The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Other Stories

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Overview

Although better known today for his novels, in the 1920s F. Scott Fitzgerald ranked among the top writers of magazine fiction. Fitzgerald represented the dreams and aspirations of the post-World War I generation in his life as well as his works. With his glamorous wife, Zelda, and his cosmopolitan social circle, he projected the perfect image for narrating tales of restless youth in a hectic world.
These short stories offer insights into many themes, characters, and techniques that emerged in Fitzgerald's later works. The title tale, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," reflects his preoccupation with life's fleeting nature. "Winter Dreams," written three years before The Great Gatsby, shares the concept of commitment to an idealized dream. "Babes in the Woods," developed during the author's Princeton days, evidences the roots of This Side of Paradise. Thirteen other selections offer further insights into the author's growing skills as well as examples of his sparkling prose, understated wit, and deft characterizations. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781434102546
Publisher:	Waking Lion Press
Publication date:	01/07/2009
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.59(d)

About the Author

One of the great American writers of the 20th century whose works enjoy popular appeal as well as critical acclaim, F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) is best known for his novel The Great Gatsby. His brilliant tales of the rich and glamorous defined the 1920s American era now known as the Jazz Age.

Date of Birth:

September 24, 1896

Date of Death:

December 21, 1940

Place of Birth:

St. Paul, Minnesota

Education:

Princeton University

Table of Contents

CONTENTS
Babes in the Woods (1917)
The Pierian Springs and the Last Straw (1917)
Sentiment—And the Use of Rouge (1917)
The Spire and the Gargoyle (1917)
Benediction (1920)
The Camel's Back (1920)
The Cut-Glass Bowl (1920)
Dalyrimple Goes Wrong (1920)
The Four Fists (1920)
Head and Shoulders (1920)
The Lees of Happiness (1920)
The Smilers (1920)
Jemina, the Mountain Girl (1921)
Tarquin of Cheapside (1921)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (1922)
Winter Dreams (1922)

Editorial Reviews

Each story in this collection is narrated reverently and carefully. In "The Bridal Party," Grover Gardner distinguishes nicely between the affluent bridegroom who is about to feel the repercussions of the 1929 stock market crash and the jilted suitor whose fortunes are rising due to an inheritance. In the often anthologized "Babylon Revisited," Ray Porter does an outstanding job of performing the female characters. Those two stories hint at the range of this collection. Most of them, including "Three Hours Between Planes," performed by Jeff Cummings, feature typical Gatsby-like figures who suffer the pangs of unrequited love. The title story, performed by Scott Brick, is a gimmicky tale of a life lived from grave to cradle. Fans will enjoy this collection's lesser known but neatly contrived stories that appear alongside some of the author's canonical tales. For those who may have read one or more of Fitzgerald's novels from the '20s, this audio is a great opportunity to sample his shorter works. (Apr.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

This collection of Fitzgerald stories begins with the fantastical and ironic tale in which the protagonist experiences his lifetime in reverse by aging backward. The comical and lighthearted nature of the story and the pleasant narration by Scott Brick underscore a text that, through defamiliarization, deals with issues of discrimination and the class structure of the antebellum South. Benjamin is a 70-year-old man at birth and a barely conscious infant at death. In the meantime, he marries the sought-after Daisy; has a son, who eventually becomes his "uncle"; is rejected by Yale at 18 because he looks 50; and becomes a star football player at Harvard as a young man passing for a college freshman. The other noteworthy pieces include "Babylon Revisited"-set in 1930s Paris-which deals with Charlie Wale's remorsefulness for disreputable, alcohol-induced decisions made in the heady days before the stock market crash. Reader Ray Porter seamlessly shifts among the characters' diverse emotions. "Three Hours Between Planes," read by Jeff Cummings; "The Bridal Party," by Grover Gardner; and "The Lost Decade," by Paul Michael Garcia, showcase Fitzgerald's preoccupation with lost chances, lost love, and the inevitable passage of time mirrored by the country's growth into imperial adulthood. Strong stories from a canonized American master combined with likable and easily listenable interpretations make this set essential for libraries of any size. A forthcoming film adaptation of the title story, starring Brad Pitt, is scheduled for 2008.
—Christopher Rager

Library Journal

The title story in this collection is Fitzgerald's comic masterpiece, in which a baby is born at age 70 and proceeds through his life growing younger. Scott Brick narrates this marvelous story with enthusiasm, using a variety of subtle voices for the different characters. His reading highlights the astonishing aspects of this situation, as well as the underlying humor of the tale. In "Babylon Revisited," Ray Porter's understated reading expresses the nostalgia and regret of Charlie Wales, who returns to Paris after the onset of the Depression and reflects on the way he lived and flaunted his wealth in his halcyon days. Three other stories, "The Lost Decade," "Three Hours Between Planes," and "The Bridal Party," round out this sample of Fitzgerald's short fiction. K.M. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

AUG/SEP 07 - AudioFile