First published 2007
Benjamin Button enters the world as an elderly man, born with wrinkled skin and arthritic joints. As his family struggles to understand his bizarre condition, Benjamin begins aging in reverse—growing younger while everyone around him grows older. He navigates life's complex relationships and social expectations, experiencing childhood as an old man and approaching senescence as a young man. His extraordinary transformation forces those closest to him to confront the fragility of human experience and the unpredictable nature of life's trajectory. Through Benjamin's unique perspective, we witness a profound exploration of time, connection, and the arbitrary boundaries that define human experience.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, 20th-century, magical-realism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, unconventional-protagonist
Setting: New York
Period: 20th-century
56 pages · Paperback · Scribner