The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Unabridged

Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Narrated by Joseph Wycoff

F. Scott Fitzgerald created the novella "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" as a short story, originally published in Collier's magazine in 1922.

It tells the tale of Benjamin, son of Roger Button, who was born as an old man and who, over the course of his life, miraculously ages backwards. Beginning life as an octogenarian in his crib, Benjamin grows "older" while his body, conversely, appears younger and younger with each passing birthday. The story takes us through Benjamin's entire life; his difficult adolescence, his marriage, life as a soldier and father and, ultimately, his inevitable descent into infanthood.

At once hilarious, frightening and satiric, Fitzgerald's wonderful story has been adapted for both the stage and screen and is presented here in its original, unabridged format.

• Language: English
• Publisher: SoundCraft Audiobooks
• Release date: Feb 3, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667942254

F. Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short-story writer. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota to Edward and Mary Fitzgerald, he was raised in Buffalo in a middle-class Catholic family. Fitzgerald excelled in school from a young age and was known as an active and curious student, primarily of literature. In 1908 the family returned to St. Paul, where Fitzgerald published his first work of fiction, a detective story, at the age of 13. He completed his high school education at the Newman School in New Jersey before enrolling at Princeton University. In 1917, reeling from an ill-fated relationship and waning in his academic pursuits, Fitzgerald dropped out of Princeton to join the Army. While stationed in Alabama, he began a relationship with Zelda Sayre, a Montgomery socialite. In 1919, he moved to New York City, where he struggled to launch his career as a writer. His first novel, This Side of Paradise (1920), was a resounding success, earning Fitzgerald a sustainable income and allowing him to marry Zelda. Following the birth of his daughter Scottie in 1921, Fitzgerald published his second novel, The Beautiful and the Damned (1922), and Tales of the Jazz Age (1922), a collection of short stories. His rising reputation in New York’s social and literary scenes coincided with a growing struggle with alcoholism and the deterioration of Zelda’s mental health. Despite this, Fitzgerald managed to complete his masterpiece The Great Gatsby (1925), a withering portrait of corruption and decay at the heart of American society. After living for several years in France in Italy, the end of the decade marked the decline of Fitzgerald’s reputation as a writer, forcing him to move to Hollywood in pursuit of work as a screenwriter. His alcoholism accelerated in these last years, leading to severe heart problems and eventually his death at the age of 44. By this time, he was virtually forgotten by the public, but critical reappraisal and his influence on such writers as Ernest Hemingway, J.D. Salinger, and Richard Yates would ensure his status as one of the greatest figures in twentieth-century American fiction.