You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
I've been wanting to read this collection for a while because it contained the short story "Benjamin Button", upon which the movie was based. Unfortunately, I was fairly disappointed in that particular story, as it felt so inconsequential and lackluster.
There were a few stories I did enjoy, namely, "The Camel's Back", "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz", and "The Lees of Happiness". I'm not sure these particular stories make up for the disappointment of "Benjamin Button" and several other stories, but at least the book as a whole was redeemed by them.
In the end, it could be I am not cut out to read short stories: by the time I have figured out who the characters are, it's over!
There were a few stories I did enjoy, namely, "The Camel's Back", "The Diamond as Big as the Ritz", and "The Lees of Happiness". I'm not sure these particular stories make up for the disappointment of "Benjamin Button" and several other stories, but at least the book as a whole was redeemed by them.
In the end, it could be I am not cut out to read short stories: by the time I have figured out who the characters are, it's over!
Gatsby is most definitely the masterpiece of Fitzgerald's canon. Not to say that these short stories were bad, they just generally weren't as compelling as I expected them to be. A few shined out though like "The Diamond As Big As the Ritz" and especially "The Lees of Happiness." Even the annotated table of contents was amusing, though, so my love for Fitzgerald is not tarnished, but swelling.
I really didn’t enjoy this. I found it boring and tedious and didn’t care about any of the characters in any of the short stories. I understand that there is probably a lot of literary merit because the writing is good but I just found that the long winded writing made it even more boring and generally bland.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
While I mostly picked this up for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, I will say that a few other stories in this collection was both more entertaining and more engaging. Fitzgerald writes some unlikable characters and unfortunately, some boring short stories, one of which is the title story.
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
Benjamin Button was ok (I like Max Tivoli better). The one with the giant diamond was like creepy Willy Wonka. The rest were mostly forgettable.
Like all his stories. They were both wonderful and tedious.
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence