Wrong but Right: Thoughts from Places Amsterdam
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- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- (It occurred to me while editing that you are not actually able to confirm that I ever put on pants.) In which John travels to Amsterdam--where he lived for two months while finishing The Fault in Our Stars--to promote the Dutch edition of the book. Along the way he visits places that were important to him and to the made-up people in his novel, including the Spui Square, the Beninghof, a bathroom that you must pay to enjoy, the Vondelpark, the Anne Frank House, the hotel de Philsosoof, takes a ride on a canal boat, and listens to a mathematician discuss infinity.
Thanks, as always, to the extraordinary community of Dutch nerdfighters for their support, and to my Dutch publisher Lemniscaat for bringing me back to the city I love so much.
CORRECTION: What I meant to say is that Hazel incorrectly concludes that the set of numbers between 0 and 1 is smaller than the set of numbers between 0 and 2. In fact, they are the same size. (Check out the wikipedia article about infinite cardinality for a few proofs of this mind-blowing fact.) Anyway, I don't know why I said whole numbers when I meant to say numbers. Presumably because I am an idiot.
HERE ARE A LOT OF LINKS TO NERDFIGHTASTIC THINGS:
Shirts and Stuff: dftba.com/artis...
Hank's Music: dftba.com/artis...
John's Books: amzn.to/j3LYqo
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Hank's Facebook: / hankimon
Hank's tumblr: / edwardspoonhands
John's Twitter: / realjohngreen
John's Facebook: / johngreenfans
John's tumblr: / fishingboatproceeds
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Other Channels
Crash Course: / crashcourse
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Hank's Channel: / hankschannel
Truth or Fail: / truthorfail
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Nerdfighteria
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My grandma recently finished TFiOS, and she was talking about wanting to see the places Gus and Hazel went. Now, she's not a nerdfighter, but I thought this particular video would interest her, so I forwarded it to her; a couple hours later, she sent this back to me: "HELP! I'm addicted to the vlog brothers and I want to watch every one of their videos and go to all the places John visited and meet him and yell 'Good morning! It's Monday!'" YES! MY GRANDMA IS A NERDFIGHTER! DFTBA, people.
It's disturbing how my favorite writer wrote one of my favorite books in the library like 500 meters from my house, and I didn't know at the time...
"How much you can love made up people, and how much you can miss them."
This.
That really hit hard
Yeah I cried at that last part
"You can love someone so much but you can never love them as much as you can miss them" ( quote you)
I wondered if he was intentionally referencing this quote or not.
And this is why Hank wrote a sequel, JOHN
I feel like John's thoughts from places almost always go into deeper meaning. And he says these things that are so perfect. And the voice he uses just makes it all awesome.
This was awesome and made me want to live in Amsterdam, but that last line about loving and missing fictional characters left me in tears. I am told often, whenever people hear me yelling at or talking to books and TV and movies, that I should not become so personally invested in fiction, that it must be unhealthy, but it's a source of love and empathy and I love this community and all the fandoms that can be so enthusiastic about these things. It's why I love being a Nerdfighter. I'm just too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness (and Doctor Who and Merlin and Harry Potter etc.)
yes that got to me as well, missing fictional characters... I miss Merlin and Harry Potter too!
I have just finished the book and i have to say that the eulogy Hazel wrote for the prefuneral was one of the most powerful pieces of literature i have every read; i mean it hit home and hit home hard so much so that i teared and felt the pain she was going through and felt almost as i was there with her... Thank you John Green for constructing such a beautiful story, you are my hero and i will aspire to one day be a great author as yourself :D
This will always be my favorite video from this channel.
Hmmm, no John here...
I just finished the Fault In Our Stars today. It was so poignant to me, especially having a long term boyfriend as well as a close relative who died of cancer. It has had a big impact on the way I view things. Great job John, you are a fantastic writer and an inspiration to us all. Thank you for introducing me to Augustus Waters.
As soon as you started introducing places from the book, I immediately leaned forward, clutched my hands to my mouth, and began to silently cry tears of wonder. The Fault In Our Stars has changed me so much, and I thank you, brilliant John Green, for creating a book so wonderful I can hardly put it into words.
oh gosh i almost cried because he misses them so much but he got to watch them come to life again on set oh god oh god i am not ready for the movie
Oh my, I only now realize that was Ionica Smeets giving the presentation on mathematics in the book! Well-known Dutch mathematician and nerdfighter!
it amazes me how you can be so profound, yet so lighthearted at the same time. i honestly don't think there are enough words to explain how much i adore you and your words. your mind is beautiful. thank you.
I recently saw Ira Glass speak in New Orleans, about storytelling. He talked about how, in a well-told story, there should be a single moment where the impetus of the story is elucidated, where everything immediately clicks and makes sense. John, you do such a good job of that. Here I was, casually watching this video, when all of a sudden with your last line my gut dropped, and the previous 3 minutes suddenly carried a weight that was anything but casual. Thank you for your beautiful stories.
I live in the Netherlands and apparently John visited the library in the city where my school is in, and a class of my school got to meet him, but I wasn't a fan back then...
I hope he will come there again.
Same here. Except he actually came to the library OF MY SCHOOL, and I got to ask him a question. I had no idea who he was back then.
That got really depressing really quickly.
I watch this playlist when I feel homesick, because something about the wisdom and realization in thinking about the places I've been make me feel closer to home than ever.
That is the beauty and joy of reading - that you can connect with characters so much that you are able to love and miss them.
I wish I could've been a fan of his books as they were coming out...to be a part of all this...
also ALSO dang it
John, your words are so amazing. They give me goosebumps, the way you so articulately piece together seemingly ordinary words to make a beautiful sentence.
That last line could not be more honest and true and amazing. I nearly cried. I have felt that pain so many times. It's true. When you write or read an amazing character, it's like a piece of them just takes a seat in your heart and refuses to budge. And when you can no longer have that character, when the pages are yellow from you turning them so many times to try and have that character back...well, it hurts. It hurts so much.
John Green I just can't get over the fact that you were in my country and I didn't meat you
Ikr
that was my reaction too, missed opportunities..
Uhuh :c I watched all his Amsterdam vlog videos to make myself feel better but yeah... Hmpf.
You mean, as in, throw meat at him or?
Bradatimrkonja yeah duh. (no sorry, Im dyslexic and Dutch)
I lived in Amsterdam for a year and just read The Fault in Our Stars recently (in one day). My love for Amsterdam AND John Green made reading it a very emotional process....This video is not helping one bit.
I cried at the end of this. I love how connected to TFiOS John is, and has been. I love that he can share these places and experiences with us, through both his writing and his vlogs. I know that John sees books as belonging to the readers once they are released, but it makes me appreciate it more when he shares stuff like this, because it's a reminder that they did (and in some way always will) belong to him, and there is so much more meaning behind it than I could ever see. Thanks John. DFTBA
This means so much to the Dutch and Belgian nerdfighter community. Thank you for bringing us together, John!
that song about the homoerotic watercolors sounds amazing. Is it possible to listen to the full version of that somewhere or possibly by it on iTunes or something?
I was going to go to that herring shop when I was in Amsterdam, but thankfully it was closed.(I hate fish.)
I think it's amazing how my mental images of the places when I read the book were unbelievably accurate. John, you have incredible descriptive abilities, because I have never left the country, and yet I pictured it all perfectly. Thank you for a beautiful book with beautiful characters!
one thing i love about john as an author is that you know he is as invested in and in love with his characters as his readers are. it's just nice to know that he cares.
I am dieing over John trying to talk Dutch xD I think Americans like our little country. C:
MOST Americans, Fox news not so much ;)
Haha. Well screw Fox news then :P
I am an American and I do like your little country c:
Can't pronounce dutch stuff for my life though lol
+Cycling in Edmonton from the Eyes of a Teen "Fietsen", "Groningen", and "Autosnelweg". But still, chapeau :)
***** Cool, I didn't know that :)
very meaningfulllllulul
I looked down at the top couple comments and was overwhelmed by how much I love nerdfighters and this whole community of like minded people, who all cry at the same line in a video I cried at, and who can all love imaginary charachters as much as I do. I love you guys, and thank you John and Hank for bringing us together.
I just finished The Fault In Our Stars and what you said about loving and missing characters. I really wasn't a fan of Augustus but when he died, when his story ended, I mourned. Seeing this video after finishing the book, seeing what Hazel and Augustus saw, helped me visualize and connect with them more. So thank you, John. Thank you.
"...muddle through as observers of the universe forging meaning where we can find it from fact and fiction alike..." You're such a novelist. You're brilliantly gifted with words.
This is my favourite video, ever. Not just vlogbrothers, not just UA-cam, but literally my favourite video to watch out of every video ever. Actually.
It's like how you know that the book you just read was purely amazing.
When you close the book, knowing it's over, and you feels as you just lost a best-friend. That's an amazing book.
I just started crying when i watched this video for no reason at all. Tfios has changed my life, and not in that cheesy way that everyone might think. It has caused me to take a different perspective on things and I thank you for sharing your amazing thoughts with us.
John, I know you probably won't see this, but if you do, I would just like to say that your contribution to the world, cannot be over stated. Your creativity and knowledge are the best gifts that can be given in a world like the one we live in, and you share them with us so willingly. Its people like you who make the world a better place. So thank you John. DFTBA
the beautiful dutch version of the fault in our- NO EDGE
n o e d g e
I thought John was being dramatic about missing Hazel and Gus. Then I read The Fault in Our Stars and now I can't blame him at all. Wow that packed a punch.
I'm also really glad Amsterdam is getting international attention in a positive lighting. I grew up in the Netherlands (first 16 years of my life) and the cheerful, terrace-filled city of my memories is hard to reconcile with the shady image most people have of it. Beautiful place. Thank you John!
This video makes me cry because it's like..explaining where everything in the book actually is in Amsterdam, as if we'd never see it, but we're going to see it come to life in the movie..I'm not prepared.
That last line is beautiful and is something I have felt myself. I'm not a writer, but I have fallen in love with, missed, and wondered about the fate of so many people from the books I love.
Oh my gosh, i'm the same way. When he get's all sentimental and deep, it really pulls the strings of my heart. I have no idea why.
This is by far your best Thoughts from Places, not only does it take place in a foreign location, but it is also on a book which was really awesome.
John, you always know how to make perfect anecdote for everything. I loved the book, the ending was sad but perfect... And you're right. Don't know how much I needed that book, and to hear/see/experience that book. Thank you.
This video reminded me of why I love the vlogbrothers. Thank you John for again being the awesome philosopher that you are. Some infinities are larger then others, goodness, that's pure poetry.
I grew up half in Amsterdam and half in England, spending most my weekends in Amsterdam at the Vondelpark. I was named after Anne Frank and when I was 15 I was in and out of hospitals because I had a brain haemorrhage. My favourite poem has always been Prufrock, and have it tacked to my bedroom wall. I cried when Hazel recited it. And I love curry for breakfast. Every page had a strange new link or parallel to my own life. I'm running out of characters, but TFioS meant a lot to me. Thank you.
I love how you end some videos with a calming beautiful quote you made up with beautiful views of the city. You're my idol John Green.
This may well be my favourite vlogbrothers video ever. It really is just beautiful and perfect, and it almost made me cry a little.
Goshdarnit John, you and your amazing Novel have made me and the 4 other friends who I raved about it to and finally convinced them to get a copy, cry and smile and aww and cry and love but mainly cry. Thankyou, so very much :)
"Bought season 2 of Sherlock." Right there with you, dude. Only now we're waiting for season 4.
I love the thoughts from places videos, not only do I get to see the world from my little corner of non-rural-non-urban Surrey, but I get to hear such wonderful-um- thoughts! I wish I could come up with such amazing anecdotes about loving people who are not real when I visit places and not get bogged down with thinking: "oooh! Pwetty colours!"
I have so much intense love for all of the Thoughts From Places videos. They're so beautiful and they put things in perspective. Thank you. DFTBA.
This is my favorite Thoughts from Places video...ever. Like I've shown this to my friends multiple times being like, "THIS IS JUST TOO GOOD!!!"
I have just finished TFiOS. And this video has just meant all the more to me.
I love it when the John and Hank do Thoughts from Places videos. Particularly loved what he said about how much we can love & miss made-up people. I always get overly attached to characters from books, tv shows, movies...
I live in Holland and the places Hazel visits were not strange or hard to imagine. But seeing the places John imagined for Hazel adds a whole new dimension to the book that I could not predict.
"All I could think about now as the night fell was how much you could love made up people and how much you could miss them". I realize I'm not a writer so I do not totally understand the connection of writers to their characters but as a book lover, someone who has laughed with, cried with, and fell in love with several fictional characters, this really strikes home with me. And I'm reminded of how I miss Hazel and Augustus, and how much I miss Harry Potter and the characters of my childhood.
I almost cried when you showed us the Hotel de Filosoof. Thank you so much John for your amazing and beautiful book.
That was so amazing seeing the exact places where you wrote the book and where it took place. I also appreciated your life contemplation towards the end. Always quite thought provoking.
Yesterday I was crying because I was thinking of all the fictional characters that I love and miss. I've experienced more heartbreak and loss through the world of fiction than in my real life but that doesn't make it any easier.
Today I watched this video and realized I'm not alone. Thank you, John.
One of the wonders of nerdism, one can whole-heartedly yearn or mourn for characters that are fictional. That is to say they are not necessary non-existant, elements of any charater we hold dear are inside of us. While reading Alaska, i full out mourned for a week, i felt the lose of a dear friend during and even moreso after i finished it. For some of us, books are not just words on a page they are dear friends, companions and security blankets. Thank you John for writing such a beautiful nove
shivers... the last few lines of this put all of the love for characters into perspective. how much you can love made up people... and how much you can miss them
This video made me miss the characters I love so much from The Fault In Our Stars. Thank you again John for writing such an amazing book.
"All I could think about no, as night fell, was how much you can love made-up people and how much you can miss them."
John, sometimes I can't handle the perfection of your words.
Watching this reminded me of how people inadvertently speak as though history only began when we started recording things. When John says the building is older than his country, of course I know what he meant, but as a friend recently pointed out to me the history of countries like America and Australia are viewed only to have begun when the Europeans took over and named them, when in fact there were native people living there for hundreds of years before we came along.
Thanks for showing us the beautiful places Hazel and Gus visited. Seeing the real images really makes the story more real.
I think his concluding remarks correspond to how we sometimes love people not for who they are, but for who we think they are. And so when we come to the realisation that we are actually missing someone who wasn't really there at all, It hurts.
your thoughts (from both of you) are so beautiful they make me wanna cry. And I can totally relate to the feeling you have about your characters since I write too and I freaking love Amsterdam too.
i think its just amazing how John helps us in ways that Hazel could only dream that Peter Van Houten would help her (by being both a friend and an author)
It's hard to not think of Hazel and Augustus as real people, because I miss them too, as if they were some childhood friends I lost touch with. Seeing the places they went to for their wish makes them even more real now. Thanks John:)
Both the ending shots of the skyline and your expression of nostalgia for "made-up people" are exquisite.
John your last lines in this video are some of the most beautiful and soul bearing words I've ever heard spoken in vlog brothers history.
John, I finished reading TFIOS two hours ago, and I miss Hazel and Gus too. So, so much. I want to thank you for giving them to me for such a short, sweet time, but curse you for giving them to me for such a short, sweet time.
I love thoughts from places!!! I feel like every time there is a new one I have to rewatch all the old ones...
The best part of your vids is always the message left at the end. Love it John :)
I was finishing the Fault in Our Stars in the office, and when Augustus died, I yelled "DANG IT" at the top of my lungs, after the last two minutes where I'd been chanting "Hang on, Augustus, just live, just live". I think everyone in the entire wing of the building was staring at me. I just love seeing all of the places where this book actually happened. Awesome.
To me, as a Dutch person, Amsterdam was always just a city - watching John's videos of Amsterdam makes me appreciate it so much more...
The place where I work literally looks out on the back of the Anne Frank House. Hazel and Augustus walked where I walk everyday, they kissed where I possibly could have seen them, we maybe sat in the same tram, looked at the same canals. This makes me happy.
I just love it when you guys make Thoughts from Places videos. John's voice over narration is always amazing. If he recorded audiobooks I'd buy them
Goose bumps! John, you speak the way you write. And when you do, I always imagine you're reading from a book or something. It's awesome :)
Sometimes when I listen to you. I start crying. Because you say things that make me remember who I am. And I shouldn't need a man who doesn't know me to be able to do that through a computer screen. But I do. So thank you.
it's so true how you can miss fictional characters, I was just talking about that with a friend who I just lent TFIOS to last night. She said she already misses Augustus and Hazel and is only halfway through the book. Thanks for being a genius John, and thanks for changing my life
John, as you said the last lines, I thought about how right you are, about wrong things that is in an inevitable cases, right. It gave me goosebumps--the good kind--and I cried, because I know it was true. People get lost whether they wanted to or not. We have to search in order to find what is missing, get hurt in order to live and love in order to be love. As I grow up and slowly open my eyes to a world--at first I didn't cared about--I'm finally beginning to understand.Salamat sa iyo. ^_^
It's really strange that my favorite writer has been in my country several times before I had read any of his books and before I even knew he existed. I hope he comes to the Netherlands another time, so I can finally meet him.
Sherlock and Wholock and No Edge and places John wrote/set TFiOS makes this Thoughts from Places video even more awesome than usual.
His thoughts from places videos are so amazingly perfect.
This is by far the most awesome and somehow beautiful video I have ever watched.
The end of thoughts from places videos always make me teary.
John, I spent much of the today reading and finishing TFIOS. Thanks. I neglected my family and my to-do/anti-procrastination list, not to mention an extremely beautiful Spring day in the valley, but I thank you for it all. I miss Hazel, kinda sorta, and Gus, just as much, but they're not really gone. Reading your book was an intellectual and fun experience....and helped me probably in ways I'm not sure of, grieve over the loss of my mother to cancer and my neighbor, a 7 year old boy. thnxxo
Thoughts from Places are my favourite videos. Had a similar experience myself while visiting Paris a few weeks ago about the ignored complexity of the hundredss of people we interact with on a daily basis. Anywho, just wanted to say this is fersure one of your finer videos. DFTBA, man
Okay I really like Hank's videos, but I love how deep John's get. Especially his Thoughts From Places videos. They are amazing (:
I desperately want to go to Amsterdam now. It's on my list. Thank you, John Green, for another incredibly lovely and though-provoking video.
"All I could think about now, as night fell, was how much you can love made-up people and how much you can miss them."
I was originally just going to comment on how I LOVE Thoughts From Places and how this was one of the features of this channel that made me quick to subscribe to vlogbrothers, but that last sentence. SO TRUE.
I have NEVER asked this before, but can you guys thumb this up? It's really important to me that John sees it.
In 1 month, I will apply to be a foreign exchange student. This trip will last 12 months, and I have 30 countries to choose from. I read TFiOS and watched this video and after some research, fell in LOVE with the Netherlands. Please, John, could you tell me what it's like? I want to hear it from an American who's lived there, and you're the only person I know of that's done that.
just remembering Hazel and Augustus's trip to Amsterdam made me so emotional watching this video. the fact that all of the places were real, i don't know, it just really touched me. i feel a sudden need to read the book again, but it's 1:30am and i have to get up early tomorrow...
The end of this literally choked me up. Thank you for TFIOS, John. Just...thank you.
It's amazing to see you recording all those places I walk by every single day :D
And no matter what happens with your books, John, I will pass them to my kids and their kids and maybe their kids' kids, so they'll stick around for a good while longer. You make my heart smile and I love and miss your made-up people, too.