The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

By F Scott Fitzgerald

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a short story written by F. Scott Fitzgerald and first published in Colliers Magazine on May 27, 1922. It was subsequently anthologized in his book Tales of the Jazz Age, which is occasionally published as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Other Jazz Age Stories. In 1860 Baltimore, Benjamin is born with the physical appearance of a 70-year-old man, already capable of speech. His father Roger invites neighborhood boys to play with him and orders him to play with children's toys, but Benjamin obeys only to please his father. At five, Benjamin is sent to kindergarten but is quickly withdrawn after he repeatedly falls asleep during child activities. When Benjamin turns 20, the Button family realizes that he is aging backwards. At the age of 18, Benjamin enrolls in Yale College, but is sent home by officials, who think he is a 50-year-old lunatic. In 1880, when Benjamin is 20, his father gives him a control of Roger Button & Co. Wholesale Hardware. He meets the young Hildegarde Monchrief, a daughter of General Moncrief, and falls in love with her. Hildegarde mistakes Benjamin for a 50-year-old brother of Roger Button; she prefers older men and marries him six months later, but remains ignorant of his condition. Years later, Benjamin's business has been successful, but he is tired of Hildegarde because her beauty has faded and she nags him. Bored at home, he enlists in the Spanish–American War in 1898 and achieves great triumph in the military, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He retires from the army to focus on his company, and receives a medal. In 1910, Benjamin, now looking like a 20-year-old, turns over control of his company to his son, Roscoe, and enrolls at Harvard University. His first year there is a great success: he dominates in football and takes revenge against Yale for rejecting him years before.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sheba Blake Publishing
• Release date: May 8, 2017
• ISBN: 9783961897117

F Scott Fitzgerald

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1896. He attended Princeton University, joined the United States Army during World War I, and published his first novel, This Side of Paradise, in 1920. That same year he married Zelda Sayre and for the next decade the couple lived in New York, Paris, and on the Riviera. Fitzgerald’s masterpieces include The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby, and Tender Is the Night. He died at the age of forty-four while working on The Last Tycoon. Fitzgerald’s fiction has secured his reputation as one of the most important American writers of the twentieth century.

Book preview

2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

1.

As  long  ago  as  1860 it  was  the  proper thing  to  be  born  at  home.  At present, so I am  told,  the  high  gods  of medicine have  decreed that  the first cries of the young shall  be uttered upon the anesthetic air of a hos- pital,  preferably a fashionable one. So young Mr. and  Mrs. Roger Button were  fifty years  ahead of style  when they  decided, one day  in the sum- mer  of 1860, that  their  first baby  should be born  in a hospital. Whether this  anachronism had  any  bearing upon the  astonishing history I am about  to set down will never  be known.

I shall tell you what  occurred, and let you judge for yourself.

The Roger Buttons  held  an enviable position, both social and  financial, in ante-bellum Baltimore.  They  were  related to the  This Family  and  the That Family, which,  as every Southerner knew,  entitled them  to member- ship in that enormous peerage which  largely  populated the Confederacy. This was  their  first experience with  the  charming old  custom of having babies—Mr. Button  was  naturally nervous. He hoped it would be a boy so that  he could  be sent to Yale College  in Connecticut, at which  institu- tion Mr. Button  himself  had  been known for four years  by the somewhat obvious nickname of Cuff.

On  the  September morning  consecrated to  the  enormous event  he arose  nervously at six o'clock,  dressed himself,  adjusted an  impeccable stock, and  hurried forth  through the streets  of Baltimore to the hospital, to determine whether the  darkness of the  night  had  borne  in  new  life upon its bosom.

When  he  was  approximately a  hundred  yards from  the  Maryland Private Hospital for  Ladies  and  Gentlemen he  saw  Doctor  Keene,  the family  physician, descending the front  steps,  rubbing his hands together with  a washing movement—as all doctors are required to do by the un- written ethics of their profession.

Mr.  Roger  Button,  the  president of  Roger  Button  & Co.,  Wholesale Hardware, began  to  run  toward Doctor  Keene  with  much  less  dignity than  was  expected from  a Southern gentleman of that  picturesque peri- od. Doctor Keene! he called. Oh, Doctor Keene!

The doctor heard him,  faced  around, and  stood  waiting, a curious ex- pression settling on his harsh, medicinal face as Mr. Button  drew near.

What  happened? demanded Mr. Button,  as he came up  in a gasping rush.  What was it? How  is she? A boy? Who is it? What——

Talk  sense!  said  Doctor  Keene  sharply,  He  appeared  somewhat irritated.

Is the child born? begged Mr. Button.

Doctor  Keene  frowned. Why,  yes,  I  suppose so—after  a  fashion. Again he threw a curious glance at Mr. Button.

Is my wife all right? Yes.

"Is it a boy

Reviews for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

[morcys · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorite stories of all time.

[benjaminhahn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A unique story, particularly for F. Scott Fitzgerald. I was greatly impressed by the film which I think did a better job of capturing the profound sadness of Benjamin Button, especially at the end of the story. The book gets at it too, but the film had more of an effect on me in that you simply get to see more of Benjamin Button's life and thus had more of a connection. Plus the love story in the film is much more profound.

[ariadnearanea · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quick listen (as an audio book) of a curious case. Suspend your disbelief and just enjoy!

[thedivineoomba · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very fast read (what else from a short story?) that captures the essence of the differences between old and young. You truly feel for Benjamin Button and his "Curious Case". I haven't seen the movie based on this short story. I found the book at my local bookstore, and bought it to support the business. I suggest borrowing or locating a collection of Fitzgerald's short stories.

[yonitdm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very well written and interesting. You really felt for the characters.

[krazy4katz · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A short story of a person who lives their life in reverse. I have not seen the movie. Of course the language is elegant, but after the first few pages, it becomes too predictable and not funny enough to hold my attention. The ending was sad, though. Imagine shrinking into nothingness...

[michcall · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An intriguing and depressing story. I enjoyed the social commentary involved in the story. It's too bad it's not a novel. I would have loved more detail. Most intriguing to me was the disdain Benjamin's son had for him as he became younger.

[katibruneau · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Didn't expect it to be so short!

[cerian_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Used an Audiobook with this one, maybe it had something to do with the reader's voice but I wasn't drawn in to the story; I was merely waiting for it to end. Haven't read much else of Fitzgerald, so want to to find out if it's his style I don't like or just that book.

[garcher84 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I thought this was a great idea but that it was not carried out to the fullest (which might be due to it being a short story). However, I do think the irony of it was astoundingly clear. *spoiler alert* I think the aging process is studied from such an unusual angle (from old age to young), but in such a similar way to the standard way of life. It draws the similarities of the beginning and end of life as we see it usually, with dependence at birth, independence in the middle stages, and then dependence again at the end, and by flipping it upside down, it has the exact same effect. Pretty astounding, though by no means mind-blowing, but quite original in showing the parallels between the vastly different ways of aging and how they turn out to be the same. It's such an easy concept, but definitely adds a little depth to the rather simple idea. Anyway, worth the short read.

[boundtogetherforgood · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the book. I haven't seen the film yet. I am quite surprised that the reaction of the mother, to the baby, was ignored. I would have been interested in what the author thought the reaction of a mother, in this circumstance, would have been. Otherwise, the story was intriguing and interesting, and proved that in God's sovereign wisdom, things proceed, naturally, as they should.

[reneh-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Nice read, but not extraordinary.

[tututhefirst_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting concept, delighfully written, although a bit far-fetched. Having grown up in baltimore, where one grabbed the "society" page of the Sun Papers every Sunday, I can well understand Mr. Buttons horror at being presented with an 80+ year old "newborn". His first thought of "what will people say" is so true.I wish Benjamin had had the ability to see exactly what was happening to him. That would have made an excellent psychological study. Still in all, it was an enjoyable read.

[missteacher_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It has finally happened! There is finally a movie which wins hands down in being better than the book! More of a bedtime story than an actual book, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was a straight-forward, matter-of-fact tale about a man growing down. Too brief to have any sort of characterization or much detail, the story lacked the passion, purpose and tragic tinge that the movie so perfectly encompassed. The only time I was even mildly invested in this short tale was at the very end, when Benjamin's life began to fade from him. I have to say I'm glad I didn't read this book first--I probably would have never gone to see the movie--which is almost entirely different save for the title. This book had an excellent idea, but lacked any appropriate follow-through. I didn't hate it, but I'm not impressed.

[shahnareads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

How did a lady birth a full grown man?

Weird

It's a pretty depressing story. I feel bad for him. He just needs a hug.

I like the illustrations. It was hard sometimes to tell how old he was supposed to be. But that's okay.

[christineellei · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Having recently gotten around to seeing the movie I wanted to read the original story. I am glad I did. The movie romanticizes the story beautifully, but the short story tells us a little more of the gritty truth behind what would happen if a man were to age backwards. Regardless of the fact that I was familiar with the outcome of the story, from the very line I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens. If that’s not the sign of writing excellence then I cannot think of another one.

[jawalter · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not really worthy of note, aside from being the inspiration for the movie. The illustrations are quite good, but I didn't like that Fitzgerald focused on the character's external, rather than internal, conflicts. By keeping Benjamin's mind at the same age level at his body, rather than having his mind age normally while his body ages in reverse, he misses out on a lot that made the movie interesting.

[dorie.craig · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I happened across this story and thought it sounded interesting. It's about a man who ages backwards -- he looks like an old man when he is born, and slowly ages back to a baby. Not too long ago I read a novel with a similar premise titled "The Confessions of Max Tivoli". I enjoyed that novel a lot, and enjoyed the story being fleshed out a bit more than it was here. But for a short story (or novella), this was enjoyable and gave you something to think about.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I love the concept -- a person born as an 80-year-old man who gradually grows younger until he dies as an infant. Unfortunately, this story was written like a children's book -- a straightforward plot and writing style, with almost no character development or exploration of the way society reacted to Benjamin.For those who liked the concept, I recommend "The Confessions of Max Tivoli". Max, too, is born old and de-ages through his life. His actual and apparant age always add to 70, and he maintains a steadfast love for one woman and has one loyal, understanding friend, throughout his strange life.

[knitwit2_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very short novel.. Intriging premise. Felt nonsensical in the beginning but as he begins to grow younger it is easy to get caught up in the story. Some interesting issues arise most specifically his relationship with his wife Hildegarde. When he meets her he appears to be 50ish and finds her very attractive but as she reaches middle age and he is college age the attraction is lost. Rlevant issue when this was written and clearly relevent now.

[deusxmachina-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A melancholic story about a man who is born old and grows younger with age, always a stranger in his own body and a disappointment to the expectations of the world around him. The characters are not photorealistic individuals like we're used to from modern stories, but stand-ins for social archetypes. Women don't exist, not in any meaningful role. But Fitzgerald unveils the pitfalls of these archetypes in a clever way until the inevitable disillusion fades away in the nescience of the child.

[literateowl_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“For what it’s worth, it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be.”

[theboltchick · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I didn't find this story at all interesting. I had high hopes that the story which seemed so silly at the outset would draw me in. It certainly intrigued Hollywood enough to not only make a movie about it, but to also have the film garner tons of critical acclaim... that means it MUST be good, right?Unfortunately this story fell flat from the beginning. I started reading with the idea that I was reading a fantasy/fable, so disbelief must be suspended. Within the first two pages, disbelief came crashing back to earth. Not only was the story implausible, but the general feeling of anger from those surrounding the title character made the story very unpleasant. Instead of the sweet fairy tale I thought I might get, I was just left with a bitter taste in my mouth.

[kabouter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a short story, it only took me half an hour to read it completely. The story itself is quite fascinating although it only focuses on some parts of Benjamins life, which is a pity because the social implications of living your life backwards would be quite profound. In the book the life of Benjamin starts a fully grown seventy year old man with a long white beard and the ability to speak. How the man fitted in his mother womb isn't mentioned...The film has a different take on it, and mainly focuses on the love aspect, which make the book and the film very different to each other (almost complementary). This is one of the few cases where you actually read the book faster than seeing the film, nevertheless I think I prefer the film in this case.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I've not seen the movie, but of course I knew the premise going in. I hope the movie executes the concept better than this clunker did. Lots of great ideas - but anyone who just ponders the idea of aging backwards will come up with those ideas on their own. Fitzgerald added nothing.

Ok, I admit - he added something that strongly resembles misogyny. Apparently Benjamin's mother had no influence on his up-bringing, and his wife was worthless past the age of forty. So, either FSF didn't think women's roles were worth working out in the story, or he didn't think women are worth much, period.

[santhony_35 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For Christmas, I ordered an mp3 player (Library of Classics) that was pre-loaded with 100 works of classic literature in an audio format. Each work is in the public domain and is read by amateurs, so the quality of the presentation is hit or miss. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a very short story. Written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the story involves a man who ages in reverse. He is born a 70 year old man and goes through life in reverse, marrying a woman far younger than himself who ultimately becomes too old for him.Of course, it is irredeemably silly in both its premise and its execution. While there are a few amusing scenarios, it is really not exceptional in any way.

[ohernaes · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not sure what to say that this story was about, but an entertaining, absurd plot. Very short.

[debnance_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yes, you are reading correctly: F. Scott Fitzgerald. It’s the story of a man who was born old and grew younger and younger as time passed. A little story, well told.

[sasham-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Having seen the movie I guess I was expecting a longer book this is more of a sketch of an idea than a novella. It wasn't a bad little read but the 30 odd pages only took me about 20 minutes and I can't say that in those 30 pages I gained any emotional investment what so ever.

[bookdivasreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great short story with slight science-fiction undertones.