looking for a short story's title/author

[cdoer]

About 45 years ago my older sister let me read an anthology of short stories from an English class she was taking. There was a story in it about a man who, instead of growing older, grew younger, eventually being a child, then a baby, becoming less and less aware of the world and his surroundings. It could almost have been a metaphor for Alzheimer's disease.

I don't remember anything in the story that would date it precisely, but have the feeling it was set in the 1940's or maybe 50's.

Anyhow, it was a really wierd story and I'd like to read it again but don't know the title or the author. Can anyone here help me out?

tia,
Carol

[mono]

Hello, cdoer, welcome to the forums.
Unfortunately, I do not think I have ever read the story, but I did some searching around, and the closest story I could find: The Confessions Of Max Tivoli by Andrew Sean Greer. The following link provides more information:
http://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm?book_number=1379

[EAP]

I haven't read the story but Richard Matheson's 'The (Incredible) Shrinking Man' also touches on similar themes. (I.E: physical aeging process reversing itself and the person starting 'shrinking'). It isn't exactly a short-story though, more of a novella/short-novel.

It was published in 1956 so It fits your time-frame pretty nicely - and Richard Matheson does have some little pretence to literary fame via short-stories and 'I am Legend'. Even if it is not the required story, the premise by itself is very very interesting.

http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/matheson.html