Tuesday 20 September 2016

The Curious case of Benjamin Button, book review. (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

Yes, very curious indeed. 
A few years ago I read the Great Gatsby by the same author and really liked it, but this collection of short stories is quite something else. 
Firstly, Benjamin Button is only a dozen or so pages, so a really short story then; quirky though. 
Some of the other stories here are better, my favourite being, O Russet Witch, which has a certain charm about it that captures the mood of an affluent 1920's America. Coming in a close second is the equally delightful, but somewhat brutish, May Day, which centres on a mob running through the city, and is the longest story here. 
Some of the others were a bit boring, but that's the beauty of short stories I suppose, the good ones stick with you, the others can be quickly forgotten, and you don't end up kicking yourself for wasting too much time. 
This is the third selection of short stories I've read this year, diversifying from my usual novels, and it's been a breath of fresh air; something I would heartily recommend you try, especially as we all seem to lead such busy lives these days and have so little time to do the things we really love, (like having the time to escape into the depth of a great book every day).
So, grab a collection that suits you, whether it be a classic like this, something contemporary, like Mark Haddon's The Pier Falls, (Blog review on 30th August), or something dark like Stephen King's, Full Dark, No Stars, and dig in; you won't regret it. 

This collection gets a 'reasonably entertaining' three stars. 

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