The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The eponymous short story is an interesting read, mostly as comparison to the film as they are two very different entities. The other two short stories in this collection are dull as dishwater. All have the problematic elements typical of something written in the 1920's and set even before that, two big offenders are: racism and misogyny. So, yes, it is “of an age” but that doesn't mean we can't criticise it for being problematic.

Benjamin in this story is a lot less likeable, I found, than in the 2008 film because he's a bit of a philandering arse once he gets going. He ditches his wife and goes off to war because she's too old for him (at 45!), which given his predicament is a bit rich. She married him when he looked 50 yet somehow it's OK for him to bugger off and leave her when the tables are reversed.

As I say, the story is only worth reading if you want to see how different the film was to the original. The film is a lot more romantic and Benjamin a lot more likeable in it. It's a quick read so it depends how curious you are as to whether I'd recommend you bother.