The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The classic story of a man who ages backwards—and inspiration for the film starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett—by the author of The Great Gatsby.   Penned by one of the greatest literary talents of the twentieth century, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button follows the adventures of a man born at the age of seventy, living his life in reverse. After achieving success in the military and in business, and becoming a husband and father, Benjamin goes on to attend college, prep school, and then—as his mind begins to deteriorate—kindergarten.   At once humorous and haunting, "Fitzgerald's wonderfully simple story is a kind of conjuring trick, an exercise in forcing the impossible into the mundane. You end it both amused and slightly saddened. For the most curious thing about Benjamin Button's life is how ordinary it seems. All the usual triumphs and miseries are there: it's just that the start and end aren't the same" ( The Guardian).