Book Review #5: John Green and the Anthropocene

Yes, I am quite proud of my rhyming title.

The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green is a book of many firsts for me. It’s the first book I’ve ever pre-ordered, it’s the first signed copy of a book I’ve ever purchased, and it’s the first book of John Green’s that I didn’t buy at a thrift store. Last time I checked my local Goodwill, there were two copies of Looking for Alaska. I suppose he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s good news for me because I have almost a full collection of his novels because of it.

Today I’m here to review John Green’s reviews of things that exist because of humanity. Meta. I’m also here to talk about why I like John Green so much as an author. I feel it’s only fair to let you know up front that this review is likely to be biased because I just really like what he does. I will also include a ranking of John Green novels in here in case you’re curious about my most and least favorites.

One of the really neat things about this book is it’s a pretty direct look into John Green’s brain. When I wrote my post about Kurt Vonnegut, I recommended reading Armageddon in Retrospect before reading his novels because I thought having a better sense of him as a person would give the reader a better sense of his writing. I think the same stands for John Green. There is a certain cadence to his style that shows even in his nonfiction work, and seeing the sense of how his brain works gives some insight into his characters and why a lot of them have the deep thought spirals that they do. There are parts of ourselves that we can’t escape from even in an art that is meant to be a form of escape.

Throughout the novel Green gives his reviews of things monumental to the human race as well as his own life. Some examples include reviews of Indianapolis, Canada Geese, the QWERTY keyboard, and The Mountain Goats. While these may seem like random topics spliced together, Green does an excellent job of relating each one to the larger picture of the human race. He talks a lot about how we’ve evolved, our astronomical feats, our impact on the planet, our impact on each other, and the vastness of the human experience. I know I’m painting a very broad picture here, which is partly due to the fact that I am not half the word-smith John Green is, so I will give you a concise summary: it is a book of insights into humanity.

Still unhelpful? Then I guess you better just read the book.

Every review ends with a ranking between one and five stars. I’m not going to lie, I was really disappointed that Canada Geese weren’t the one exception with zero stars. I clearly remember having to walk outside with a bucket in hand every time we left my sixth grade agriculture building. Why? Because Gary the goose would come out of nowhere, fly at you with his mouth wide open, and leave you hoping you had that bucking up and facing outward so that he’d bite the rim instead of you. Zero stars.

I think the ranking system is a fun aspect of the book because it allows you to think of what you would rank each topic as well. While Green relates his own experience with each topic, they are also discussed in relation to or for their impact on humanity. That means we, those of us that are human anyway, can find something about each topic that relates to us personally. For example, I gave Canada Geese zero stars because I hate geese, but I would agree with John that sunsets are a five star experience. I would then assert that sunrises are also a five star experience as I live on the east coast so that’s where the party is at for me. This makes the book interactive for the reader which creates a memorable reading experience.

Obligatory 5-Star Sunrise Example

There is another aspect to the novel which I find comes with all of John Green’s novels and that is the topic of mental health. Most of his characters are struggling in one way or another and have to figure out how to properly cope. This is one of the reasons I like him so much as an author. Sometimes authors write mostly perfect characters with imperfections. They have a fundamental flaw, or some downfall that they overcome (or not) by the end of the novel. John Green writes characters that are struggling, which is one of the most relatable ways a character can be. Of course, he’s not the only author that does this, but he’s the only author I’m talking about today.

The “struggling” nature of his characters is also why a lot of teenagers relate to his books. I think John Green has done wonders for the YA genre by giving us books that so accurately encapsulate what it’s like to be a struggling teen. I’ve often wondered how a grown man can be capable of expressing the teenage experience so well and I think, at least in part, it’s because John Green has managed to keep the child in him alive. We see this exemplified in The Anthropocene Reviewed as he recounts several of his best memories which were when he was in high school hanging out with his friends.

The Anthropocene Reviewed might be his most personal account of mental health to-date because, well, it’s about his own mental health rather than a character’s. I don’t have much to say to say about his personal experience other than I’m glad he talked about it, I’m glad he can talk about it, and I’m glad he’s still with us.

My personal, signed copy of The Anthropocene Reviewed comes in at 293 pages (274 if you don’t read the notes at the end, but they’re entertaining so I recommend it) and I read it in two days. It’s probably not at your local library yet, but when it is, you should check it out and read it. If you’ve purchased the novel already, you should go to www.theanthropocenereviewed.com where you can post a picture of your book and a review of where you live. My post is already up there.

Lastly, here are John Green’s books ranked according to me. I don’t usually use a numerical system when I review books for you guys, but I think today it’s a given.

Rankings:
1) An Abundance of Katherines 4.5/5
2) The Anthropocene Reviewed 4.5/5
3) Looking for Alaska 4/5
4) The Fault in Our Stars 4/5
5) Turtles All the Way Down 3.5/5

I’ve not yet read Will Grayson/Will Grayson nor Let it Snow which are both collaborations he worked on, but I will make an edit and add them to the list when I do.

The Lit Wiz


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