Brenna B. (demiducky25) reviewed on 1/25/2009 + 161 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 2

I saw the movie before reading the book and knew off the bat that they were essentially different stories with just the character's name and aging syndrome in common, so I really tried not to compare them but to think of them as the different entities that they are. I did enjoy this story as a nice, quick read. F. Scott Fitzgerald makes a few interesting points about aging in this story and how as a society we expect people to "act their age." Even though Benjamin looks like a 70 year old, his father forces him to play with rattles and drink from a bottle because that's what is expected from a baby even though this baby would rather chat with his grandfather about the weather and read the encyclopedia. With the exception of a short period of time in the middle of his life where his physical age and actual age line up, Benjamin experiences some forms of "age discrimination" which can often be humorous, particularly in the beginning of the story. It was interesting to see that Benjamin was able to enjoy life after working hard for so many years because he was physically young enough to do so, which is normally the opposite for everyone else and this might account for some of the jealousies exhibited by other characters. I just wish this story was a little longer because it left me wanting more, certain things felt really glossed over, particularly in his middle years and his relationship with his son.

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