Sorry, you must be a member of the group to do that. Join this group.
Short & Sweet Treats discussion
Some Leftovers! (Previous Reads)
>
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
date
newest »
newest »
This is one of my all time favorite short stories. It prompts so many questions about life and death but in a beautiful way. Can't wait to discuss it!
This will be a new read for me - looking forward to it!
Sandy wrote: "I'd like to join you in reading this."Yay Sandy! :)
I've seen the film, but never read the story. I've just finished and want to mull it over a bit before doing my review. It's pretty obvious that the Brad Pitt film simply used the story as a framework and added a great deal to it.I want to ponder all the prejudices of "society" that Fitzgerald is criticizing; for a very short read (took me only 20 minutes), this little piece says a great deal about humans and our flaws.
Julia wrote: "I've seen the film, but never read the story. I've just finished and want to mull it over a bit before doing my review. It's pretty obvious that the Brad Pitt film simply used the story as a framew..."I am anxious to hear what your thoughts on the prejudices of society. It's something I did not pick up on when I read it. My curiosity is piqued though. :)
There is a lot to digest in the story though. It took me a few days, after reading it, to begin to form my own thoughts and ideas about it. I do know he was inspired to write the story based on a quote from Mark Twain which said:
"it was a pity that the best part of life came at the beginning and the worst part at the end."
I look forward to the discussions. :)
Like Julia, I saw the movie years ago but never read the story. In comparison to the movie version, the plot was was not really long enough for in-depth character development. As a result, I did not feel a really strong connection with any of the characters but will hold off on saying anymore until others have read it.
It's such a short story that I decided not to use spoiler tags. Probably don't read the rest of this post unless you're done reading the story!I've never seen the film, but I did enjoy this odd story. I finished reading it yesterday, and it wasn't what I expected at all. Not so appealing living life backward, is it?
I loved the ending, beautifully written and just the right touch. Overall though, the language isn't quite as lovely or soaring as the best passages in The Great Gatsby. Also, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button doesn't have have any symbols quite as beautifully resonant as the green light across the bay. I do like it though. I think my favorite part of the writing itself other than the ending was the part where he falls in love. I particularly adore the conversation at the end of part V with the love/lugs and the sentence about the oriole at dawn. Beautiful!
Some things I got out of the story:
What a major preoccupation with appearances (especially as others in the social circle see them). This is true of the father and then later of Roscoe. Both of them seem affected not by the events themselves but by worries of how others will see them and of being looked down upon.
What a massive amount of self delusion all of these characters other than Benjamin have. They refuse to acknowledge things as they are and want to smash them into the shape of what they consider "normal" at any price. For example, the father's insistence that Benjamin use the rattle. Brings to mind the myth about the innkeeper who fits his guests to their beds .. too short, cut off the feet .. too tall, stretch them. The father and Roscoe have just as much disregard for reality as Procrustes - Benjamin isn't "right" and he will be made to fit their preconceptions. This is unfortunately a very human trait.
Also, how sad the way the young and the elderly aren't taken seriously!
Overall, I very much enjoyed the story. Another highlight - I enjoyed the buildup of suspense before the father sees Benjamin in the hospital. That was very well done I think.
Greg wrote: "It's such a short story that I decided not to use spoiler tags. Probably don't read the rest of this post unless you're done reading the story!
I've never seen the film, but I did enjoy this odd s..."
*Some possible spoilers ahead*
I am very much in agreement about the common thread among characters surrounding Benjamin who wanted everything to be "normal", while ignoring the obvious.
The relationship between Benjamin and his wife did make me sad though, as they eventually had very little in common as Benjamin physically became younger and Hildeguarde became older. They seemed to have a brief period of happiness but then lost interest in the same activities and finally within each other.
I've never seen the film, but I did enjoy this odd s..."
*Some possible spoilers ahead*
I am very much in agreement about the common thread among characters surrounding Benjamin who wanted everything to be "normal", while ignoring the obvious.
The relationship between Benjamin and his wife did make me sad though, as they eventually had very little in common as Benjamin physically became younger and Hildeguarde became older. They seemed to have a brief period of happiness but then lost interest in the same activities and finally within each other.
That was sad with his wife Lisa. At first I thought that was going to be the turning point where his life got better.
Mod
Mod
So, what caught me off guard wasn't that he aged backwards physically but also mentally. For some reason, I thought that he would be born physically old but mentally young and then continue to gather wisdom even though his body was younger. What a different story this would be had Benjamin been able to maintain all of his wisdom and maturity in a young man's body.
Good point, Holly--the ending made me feel just as I did at the end of Flowers for Algernon, when Charlie Gordon reverts after his amazing change. That fading of the self is so very hard. Both of those works deal with a shattering of the normal course of life--and both have much to say about the people surrounding these unique individuals. Both of them ask ME as a reader to consider how I react to those who are "different".
This story had quite a large impact on me but for different reasons. I saw the movie before the reading the story. Although a bit long for my taste, I found it a beautiful and unique way to look at life. But I was also drowning in tears by the end. The friend I watched it with had lost her grandmother a few years before to dementia. My friend compared Ben's last few moments of life to what she witnessed her grandmother go through. It made me stop and really begin to analyze the story.
I couldn't help but think about two sides when reading the story. One where ending ones life's with youth, happiness and energy is very appealing. It was kind of a happy thought. But as babies comes not knowing so much. We don't have memories, we don't really know anything when we come out of the womb. It made me so sad. And then I realize that is the closest I can ever come to understanding the devastation that comes with dementia or Alzheimer's.
There's a lot of wisdom, beauty, and truth packed into this short story. There is a lot of beautifully hidden gems I think should be discussed more often.
Julia wrote: "Good point, Holly--the ending made me feel just as I did at the end of Flowers for Algernon, when Charlie Gordon reverts after his amazing change. That fading of the self is so very ha..."Very true Julia
Julia, I re-read Flowers for Algernon earlier this year, and also I saw a fascinating play adaption put on by Deaf West Theater (a theater that adapts shows for deaf actors). I thought it was fantastic - actually went to see it twice. :) http://www.talkinbroadway.com/regiona...
I agree with Greg that the ending of the story is beautifully written. I was hoping that his love for his wife would remain strong as he got younger, that either his wife or his son would be more concerned of his un-aging. It's a bit scary to think that one day in the end he just disappears - with no one besides his family knowing the truth of his life and all the people around him knowing different versions of the same man - grandfather, father, brother and son. It's a bit sad honestly.
Nidofito, what I'm learning by moving to this retirement community is that for most of us, what you say happens: "It's a bit scary to think that one day in the end he just disappears - with no one besides his family knowing the truth of his life and all the people around him knowing different versions of the same man - grandfather, father, brother and son."For me, that's one of the central ideas of the book--and asks me to be much more sensitive to the differences in others. Benjamin's parents were the hardest example for me to read.
LaLaLa Laura wrote: "It's so sad how the father is treating him. He called him "Methuselah.""What does "Methuselah" mean? I hadn't heard that term before?
The name Methuselah, or the phrase "old as Methuselah", is commonly used to refer to any living thing reaching great age.
Some good points everyone!Nidofito, I did find it sad, especially the ending as you say, and his wife's and son's reactions are indeed odd. It's strange that they're so determined to believe that his backward aging is deliberate and willful on his part, not a matter of how he's made but a matter of choice. It's human nature I guess. Maybe they have to believe that in order to self-justify the way they treat him.
Sandy, I too noticed the comparatively simple language of this story compared to The Great Gatsby, and I also found some parts funny, especially the outlandish reception at the hospital toward the beginning - funny in how absurd it is.
If anyone is interested this is a link to Methuselah's mention in the Old Testament - not too fascinating as it's just a part of the genealogy, but here it is: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/...
Sandy, I thought about a lot of the points you brought up. I found this book very relatable, but maybe its just where I am in my life. I think there are underlying ideas here that are very basic, maybe they are overlooked? Like some of the points you mentioned, Sandy. This story really made me think about individual people and expectations of society.I have twin boys who were born very premature after a very rare pregnancy, so I immediately related to Roger Button when he was trying to find his baby. When I entered the hospital and said who I was, everyone knew who I was and what I was there for. As a new mom, maybe, I took looks of irritation and sympathy as looks of disgust. And then when you bring your baby home, there are so many expectations of you. So even though I think that Mr. Button dyed his son's hair and didn't want him to walk around with a cane, my children have had many difficulties and hurts sometimes when they don't seem "normal". Even being twins, which is not that rare, I am constantly followed, asked personal questions, and have people say very nasty things to me on a daily basis. I worry what their life will be like when they go to school, and grow older, and the expectations placed upon them for being "different".
Even though Benjamin Button ages in reverse, how many differences are there in how we really age?
Sandy wrote: "I am late joining the discussion. I just read the story today. Thanks to all of you for your very thoughtful comments. It is amazing to me that such a small book can have such an impact. I found it..."I looked at the realtionship between Ben and his wife differently. It might be that the movie added to some of my thoughts too.
I didn't get that anything was necessarily wrong with the age gaps. I know they were bothered by each other's ages but it seemed like there was more going on there. They didn't really have anything in common. Her interests were centered around status and what not. While Ben, who was getting younger, wanted to get out, explore, do something. She didn't have the physical energy to keep up. Plus the mind of an 18 year old is decades different than that of a 45-50 year old. She wanted the man she married to stay the same. But nothing can stay the same for that long.
Maybe the question isn't about age in relationships but something deeper? Love is a complex emotion. Hildegarde seemed to want to want to control it. If she couldn't be young, then neither could he. He could be old only because she would always be younger. But these were stipulations set up as conditions to give and receive her love.
Again, that's the way I translated it and some of it is coming from watching the story progress in a cinematic format verses a short story.
@Katie your last thought is something I have thought for a long time in thinking about this story. And I believe that was a big part of his message in writing it. There is no easy way to head towards the end of one's life. No matter how, you still lose a part of who you once were. It could be a physical or mental difference and sometimes it is both.
Another random thought on the story. What does it say about age as a number?I was reading someone's review on a blog about this story. And he poses the same question. There are so many stereotypes put on various ages/age groups. When one is a toddler, you should want to play with toys and make loud noises but that wasn't the case with Benjamin. And later in life he was in his 60s + and wanted to color a picture or play in a tree house. But that isn't the standard for that age.
I am and always will be a child at heart. I have been told that my actions are inappropriate for my age because I want to jump in a puddle or something. But we live in a world where that is not proper so we stuff it down instead of embracing the unique parts of our identities even when we begin to age.
In the end, they are just numbers to help us understand our lifeline.
Hi !Can't wait reading the book. Can you tell me if it's available as an e-book on Goodreads or elsewhere ?
Also a free audiobook version on LibriVox which includes this story along with a few others :)
It's part of the anthology Tales of the Jazz Age, which is free on Amazon, and a little easier to find, and is downloadable on Goodreads.Amazon link:
http://smile.amazon.com/Tales-Jazz-Sc...
Project Gutenberg link:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6695
Librivox (Audiobook):
https://librivox.org/the-curious-case...
Enjoy all the posts here. If anyone has questions about the film please message me and if I can't answer I'll try to get the answer for you. (One of best friends wrote the screenplay)
Mod
For F. Scott Fitzgerald, I liked this book.
Short & Sweet Treats
Books mentioned in this topic
Tales of the Jazz Age (other topics)The Great Gatsby (other topics)
Flowers for Algernon (other topics)
Flowers for Algernon (other topics)
Flowers for Algernon (other topics)
More...
In 1860 Benjamin Button is born an old man and mysteriously begins aging backward. At the beginning of his life he is withered and worn, but as he continues to grow younger he embraces life -- he goes to war, runs a business, falls in love, has children, goes to college and prep school, and, as his mind begins to devolve, he attends kindergarten and eventually returns to the care of his nurse.
This strange and haunting story embodies the sharp social insight that has made Fitzgerald one of the great voices in the history of American literature."