Marcus
What are the two cities Marcus has lived in?
London / Cambridge
What is Will's surname?
Freeman
What is Fiona's job?
Music therapist
What important detail about Marcus's appearance is different in the film?
Glasses
What literary device is used here? “Marcus knew he was weird, and he knew that part of the reason he was weird was because his mum was weird.”
Repetition of the word “weird.”
What strategy does Marcus use to cope with the bullies?
Making lists in his head
Why does Will join SPAT?
To meet single mothers and find women who might be interested in dating him.
What serious incident happens to Fiona in Chapters 1–10?
She attempts suicide
Who starts the story in the novel, and who starts it in the film?
Marcus vs Will
What literary device is used here? “Kids patrolled up and down school corridors like sharks.”
Simile —
like sharks
How many times older is Will than Marcus?
3 times (12 and 36)
What is the name of Will's imaginary son?
Ned
How old is Fiona?
38
Which character from Chapter 1 is missing from the film's early story?
Roger
What literary device is used here? “...the money was pitiful, pathetic, lousy, a crime.”
The money was a crime” — metaphor
What subject is Marcus good at?
Math
What is the unusual source of Will's income?
He lives off the royalties from his father's Christmas song, “Santa's Super Sleigh.”
What subculture is Fiona associated with?
Hippie / hippie culture
What is the name of Will's imaginary wife in the novel, and what is her name in the film?
Paula vs Sandra
What literary device is used here? “Marcus had a strange frizzy bush of hair, and he dressed like a twenty-five-year-old chartered accountant on his day off.”
Simile - like a twenty-five-year-old chartered accountant on his day off
Finish the sentence: “If you can't look after me properly then ___.”
“you'll have to find someone who can.”
How can the letters “M” and “W” be seen as a symbol of the relationship between Marcus and Will?
opposites / two sides of the same coin
Which two musicians reflect Fiona's musical tastes?
Bob Marley and Joni Mitchell
Which musicians are connected with Marcus's singing in the novel and the film?
Joni Mitchell in the novel; the Carpenters in the film.
How does the author connect the three main characters through music?
Music connects all three characters:
Fiona works as a music therapist,
Marcus expresses himself through music by singing unconsciously, and
Will's income comes from song royalties (from his father's song).