The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Other Stories
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
