a hard role to fill. I think Ansel got about 80% of the way there for me and that’s saying a lot! Thumbs Up- Book, but barely
The Ending There were a few differences toward the end of the movie but the one that bothered me most was one I mentioned earlier, we missed some of Augustus and his struggle. I think the movie would have been better for showing it. Thumbs Up – Book
And the winner is…the book!!!!
Did you realize that John Green hasn’t written a book since? This article is from entertainment Weekly this month.
Other book vs. movie polls you can vote on: (We Have Always Lived in the Castle) (Good Morning, Midnight/ The Midnight Sky) (Before I Go To Sleep) (The Little Prince) (Charlie St. Cloud) (Far From the Madding Crowd) (The Girl on the Train) (Tuck Everlasting) (Northanger Abbey) (Me Before You) (And Then There Were None) (Still Alice) (The Blind Side) (The Fault in Our Stars) (The Hound of the Baskervilles) (Gone Girl) (Jack Reacher) (Ender’s Game) (Carrie, the original) (Under the Tuscan Sun) (The Secret Life of Bees) (The Shining, the original)
Stacy's Books 
I’m slightly embarrassed to say that I haven’t read the book OR seen the movie.
I think you’re safe. Lots of bloggers admitted to having not read it!
I have the book and the movie, but haven’t gotten to them yet. My granddaughter told me to wait a while. She thought it was too soon since I recently lost my husband.
Oh, and I didn’t read your comments on them since I haven’t read/watched it yet.
Yeah, I can see that waiting might be wise. It was a heartbreaker on a good day.
I’m one of those bloggers who hasn’t seen or read, but I’m still gonna vote for book – just on principle.
That’s a solid principle.
I loved the book and the movie and cried over both. I read the book way before I saw the movie so I didn’t notice the differences as much.
I liked them both, cried during both, so the movie was still good for sure!
I can’t believe there are bloggers who haven’t read it either, but even just from the comments so far – amazing! LOL
I couldn’t believe it either! Made me feel way less behind 🙂
I enjoyed both. But the book was the best but I loved seeing it too. The movie really made me bawl viscerally, though, while on a plane with my son in the next seat and a random dude next to me….seriously, snot flying.
I’ve only read the book though I’m hoping to see the film at some point soon. The book was fantastic and had me ugly crying in bed last thing at night as I finished it.
Cait @ Click’s Clan
I can imagine it would be hard to write a book after writing this one. I hope John Green finds inspiration though–I’d hate it if he didn’t write anymore books. I really liked the book–and the movie–but the book was definitely better. I too wished they’d shown more of Augustus’s struggle towards the end.
Looks like reading the book would be better than just watching the film as I have. Seems that the characters are more fully developed in the book, which was one of my problems with the film. Have to agree that Shailene Woodley was great, she’s a brilliant actress.
I was JUST WONDERING this week why John Green hasn’t written another book yet, so thanks for the link. I like this one OK…definitely didn’t go gaga over it like everyone else. Haven’t really been drawn to the movie either. I did really like Looking for Alaska, though!
I loved both!
I’m like you–I liked the movie for a lot of things and the book for a lot of things. I’d call it a draw. Good story either way.
I watched the film on tv and liked it so bought DVD with extended version and has 7 scenes missing from tv including what happens with the swing set, I haven’t read the book and probably wouldn’t of if not for the extended version I recommend watching that it makes the film 100 times better.