looking for a short story's title/author

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

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/in...ok_number=1379

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