QUESTIONS ABOUT ‘THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN

BUTTON’ BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD

WRITE 10 LINES PER EACH QUESTION

1. WRITE SOME LINES ABOUT THE AUTHOR OF ‘THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN
BUTTON’
F. Scott Fitzgerald was an American fiction writer, whose works helped to illustrate the
flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age. While he achieved popular success, fame, and fortune
in his lifetime, he did not receive much critical acclaim until after his death.
Fitzgerald is now widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century.
He finished four novels: This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby,
and Tender Is the Night.

2. WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT THE BOOK?

What I liked the most about the book is Benjamin’s condition. I think it’s a very original and
unusual story, and interesting too. I particularly liked the part when he starts growing younger
and no one knows how to stop it, and how he starts doing whatever he wants to do. For
example, when he joins the army, or when he goes to Harvard. Although it seemed hard for
him, because he could not control it and people thought he could, I think it’s a good story in
general, despite the things I didn’t like.

3. WHAT DID YOU LIKE LEAST ABOUT THE BOOK?

What I liked the least about the book is that it’s very different from the movie. I thought it was
the same story, but then I was disappointed it was a completely different one. In comparison
to the movie, this book is a little bit more devastating. It doesn’t have a love story, and his own
son is mad at him for something he can’t control; growing younger.
I think what really disappointed me is the fact that his father kept him, unlike the movie, but
he acted like he was a normal kid. And he wasn’t. When he was five and was sent to
kindergarten, he wasn’t a normal five-year-old so he was bored. He was living backwards and
no one could understand it.
Finally, one thing I missed from the book, that was presented in the movie, is that in the end,
the woman who takes care of him as a baby is the woman that was married to him as a man.

4. WHICH CHARACTER(S) DID YOU LIKE BEST?

The only character I liked was Benjamin. I think he is the only one that’s good enough to like.
Benjamin only wanted to be treated like the others, for example when he went to Yale and
was told to leave. He had to go through a lot of horrible situations just because of his
condition, condition he didn’t have control of. I also felt bad for him, especially when he didn’t
feel loved by his own family, when his wife got old and boring, and when his son made him call
him “Uncle” because Benjamin looked like a teenager and Roscoe didn’t want his friends to
make fun of him. However, he managed to do whatever he wanted to do, according to the age
he looked like. And I think that is the most important, that even though he had a rough life, in
the end, he seemed to enjoy it.

5. WHICH CHARACTER(S) DID YOU LIKE LEAST?

The characters I liked the least are Hildegarde, Benjamin’s wife and his son, Roscoe. I didn’t
like them because they were very mean to Benjamin over something that wasn’t anyone’s
fault. The fact that she was ashamed of being seen with his husband in public made me sick.
And then, even worse than that, the fact that his own son didn’t want to take care of him, and
that he only did it because Benjamin was his father, and he was practically a kid. I was very
mad because it just wasn’t fair. I feel like they were constantly mistreating him, and he didn’t
deserve it. When I started reading the book I thought Hildegarde was going to be the love of
his life, like the movie, but I got really disappointed.

6. WHICH CHARACTER(S) DID YOU RELATE TO THE MOST?

I didn’t relate to any of the characters. I believe it’s due to the fact that it’s a different era, and
things are very different from then, and also that fortunately, I grow older, not younger.
7. WHAT FEELING(S) DID THE BOOK EVOKE FOR YOU?
This book kept me in constant indignation because of the things people did to Benjamin. But
the strongest feeling was disappointment. It felt like a completely new story to me, even
though I have seen the movie more than once. Of course, I don’t think it’s the author’s fault,
but the fact that the movie was made into a more commercial and romantic movie. I like both
stories overall, but I think this one is much crueler.
8. WHAT WAS YOUR INITIAL REACTION TO THE BOOK. DID IT HOOK YOU IMMEDIATELY,
OR TAKE SOME TIME TO GET INTO?
It didn’t hook me immediately, I believe it’s because at the beginning it was a little bit boring,
but then it got more interesting.
9. HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE ENDING? WHAT DID YOU LIKE, WHAT DID YOU NOT
LIKE, AND WHAT DO YOU WISH HAD BEEN DIFFERENT?
I think the ending is fine. The story ends perfectly, Benjamin had to die in some way and I think
it’s brilliant that the author made him see all his life in his reflection when he was
looking to the water. As I said before, I would’ve liked that the woman who took care
of him was the love of his life, so she got old and he got young. But I don’t think this
was possible in this version, knowing that Hildegarde was “the love of his life” and she
was mean.
10. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVOURITE QUOTE/PASSAGE/CHAPTER/LINES? WHY? SUMMARISE
IT
My favourite part was the last chapter. Like I said before, I think it’s how it was supposed to
end. And the reflection thing was really good.
11. WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THE BOOK TO OTHERS? WHY OR WHY NOT?
I would recommend the book to everyone, only if they haven’t seen the movie. I think when
you read this book after you saw the movie you can’t enjoy it at its 100%. You keep thinking
how it was developed in the movie and you don’t really enjoy it. But if they haven’t seen the
movie, I’m sure they will love it.