The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

 The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

What I thought was a novel turned out to be a short story and only an hour long on audio. But I am glad it wasn't longer; the more I heard the more questions I had to which there were no answers.

Benjamin is born as an elderly man, fully grown, talking, and walking. I have many, many questions about how that birth and the nine months preceding it happened and what condition Benjamin's mother was in following that joyous event.

As Benjamin grows up his body gets younger. He becomes stronger and more capable, confusing everyone but having far less trouble than you'd expect in the circumstances. When he reaches old age he is physically a child, with the thoughts and behaviour of a child, and then a baby. At that point he seems to fade into non-existence. I haven't seen the movie but I might watch it just to see how they did that. In the book it's gently worded and peaceful but I can't quite visualize it.  

It's an odd story, but beautiful at the same time. It's imaginative and lets you look at life and aging in a way you probably never have. And the writing - I'd forgotten how much I love Fitzgerald's writing. I'd like to get into one of his novels soon.