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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

and Six Other Stories (Penguin Modern Classics)

By Francis Scott Fitzgerald

(10)

| Others | 9780141190198

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1 Review

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I love the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" by David Fincher, one of my favourite directors. This epic about the larger-than-life Benjamin Button and the history of 20th century America is a classic and deserves a nod from the Oscar.
I saw the film first and then read the short sto ... (continue)

I love the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" by David Fincher, one of my favourite directors. This epic about the larger-than-life Benjamin Button and the history of 20th century America is a classic and deserves a nod from the Oscar.
I saw the film first and then read the short story by American literary cult figure, F. Scott Fitzgerald. In the film, the peculiar life of Benjamin, who was born a septuagenarian and grew younger as time went by, is fascinating. But it is the love story of Benjamin and Daisy that moves me. The two of them knew each other when they were kids (with Benjamin in an 80-year old body though) and were destined for each other, but fate had them fall in love 30 years later - in their middle-age when their lives crossed each other's path at the right moment. "We're meeting in the middle. We finally caught up with each other." The whole thing is unbelievable and is like science fiction, but love can make anything explicable and possible. "Loving you is worth everything", said Daisy. Both poignant and romantic, this line will stay with me forever.
The film is adapted from Fitzgerald's story of the same name contained in this collection of his short stories. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is the shortest of the 7 stories in this collection: it is 28-page long only. The film just used the theme of a man growing young from 80 to infancy and gave it a completely different plot. Compared with the film, Fitzgerald's story is simpler, probably because it started in 1860 and ended in around 1930s, with a more stable historical backdrop than post-WWII America. However, one thing that the book did better than the film is the subtle depiction of Benjamin's feelings towards growing young under the eyes of other normal people who were always moving forward and couldn't empathize with his plight. The sadness and hopelessness of Benjamin are never captured in the film (maybe due to the not-so-satisfactory performance of Brad Pitt), but are brilliantly manifested in the novel, thanks to the marvellous writing of Fitzgerald.
The other 6 stories are also enjoyable, though they are less imaginative. All of them are about how city-dwellers in late 19th to early 20th century America struggled with the woes and gains brought about by the Industrial Revolution, WWI, uncertainty and life. The collection showcases the eclectic style of Fitzgerald. For example, "The Cut-Glass Bowl" - about a family whose fortunes were dogged by an ill-meant gift - is mystery fiction. "O Russet Witch!" - about a man's life-long infatuation with a gorgeous woman - is a psychological thriller. "May Day", which aptly captures the chaos, gloom and bleakness in post-WWI New York, is a tragedy.
If you are used to reading modern literature or popular fiction, you may find Fitzgerald's work a bit slow with little action and few surprises. But the story-telling technique of Fitzgerald is unique. You've got to read one of his works to make your reading experience complete. If "The Great Gatsby" or "Tender is the Night" is too heavy, try this short story collection.

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Tracy W said on Feb 8, 2009 | 1 feedback