Book Review of "The Anthropocene Reviewed"

“I can recall feeling that intense longing for the you to whom you can never return.”

“The Anthropocene Reviewed” is a collection of non-fictional essays about absolutely anything and everything “human” - from the origin story of “teddy bear” to “Halley's Comet”, from “Diet Dr. Pepper” to “Cave Paintings”. In the typical John Green fashion, the prose is simple yet profound, heartfelt yet humorous and even though one wouldn’t call this a literary masterpiece in any shape or form, it is still deeply moving and unabashedly hopeful in the face of today’s bleak pandemic-ridden present. 

"The challenge of personhood, is to recognize personhood in others—to listen to others’ pain and take it seriously, even when you yourself cannot feel it."

I have always been somewhat guarded when it comes to John Green’s books. On one hand, I am a fanboy of his CrashCourse YouTube channel but on the other hand, I found his fiction novels a bit saccharine & unauthentic. To me, in “The Anthropocene Reviewed”, John Green has managed to walk the tightrope - being hopeful and sweet without being profusely dramatic. 

That being said, the book is not without its faults. A couple of essays ramble on unnecessarily. But overall, it's guaranteed to have a net positive effect on your emotional well-being and bring a smile to your face, a solid 4/5.

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It’s so easy to take refuge in the “just” of just kidding. It’s just a joke. We’re just doing it for the memes. But the preposterous and absurd can still shape our understanding of ourselves and one another."