I had never read any of Ernest Hemingway’s work until this past year when I read A Movable Feast in preparation to read A Paris Wife.
I always considered him a man’s writer, a misogynist and a drunk. Mind you, this judgment was formed without reading a word of his prose.
To say that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. His style is like that of F Scott Fitzgerald in that his work is sparsely written, tightly edited. Every word earns its keep. Description is not lacking it’s just well chosen.
I enjoy reading spare prose and I aspire to write it although you would never know by this rambling missive.
So I bought a book of Hemingway’s short stories and four of his novels. I’m going to read them this summer and blog about them here.
This venture would be even more fun if if was interactive so please feel free to tell me what you think of Ernest Hemingway; his life or his works.
Tell me your favorite stories or novels, or what you liked or did not.
Hemingway and Fitzgerald were really close friends so I always wonder if they bounced ideas off of each other. I had the same idea you did about him being a misogynist and a drunk before I read his stuff as well. I think I got that idea somewhere along the way in college – who knows. I will have to come back and see what you thought of the rest of your reading on him! : )
I always wondered how anyone could write quality prose while drunk, since I can’t even tie my own shoes after a glass of wine, but I think at least for Hemingway, his structure was get up, write for 4, 5 hours then start drinking his face off at lunch.