In Which the Novels of John Green Engender a Moment of Family Togetherness

A slightly reconstructed conversation.

Scene: Els, Spouse, and 6-year-old Child are getting into the car to drive to the airport.

Spouse notices the book-on-CD on the passenger seat.

Spouse (who has just read and enjoyed An Abundance of Katherines on Els's recommendation) *with a touch of envy in voice*: Oooh, I see you're listening to Looking for Alaska!

Els: Well, yes. It's good. But I'm not sure if you'd like it; I just started the fourth disk and I think Something Bad is about to happen.

Spouse: Oh. Okay. But if nothing bad happened, you wouldn't have any plot, would you?

Els: It's funny...now that I think of it, nothing really bad does happen in Katherines. Well, there are two bad things, but they both happen before the book starts. You just find out about them during the time of the book.

Child, *piping up from back seat* : I know one of them! He gets dumped by a bunch of girls named Katherine, right?

Els: Uh, right.

Child: What's the other one?

Els: If I tell you, it'll spoil it for you when you read it in ten years or so.

Child: Please, please tell me! Please! I promise I'll forget it!

Els: You can't promise to forget something!

Child: Pleeeeease, please tell me anyway! What's the other bad thing?

Els: Oh, okay. It's [spoiler revelation that the main characters discover near the end of the book].

Child, *baffled but resigned*: Oh.

Els: See, it's important because it [gives important information about a secondary but crucial character]. Because of [explanation delving into way more detail than necessary about bigger economic and moral issues].

Child: Oh.

Els: Do you really think you'll forget that?

Child: I forgot it already!

Els: What did you forget?

Child *with carefully vacant intonation belied by gleam in eye*: Um...I can't remember!