Product Description
Paris in the twenties: Pernod, parties and expatriate Americans, loose-living on money from home. Jake is wildly in love with Brett Ashley, aristocratic and irresistibly beautiful, but with an abandoned, sensuous nature that she cannot change. When the couple drifts to Spain to the dazzle of the fiesta and the heady atmosphere of the bullfight, their affair is strained by new passions, new jealousies, and Jake must finally learn that he will never possess the woman he loves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Sun Also Rises
As the previous reviewer indicated, this is an excellent novel. Apparently however, Mr. Biswas is not entirely familiar with Hemingway. In 1926 Charles Scribner's Sons of New York published Hemingway's first novel, "The Torrents of Spring." Shortly after, in the same year, they also published his second novel "The Sun Also Rises." The following year (1927) the London firm of Jonathan Cape published this second novel in England under Hemingway's original title, "Fiesta." This reprint of that English edition is, in fact, subtitled "The Sun Also Rises." No matter what you call it, this is some of Hemingway's finest work.

An all time Classic
I just can't believe it. Nobody has reviewed this stupendous piece of work!This book is a CLASSIC. The use of language in this book by Hemingway, I think, remains unparalleled in all his works. Sad, funny and so very homely! I have read this so many years back but it remains firmly etched in my memory. An American reporter who becomes impotent is in love with this woman with loose morals - a sort of unrequited love. The characters seem so real that after so many years it remains my all-time favorites! If Hemingway deserved his Noble prize it must for this beauty! ... Read more

Product Description
Ernest Hemingway is a mythic writer and alpha male. As a hunter and conservationist, he drew greatly from the strong example of Theodore Roosevelt, and he much enjoyed teaching newcomers to shoot and hunt. Including short excerpts from Hemingway's works, these stories of his guns and rifles tell us as much about him as a lifelong, expert hunter and shooter ad as a man. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Much more than I anticipated
When I first started reading this book I could not, for the life of me, remember what the dang thing was called! I kept confusing it with Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms."

I read this book because The Hubble and I came up with an agreement that we would select a book for one another every other month. We started in May. The book he selected for me was this one.

I approached this book assuming I would hate it. I assumed it was just some war story (The Hubble loves those) and it would be a "man" book. My assumptions were partially correct. This was a story about war...but it was also so much more than that.

This was the story of Robert Jordan, the dynamiter. Robert Jordan is an American teacher who was called to Active Duty in the military. He was sent to the mountains of Spain to assist the antifascist guerilla units there. His main purpose is to demolish a bridge and assist in the attack against the fascist elements in that area.
During his time with the guerilla group, Jordan begins to know and understand the many individuals who are engaged in the antifascist cause. Jordan quickly comes to care for individuals such as Anselmo, the old man, who is a hunter and hates to kill men. Pilar. the mujer de Pablo, who is considered barbarous. El Sordo...what is there to say about El Sordo? A brave man. A Strong man. A man who fought with everything he had. And Maria...Maria, the cropped headed one....

I was extremely surprised to discover the love story within this book. Jordan's love affair with Maria is an integral part of this story and far from the "man" book I originally believed it to be. The love that Maria and her Ingles, or Roberto, share moved the Earth. It is a love that will linger in my heart.

This book is both heartbreaking and beautiful. Though it is not a "man" book, neither is it a "romance." This is a book that will dig within the depths of any reader's soul, rip your heart out and replace it with the warm of each character held within these pages.

Hemingway has an amazing way with words. He is such an eloquent writer that he draws you in and makes you feel as though you were there in the hills with these people. One passage in particular stands out to me. The scene culminates in a bombing and the description of the ground rolling underneath the character is so intense and so vivid that you believe the ground has rolled under you as well.

Hemingway's voice is astounding. His writing style is...what can you say? How can you adequately put into words how much a book has touched you? Affected you? Engaged you? Does the thesaurus contain words and descriptions strong enough? Bold enough to give justice to the magnitude of feelings and emotions this book evoked within me? Still days after I closed the back flap over the last page...if I think about it too much I'm right back there. Right back in the mountains. On that hilltop. Waiting.

Now, I couldn't remember the name of this book when I first started reading it. However, now I don't believe I will ever forget the title of this stunningly magnificent novel. This journey through the mountains of Spain is not one that you should miss. I highly recommend you immerse yourself in the lives of these people as soon as you can. You will not regret it.

A SMALL SLICE OF THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR
I have been interested, as a pro-Republican partisan, in the Spanish Civil War since I was a teenager.What initially perked my interest, and remains of interest, is the passionate struggle of the Spanish working class to create its own political organization of society, its leadership of the struggle against Spanish Fascism and the romance surrounding the entry of the International Brigades, particularly the American Abraham Lincoln Battalion of the 15th Brigade, into the struggle.

Underlying my interests has always been a nagging question of how that struggle could have been won by the working class. The Spanish proletariat certainly was capable of both heroic action and the ability to create organizations that reflected its own class interests i.e. the worker militias and factory committees. Of all modern working class uprisings after the Russian revolution Spain showed the most promise of success. Russian Bolshevik leader Leon Trotsky noted in one of his writings on Spain that the Spanish proletariat at the start of its revolutionary period had a higher political consciousness than the Russian proletariat in 1917.

That analysis calls into question the strategies put forth by the parties of the Popular Front, including the Spanish Communist Party- defeat Franco first, and then make the social transformation of society. Ernest Hemingway in his novel For Whom the Bells Toll weighs in on that question. Whatever value the novel had or has as a narrative of a small slice of the Spanish events one must look elsewhere to discovery the causes of the Republican defeat.

Ernest Hemingway most definitively was in love with Spain and always lurking just below the surface was his love affair with death. That combination placed in the context of the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 makes for an explosive, dramatic tale. The hero is an American, Robert Jordan, aka Ernest Hemingway, of fizzy politics but a desire to help the Spanish people. Additionally Jordan, if expediency demands it, is willing to face danger and death at the command of the Communist-dominated International Brigades (although it is not always clear whether he is a Lincoln Brigade volunteer or a freelancer). Hemingway's critique of the Stalinist domination of the military command and therefore authors of the military strategy that led to defeat at times overwhelms the story. His skewering of Andre Marty, leader of the International Brigades, also has that same effect. In short, Hemingway believed that 'outside forces' meddling in Spanish affairs led to death for Jordan and disaster for the Spanish people. Well, nobody expects nor is it mandatory for a novelist to be politically astute or correct. Here Hemingway joins the crowd

The one subject that Ernest Hemingway seemed consistently to excel at was the telling of war stories. And whatever else might be true of For Whom the Bell Tolls it is preeminently a war story. A classic war romance if you have also seen the movie treatment of the book starring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman. It might be a male thing, it might be a Hemingway thing, or it might be that the nature of war lends itself to dramatic tension that holds a story together. Today, in some literary circles, it is not considered politically correct to laud works by such dead, white males as Hemingway but the flat out truth is that the man could write. If his work stands outside the current canon of American literary efforts then something is wrong with the new canon.

To make matters worst the current leftist-oriented literary establishment, grizzled, hard-bitten battle-tested warriors that they are, has not been the only force that has taken aim at Hemingway's head. At the time of publication in 1940 the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Battalion, those who actually fought in Spain and the various Communist Parties throughout the world were unhappy with the novel. Why? Hemingway was too harsh on the deficiencies of the Communists, the International Brigades and the Republican forces in general. Above I mentioned that writers were not expected to be politically astute. That is one thing. But to say that Hemingway was essentially sabotaging the exiled Republican efforts to aid the refugees by the thrust of his novel is also politically wrong. The man did materially and militarily aid the Republican side (financially sponsoring volunteers and ambulances, as well as reportage). That accrues to his honor. In short, Hemingway's writings-yes. Hemingway's politics no

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Customer Reviews (1)

Hemingway for the rabid fan
Hemingway is known for so many off-the-page details (his drinking, suicide, cats, crankiness) that sometimes his amazing works of literature get lost in the myth.Sure, most lists of classic books feature at least one of his titles, but as a body of work they hold more significance.After all, his topics vary tremendously, and the way he handles his characters is never the same.So the opportunity to review the book, Ernest Hemingway and the Geography of Memory, appealed to me.I genuinely wondered what the phrase "geography of memory" would mean.



This is an amazingly in-depth, heavily detailed, and annotated exploration of Hemingway and the way his books related to places and things.It's not a biography, or simply an exploration of what his books meant.Rather, the focus is on both how he created them and the influence of his writing on others. This would be an ideal read for someone familiar with most of his collection.



In this review, I want to comment on two of the most fascinating chapters in the book.One is "Memory and Desire-Eliotic Consciousness in Early Hemingway", a persuasive essay by Matthew J. Bolton, which is a revealing look at the relationship between Hemingway, Ezra Pound, and TS Eliot (thus "eliotic").Pound was the editor for TS Eliot on the book The Waste Land, and soon after became editor to Hemingway.Hemingway in many respects appears like a jealous little brother of Eliot:he made snarky remarks every chance he had, and yet appeared to respect Eliot's work.According to the book, Hemingway used The Waste Land as a model "for incorporating the remembered word or image into the fabric of the story and for using the processes of memory...as a structuring principle for layering a series of scenes and stories outside the normal scheme of narration (37)." The chapter explains what this means in terms of writing:a word or phrase from another source (such as the poet Marvell) is subtly fused into the story, and then the author revisits it again in a later section.It adds a depth and authority to the newer work.



My favorite of Hemingway is The Sun Also Rises.I was incredibly confused by the huge amounts of alcohol found in the story:how did these people function on so much booze?Obviously, by continuing on with the book, I realized that they didn't do much, the drinking was their medicine to cope with the horrors of war. In the book, much is made of each bar and restaurant that Jacob Barnes visits in Paris.He makes sitting in a bar getting wasted appear to be an intellectual exercise.In any case, until I read this book, I didn't realize that the sites he mentions actually became a road map for wannabe "artists" and tourists who went to Paris hoping to fit right in.



In the chapter, "Expatriate Lifestyle as Tourist Destination:The Sun Also Rises and Experiential Travelogues of the Twenties", Allyson Nadia Field explores the tourism that resulted from Hemingway's book.Some entrepreneurs created maps of the places in the book, encouraging visitors to visit and live that 'authentic' Parisian lifestyle as romanticized by Jacob and his friends.And yet, before Hemingway's book was even released, many travelogues were already creating a tourism based on the mysterious hipness of the starving artist and intellectual.After The Sun Also Rises was published, the area simply exploded with visitors bent on reenacting the lifestyle, yet finding themselves, by definition, clearly not fitting in.You can almost imagine Hemingway's sneer at the type of people that would make the journey and spend the money to be like him and his friends.In fact, the essay explores how many people were disappointed that the Paris they visited was so unlike the book.It's really sort of ironic that the people who would go to such an effort didn't spend the effort in actually reading the book, in order to understand that the Paris life it revealed was not happy at all.



This is a collection that examines each of Hemingway's books in the framework of society and time.Each essay reveals connections between people on the periphery of Hemingway's life as well as inspiration for the scenes and narrative.

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Product Description
This text, winner of the "Los Angeles Times" Book Prize Award, explores the many tragic facets that both nurtured Hemingway's work and eroded his life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Hemingway by Kenneth Lynn
I have been searching in vain for a well written Hemingway biography for years, beginning with the standard work by Carlos Baker. Before the Lynn biography, I read Jeffrey Meyers' biography, which, strangely, appears to be written by someone who doesn't particularly like Hemingway. Of course this is a strange concept: Why would someone spend several years researching and writing a book about someone they don't particularly like? Well, that is the $64,000 question that may never be answered.

But back to the Lynn book. I think it is superior to anything that has been written thus far, but, upon reading it, it leaves much to be desired. Periods of Hemingway's life that don't require much explanation, he describes ad nauseam. Periods of his life that should have been described in detail, he glosses over. For example, there is this very long section in which Lynn analyzes how Hemingway's mother dressed the toddler Hemingway in girl's clothing; how he (Lynn) looked at advertisements of the period, and how during that period he determined gender was not differentiated as much as at present in regard to toddler clothing. This, of course seems like an arcane discussion, but the basis being Hemingway's alleged need to assert his masculinity/suppressed homosexuality being a result of the gender switching by his mother. This overture Lynn continues throughout, his theme being that Grace Hemingway had an odd desire to have twins, so that she dressed Hemingway and his sister Marceline alike, even going as far as holding Marcelline back one year so that she and her younger brother could graduate high school the same year.

But back to my point: Probably the most significant period of Hemingway's life was his time in Italy with the American nurse, Agnes von Kurowsky. Not only did she affect the remainder of his life (psychically), but she was the model for Catherine Barkley, the secondary character in Hemingway's masterpiece, A Farewell to Arms. In Lynn's book, Kurowsky is given a few pages and a few strokes here and there. (Incidentally, one of the redeeming qualities of Meyers' biography is his extensive analysis of Hemingway's relationship with Kurowsky). And, as I said, the gender switched clothing gets this rather large treatment, which, in my opinion, could have been dispensed with in a few paragraphs.

I began this short analysis with the statement that I have been searching in vain for a well-written Hemingway biography, because I don't think anything written thus far has done Hemingway justice. Honestly, I think the only way I will be satisfied is if I write the biography myself. Of course this probably will never happen. One of the greatest biographies--strike that, THE greatest modern biography thus far written, is Juliet Barker's The Brontes. If someone of the caliber of Barker could do for Hemingway what she did for the Brontes, then those of us who have a love affair with Hemingway and his masterful literature would be truly thankful. Any takers?

Lynn Hates His Subject
As some others have said here, Lynn clearly hates Hemingway. You can read the entire book, as I did, and discover not one redeemable thing about Hemingway, amazing since he is still considered one of the most important writers of the 20th century, one who formed many lasting friendships over the years while he was changing the course of American literature.

Lynn is one of those critics who, as one writer put it, is like the partisans who come down out of the mountains after the battle and shoot the wounded. Lynn's analysis of the effect that Hemingway's mother had on her son by dressing him in girls' clothes in his youth is laughable, nickel psychology that would embarrass Lucy in Peanuts.

I heard Hemingway's son Patrick at the Oak Park centennial celebration of Hemingway's birth describe Lynn as, simply, "a liar." I'm inclinded to agree.

Read Michael Reynolds' bio instead.

Bashing Papa
The author, professor of history at John Hopkins and formerly chairman of Harvard's graduate program in American Civilization, depicts Hemingway as a deeply troubled man whose "fight with his own inner demons produced some of the greatest American fiction of the twentieth century".This is a far more dynamic biography than the earlier serious work by Carlos Baker, and therefore more controversial.Lynn methodically shows how incidents (or imagined incidents) in Hemingway's life reappeared in the content of his books. Basically, Hemingway almost always wrote about himself, but rarely honestly.Lynn roots out the lies told about himself which other biographers, especially later hangers-on such as Hotchner, swallowed whole. As a man, Hemingway was a macho bully showing no loyalty to friends.Lynn argues that Hemingway's persona was shaped by his anxieties about his sexual identity.Although clinically paranoid by the end of his life, distrust and envy of others, particularly perceived literary rivals, was part of his make up from earliest days.

While distrusting some of the analytic conclusions about Hemingway's persona--Lynn is not a psychiatrist--there is a considerable body of research that supports many ofLynn's theories about the man.Book has extensive notes andbibliography.

THIS ONE IS A BIT DIFFERENT!
I have had the pleasure of reading several (actually, quite a few), biographies concerning Hemingway over the years.Some were good, others not so good and some were absolutely horrible.With each book tough, good or bad, I did learn something new about E. Hemingway and/or his writing.This is a good thing.This particular biography by Kenneth S. Lynn is yet another take on the man and the ledged who was Ernest Hemingway.No I am not a big fan of Hemingway's novels, but am a great fan of his short stories, but overall I find that the "man" Hemingway is actually more fascinating that the "writing" of Hemingway.That being said....

This work by Kenneth Lynn probably addresses Hemingway's actual work more than most of the biographies I have read.Most of his major and quite a number of minor works are covered here.The author discusses these works in conjunction with what the author knows, or has speculated, of Hemingway's life.It has been mentioned by a couple of reviewers that this is a revisionist view of Hemingway and his work.I personally do not look at it as such.Even a cursory review of Hemingway's work reveals a very troubled man behind the words and the story.There is really nothing "new" here, only a different way of looking at the facts we all pretty well can figure out for ourselves with a bit of attention.This work, like all works of this nature has pros and cons.First the pros:

The work is well done, well written and certainly holds readers attention.As far as I can tell, the author has done his research and done it well.The author has given us some great food for thought as we read Hemingway's work and I know, I for one, will read EH in a bit of a different light from now on.This is good.The author has presented his arguments and observations in a very forceful and convincing way.Each statement he makes, each speculation, is backed up with quite sound logic.The author has written an interesting biography, one well worth the read.The Background information, in particular that of the literati establishment in Paris during the twenties and thirties, is quite well done in this work.We get great glimpses of some very famous people.I think most readers will learn a lot from reading this work.I know I did. Now for the cons:

Like another reviewer here, I simply do not know the qualifications of Kenneth S. Lynn as to the validity of some of the speculations he makes about the influences Hemingway's family had over his work.I do not know what the qualifications are of the author as to how he can speculate what was actually going on in HM's mind as he was writing a certain piece.It would seem that everything that HM ever put on paper had some sexual deeper meaning to it, according to Lynn.I find this difficult to fully believe.Some times a story is just a story and nothing more.Next, I felt the author was one of those that jumped on the "lets bash Hemingway" band wagon that seems to pop up about every twenty years, as this certainly is not a book that admirers of HM will appreciate. (It is childish of me, I know, but I would love to be in a room with Lynn and Hemingway as Lynn reads this book to Hemingway). Everyone the poor man ever knew or spoke to, seems to have written a book about him or is trying to.(At least Lynn did not rant on for over 600 pages trying to prove that HM was a homosexual as Mellow did in his work "Hemingway, A Life Without Consequences."This author, Lynn, as far as I can tell, feels HM is only suffered from gender confusion, or something like that.

All in all this book is well worth the read. It gives us just one more slant of the life of a fascinating man.I do recommend though, that the reader check out, read and discover several other biographies on HM as this one being reviewed here is certainly not the beginning and end of all Hemingway biographies.I would also suggest you read the fine work by Noel Riley Fitch, "Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation."Some of the folks, writers, artists, publishers, etc. are not all that well know today to the general public, are pretty obscure now,and a bit of knowledge of these people will make reading Lynn's work much more pleasurable.

Overall, recommend this one highly.I am giving it five stars, not because I agree with or believe everything the author has written, but because he, Lynn, has written it well and it has given me something to think about...something I always appreciate.

All-Encompassing.
Kenneth Lynn's biographical treatment of Ernest Hemingway is thorough and magnificent. It satisfied me for several reasons--not the least of which was the cheap z shop price I paid for it. What I liked about the narrative best is Lynn's habit of discussing Hemingway's work and life simultaneously. Just as with the man, the fiction blends in seamlessly with the non-fiction. The body of the text is almost 600 pages long and a solid half is devoted to those halcyon years of productivity; that wondrous decade of artistic bliss between 1920 and 1930. Due to the expansiveness of the biography and literary analysis I found those pages to be highly addictive reading. Indeed, I've just purchased Finca Vigia edition of his short stories and will devour them with a keen level of appreciation due to the efforts of Mr. Lynn. Personally, I did not find this biography to be revisionist. There was a great deal of atmospherics inherent to the masculinity of Ernest Hemingway. How much the macho corresponded with his true essence will always be subject to debate. This is not a controversial statement as Gertrude Stein, Zelda Fitzgerald, and countless others noticed the disingenuous, "tries too hard" aspects of his personality. He was a caricature in many ways, but I continue to find his style beguiling and life mesmerizing. ... Read more

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Product Description
The original edition of this widely praised critical study was described as "quite the best book on Hemingway," and its importance was substantially enhanced when Philip Young added an absorbing account of his difficult exchange with Hemingway during the book's preparation and a summary of Hemingway's final years. Now available in a paperback edition through Lightning Print, this book explores the relationship between Hemingway the man and Hemingway the author, offering perspectives that remain fresh and insightful. ... Read more

Product Description

The powerful and groundbreaking novels and short stories of Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway have had a lasting influence on twentieth-century literature. The 100th anniversary of his birth in 1999 will bring increased attention to his life and works. Ernest Hemingway A to Z examines every aspect of the life, work, and legacy of this literary icon.

In addition to providing detailed synopses of all of Hemingway's novels, short stories, plays, and nonfiction writings, the book draws on a vast array of letters, bibliography, criticism, correspondence, reviews, and the text themselves. This invaluable encyclopedia answers every reader's questions about this quintessentially American writer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Truly An Essential Reference
Concordance like in nature, Oliver's "Ernest Hemingway: A to Z" is one of those books that should always be within arm's reach. It contains detailed plot summaries not only for all of Hemingway's novels, but also his short stories, nearly 50 b&w photos of Ernest in all his glory, a Hemingway family tree, an extensive bibliography of works by and about Hemingway, a list of film, stage, television, and radio adaptations of Hemingway's work, and a Hemingway chronology. Oliver deserves great praise for this invaluable contribution to Hemingway scholarship.

An excellent resource regarding Hemingway's life and works.
Oliver's "A To Z" joins Michael Reynolds' "Hemingway, The Final Years," as one of the two or three really valuable books to be issued or reissued in this, the centennial year of Hemingway's birth. As a Hemingway scholar,former editor of "The Hemingway Review" and a dealer in collectibleHemingway editions, Oliver is eminently suited to the task of preparingwhat amounts to a Hemingway encyclopedia. Casual readers of Hemingway'swork and Papa aficionados will find equal value in this book. It isparticularly refreshing to have a volume such as this one that confinesitself to the facts of the life and the (reasonable) scholarly conjecturesregarding the text and subtext of Hemingway's books and short stories. Tohis credit, Oliver doesn't feel compelled to include listings for DuffTwysden or Harold Loeb, citing them as "obvious" inspirations for certainfictional characters who crop up in a certain Hemingway novel released inthe mid-Twenties. One caveat: Given the fact that this book is intended asa reference volume - and therefore a book to be consulted more than once -it is lamentable such a thin grade of paper was chosen (blame thepublisher, not Oliver). Therefore, take durability where you can find itand buy the hardback edition.

Any student of Hemingway needs this book!
Charles Oliver has put together a remarkable reference book for both Hemingway fans and scholars alike.As the title suggests, this is a truly "essential" book for the serious student studying Hemingway'slife or his work.It includes summaries of all the novels, all thestories, many of his newspaper and magazine articles and a wealth ofbiographical and historical information. The book also has one of thefinest bibliographies of Hemingway and Hemingway-related works available. On top of all this is a wonderul, easy-to-read timeline of Hemingway's lifeand the important events which helped shape the work of this century's mostenduring author.

A gold mine of info for hamingway aficionados long overdue
Charles M. Oliver. Ernest Hemingway A to Z: The Essential Reference to His Life and Work.

Facts on File. Jun. 1999. c.411p. illus. index. ISBN 0-8160-3467-2. $50. LIT

All things Hemingway here are dissected andrearranged alphabetically, from that magic elixir "absinthe" to bullfighter"Zurito"-2500 cross-referenced entries in all, although oddly the phrase"the true gen" is absent. The book also includes several top-notchappendixes of maps, a Hemingway family tree, a chronology and dateline, abibliography, a complete list of his writings with publication history, andan index. An absolute gold mine for Hemingway aficionados that is longoverdue.--Michael Rogers, "Library Journal" ... Read more

Product Description
A chance encounter in Spain in 1959 brought young Irish reporter Valerie Danby-Smith face to face with Ernest Hemingway. The interview was awkward and brief, but before it ended something had clicked into place. For the next two years, Valerie devoted her life to Hemingway and his wife, Mary, traveling with them through beloved old haunts in Spain and France and living with them during the tumultuous final months in Cuba. In name a personal secretary, but in reality a confidante and sharer of the great man’s secrets and sorrows, Valerie literally came of age in the company of one of the greatest literary lions of the twentieth century.

Five years after his death, Valerie became a Hemingway herself when she married the writer’s estranged son Gregory. Now, at last, she tells the story of the incredible years she spent with this extravagantly talented and tragically doomed family.

In prose of brilliant clarity and stinging candor, Valerie evokes the magic and the pathos of Papa Hemingway’s last years. Swept up in the wild revelry that always exploded around Hemingway, Valerie found herself dancing in the streets of Pamplona, cheering bullfighters at Valencia, careening around hairpin turns in Provence, and savoring the panorama of Paris from her attic room in the Ritz. But it was only when Hemingway threatened to commit suicide if she left that she realized how troubled the aging writer was–and how dependent he had become on her.

In Cuba, Valerie spent idyllic days and nights typing the final draft of A Moveable Feast, even as Castro’s revolution closed in. After Hemingway shot himself, Valerie returned to Cuba with his widow, Mary, to sort through thousands of manuscript pages and smuggle out priceless works of art. It was at Ernest’s funeral that Valerie, then a researcher for Newsweek, met Hemingway’s son Gregory–and again a chance encounter drastically altered the course of her life. Their twenty-one-year marriage finally unraveled as Valerie helplessly watched her husband succumb to the demons that had plagued him since childhood.

From lunches with Orson Welles to midnight serenades by mysterious troubadours, from a rooftop encounter with Castro to numbing hospital vigils, Valerie Hemingway played an intimate, indispensable role in the lives of two generations of Hemingways. This memoir, by turns luminous, enthralling, and devastating, is the account of what she enjoyed, and what she endured, during her astonishing years of living as a Hemingway.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Loved it!
Item just as described, exactly what I was looking for.Great seller, item arrived in a timely manner.Thank you!

Running of the Bulls in Pamplona
Valerie Hemingway is the wife of one of Ernest Hemingway's sons- and she gives a unique perspective on life in and around the Hemingway family in "Running With the Bulls". Although many books in the "I knew Hemingway" category have come out in recent years, this one manages to give us some insights into the depth of the man, his weaknesses and strengths, his frailties, passions, rough edges and all. Being with Ernest Hemingway during the running of the bulls in Pamplona- which just took place about ten days ago and occurs every year on the Festival of San Fermin- must have been an exciting time, something most Hemingway fans would cherish. We see it on T.V. and grimace at the scenes of people barely escaping the bulls' horns- or worse- those who get gored, ending up in the hospital.Yet Ernest Hemingway lived it and relished it- and actually ran at least once himself- although the book focuses on his later years, when he was content to sit at cafes, drink the local "Riojo" (red wine) and enjoy the tasty Spanish tapas and other delicacies.

"Running With the Bulls" gives us a glimpse into the mind, the heart and soul of this great writer in the final years of his life, when things weren't going so well, when health problems and the cumulative effect of three divorces weighed heavily on him. We still see his strength, his passion and sense of exhilaration at the wondrous things in life- simple, yet spectacular scenes of bulls running through the streets...

-Gene Pisasale
Author, "Lafayette's Gold- The Lost Brandywine Treasure" and
"Vineyard Days"

A Different Piece of the Puzzle
If you are interested in a different side to the Hemingway story then this is a good book to read.Obviously the book focuses on her time with the various Hemingways; initially mostly on Papa Hemingways last two years, especially the last full summer he spent in Spain following the top matadors, and later on about her life married to Greg Hemingway and her continued association with Mary Hemingway after Papa Hemingway's death.I enjoyed hearing her take on the many different adventures in Spain, Cuba, NYC, and Idaho and also hearing more about what happened in the years after Hemingway's death.For a semi-orphaned, young irish girl from no-where, she had a hell of an adventure and met some amazing people. The prevalence of mental illness and denial of it throughout the book is amazing.It was an good and easy read and I would recommend it.

Truth does not Suffer
A balanced and sympathetic description of events from someone who was really there but whose ego does not lead to embellishment of the facts.

Don't miss it
Valeries serious and lovingly book about her life as married to one of Hem's sons is also very well written. For all of us still reading about the astonishing life of Hem (there are several 100 around)this one is a must. Don't miss her sound opinions from a life within the family. ... Read more

Product Description

Courage is grace under pressure. -- Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway witnessed many of the seminal conflicts of the twentieth century -- from his post as a Red Cross ambulance driver during World War I to his nearly twenty-five years as a war correspondent for The Toronto Star -- and he recorded them with matchless power. This landmark volume brings together Hemingway's most important, timeless writings about the nature of human combat.

Passages from his beloved World War I novel A Farewell to Arms and For Whom the Bell Tolls, about the Spanish Civil War, offer an unparalleled portrayal of the physical and psychological impact of war and its aftermath. Selections from Across the River and Into the Trees vividly evoke an emotionally scarred career soldier in the twilight of life as he reflects on the nature of war. Classic short stories, such as "In Another Country" and "The Butterfly and the Tank," stand alongside excerpts from Hemingway's first book of short stories, In Our Time, and his only full-length play, The Fifth Column.

With captivating selections from Hemingway's journalism -- from his coverage of the Greco-Turkish War of 1922 to a legendary early interview with Mussolini to his jolting eyewitness account of the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944 -- Hemingway on War represents the author's penetrating chronicles of perseverance and defeat, courage and fear, and love and loss in the midst of modern warfare. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Some of the best historical fiction ever
I consider "For Whom the Bell Tolls" to be one of the best pieces of historical fiction ever written. This is because very little of it is fiction in the truest sense. The premise is that American demolitions expert Robert Jordan is attached to an International Brigade, fighting on the side of the Republic in the Spanish Civil War. He is there because he is a committed idealist, but he quickly becomes disillusioned.
That book is heavily excerpted in this collection of Hemingway's writings and from the excerpts; you can see the tremendous tragedy of that war. The best segment is when he describes the actions of the Republican forces after they capture a town. A small group of men labeled as Fascists are rounded up and killed. This includes a priest and some men who were in fact modest shopkeepers and respected in the village. However, mob rule asserts itself and even when some in the crowd want to spare their lives, the frenzy of the moment drives the results. One-by-one the men are led out through a gauntlet and beaten to death by the crowd. In many ways, it demonstrates how that war went. The middle evaporated, leaving little more than the radical Communist and Fascist sides.
There is also no one better than Hemingway at writing about the occasional absurdities in the life of the common soldier. In one story in this collection, a small group of Fascist troops are captured by the Republican forces. They are to be shot and those to be executed are debating whether it is better to get down on their knees first. The fatalism of those men is a lesson in what war does to people after a time. I have read some histories of the Spanish Civil War, but if I were asked for the best reference to what really happened in that war, I would point them to Hemingway.
When you read Hemingway on war, it is clear that he has experienced it at the local level. While he does take sides in the conflicts he writes about, the overpowering characteristic of his descriptions is how people try to make sense out of a senseless brutality. War fundamentally comes down to two separate groups of people, each trying to annihilate the other. He is critical of war, not in the abstract, but in the particulars. Stupid officers, absurd tactics, pathetic egoists and petty bickering are the targets of most of his criticisms. It is hard to characterize his approach to war as one that glorifies or condemns it, as it has aspects of both. However, he is the best at making the simple human side of war interesting and this collection demonstrates how good he is at it.
... Read more

Product Description
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Story of an old fisherman's struggle against natural obstacles that hinder the catch of a huge marlin. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Disappointing
I was looking forward to read this acclaimed book but in honesty, was just disappointed by it. Not that the writing style isn't good, not that the story isn't interesting. Yes, as many critics say, the book touches on many topics of human personalities, flaws and qualities. But when they say "touch on", that's really all it is. If you are looking for insights, for inspiration in any of these topics, I think you are better off reading Herman Hesse. So much that it's clear to me that the level of awareness that Hemingway had was quite lower than that of Hesse. Where Hemingway saw that there was more to man than his action and thoughts, Hesse saw emotions, yearning and melancholy.

Perhaps 50 years ago, with the level of consciousness society had, this was a good novel. But today, the main value of this book is the details of fishing at the time.

I guess it depends on what you are looking to get out of it
"The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

Santiago, an old man who has made his living fishing from an old skiff far out in the Gulf Stream has run into some bad luck of late. It has been many days since he has caught anything. Even the boy who had been helping him has been ordered by his father to work on another luckier boat. This isn't new to Santiago as he had previously gone 87 days without fish and caught plenty for many days to follow. Maybe his luck is about to turn again...

It would appear that for those who found great joy in "The Old Man and the Sea" found it in its allegorical aspect and the attempt by Hemingway to demonstrate a struggle of then modern man of biblical proportions. The actual story in and of itself is very simple as it relays the tale of an old man fighting the fish of his life after a long spell of bad luck.

The Good: In no way am I trying to discredit Mr. Hemmingway or "The Old Man and the Sea" or the merit of this book as a literary gem. Reading for me (for the most part) is about being entertained or connecting to the material in some way. I found this story to be a plodding story about a man trying to reel in a fish. I of course realize that the attempt was to demonstrate the struggle etc but as a story the book just didn't reel me in (pardon the pun).

The Bad: At the opposite end of the spectrum I didn't find "The Old Man and the Sea" to be a terrible read either. I just wasn't grabbed and pulled in either direction.

Overall: While I feel no more than luke warm about "The Old Man and the Sea" I think you should try it for yourself and see what you think. It is considered to be a literary master piece and is only slightly over 100 pages either way so it isn't a story that will demand hours of your time to complete.

"The Old Man and the Sea"
"The Old Man and the Sea" was my favorite from all the books I've read this year. It was written by Ernest Hemingway in in 1951. The story is called a novella because it is too long to be a short story, but too short to be called a novel. This book by Ernest Hemingway is so amazing though. Hemingway has the ability to write a story that makes your mind paint a picture. This book draws you in, and you feel like you're in the skiff with Santiago, rooting for the death of the marlin. Quoted from Zach Davisson, "This short novel is fierce, full of vibrant energy and humanity," and I would say that this is Hemingway's best work. At first the story seems like a standard "man against nature" tale, but unlike those kind of stories, this one has a more vivid battle, and a stronger point at the end. It is said that Hemingway's inspiration for the old man in the book, was the Cuban fisherman Gregorio Fuentes, who was also Hemingway's friend, but noe one really knows where Hemingway gets he extraoridnary ideas.
Although short, the book has a deep meaning. Sometimes people can just read a book without really seeing much of a point, but that only happens when people read the words, not the story. You have to know how to read right, in order to see the message in the book. One main theme I found while reading was to have courage in the face of defeat. Even though the Old man hadn't caught a fish in 84 days, he didn't give up. He continued to try and try. On day 85, he decides that, no matter what, he will not return with a catch. His waiting paid off though, because soon, he caught an enormous marlin. Santiago had to fight with the fish for three days before finally killing it. On the way back, the old man had more to worry about than just about keeping the fish tied to the boat. Sharks, hunger, and weakness tried to defeat the man, but he stayed strong. This book mainly portrays masculinity. Although the old man was very gentle, he knew when to use the power and strength that men have. He is so gentle though, that at one point in the book he wishes he "could feed the fish," and at another in the book he is "sorry for the fish that had nothing to eat." Later on in the story, he deeply grieves when the first shark mutilates the fish's beautiful body. Santiago has a very kind soul and loving heart too. He doesn't mind the fishermen who make fun of him, and he respects Manolin's father, even though he forbids the boy to fish with the old man and tells him to fish with someone else after forty fishless days with Santiago. The only time in the book when Santiago is violent, is when he killed the sharks which attacked his fish, but such actions,the only reason he did was to defend his "brother", the fish. Even in his dreams are gentle and pleasant. Santiago usually dreams of playful, not fierce, lions, and also, once of mating porpoises. I loved his easy-going, selfless, and thoughtful character, throughout the whole story.

The reason that I loved"The Old Man and the Sea" is because this book inspired me the most. It made me think of how the old man's life is the kind of live anyone would want. Although he is poor and lonely, he loves everyone around him no matter how much they discourage him, and he believes in himself enough to set out goals that seems unreachable. He knows that he can succeed in practically anything. The old man has everything he needs in this world: determination and strength. Santiago's battle was a very hard one, but no matter how hard it got, he never gave up Mainly, this story portrayed hope. Santiago created hope when there was none. He was strong when his body was weak. Santiago himself has said, "Man is not made for defeat....A man can be destroyed but not defeated."
The strength of his will is what keeps him going. It is all that holds his failing body together. Even though the old man's strength seemed a little over-exaggerated and unrealistic sometimes, the rest of the story has fixed that. The boy is a good example of a casual person, and the fish is just a casual fish.

This book has many different interpretations. To one person, this could be a story of how a man was so determined that he never gave up, not matter how much suffering he had to go through. Another person may think of this story as just another story of symbolism, because the old man, no matter how aged and hurt, had strength and bravery throughout the whole story.
While one person may this of this story as a story of success, another one might just label the old man as too desperate and obsessed, because he almost lost his life over catching a fish. To another person this story might portray that riches and wealth give nothing, and that a person can live a good life without any of that. To me, this story had a different meaning, but is similar to the first one. This story represents courage, trust, and love to me. It represents courage, because the old man had courage in times when most people fear. He had the courage to go out there, knowing he will succeed in his goals, and he rejected fear, doubt, and weakness. It represents trust, because the old man trusted himself. Sometimes, in a tough situation, people do things they normally wouldn't. Sometimes people say they would never do something, but at the end, they turn out to. Mothers who love their children, actually ate their children in times of starvation, and this is because of how their brain reacted. The old man knew that he could trust himself not to give up. He knew he would keep going no matter how back-breaking the work would be. He knew that he wouldn't betray himself and give up in the end, like many people do. It also represents love, because the old man loved his dream and hobby. Catching the marlin was his dream, and fishing was hobby. He loved the feeling of success, and self-respect, and so he loved the dream of catching the fish so much that he decided to go out and make it reality. I can really relate to this story, because many times, I suffer in order to get a reward at the end. Even though I don't actually get a reward, just like the old man didn't, I get respect, and it makes me feel better too. This story could have had a different ending, one that many people said they would have liked. Some think it would have been better if Santiago would have towed the enormous fish back to port and posed for a triumphal photograph, but instead his prize gets devoured by a school of sharks. Santiago returned home with little more than a skeleton, but that didn't mean anything to him. He was not fully defeated, and that made him feel proud. He didn't want credit or popularity, because he didn't care about any of those things. All he wanted was to finally succeed in catching a fish, and that's what happened. When he returned home, he went to bed and, dreamed about the lions.

I recommend this book to everyone. It is such an encouraging and outstanding story, and I think that everyone should get a change to read it. If you've read it, but you didn't find it touching or meaningful, then you've missed the point. I never knew that a story a little over 120 pages could have so much meaning, and teach you such great things.

a wonderful book with lots of ideas to come back to
i think a lot of the people reviewing this book have missed the point. It is true that there is not much of a plot but the book is not about plot. If you want a page turner go to an airport and look at the bestseller list.Through this book Hemingway displays his views and feelings on masculinity.It has been said, and been well reported, that Hemingway is deeply machoand believes in this whole rum-drinking world. But in the old man... I feelthat Hemingway shows a masculinity with a human face. In the book the oldman and the boy talk of the baseball greats. When they come to John J.McGraw, they say that "he was roughand harsh-spoken and difficultwhen he was drinking." Here Hemingway is showing that machismo whichis coarse or totally insensitive is not a worthy charectaristic. AlthoughDimaggio is strong and plays through a bone spur and the old man isresolute in over coming every difficulty to kil the Marlin, both thesecharectors are give a sensitive edge. The old man talks about humility andwonders about the consequences of having this emotion. He decides that thisfeeling loses no pride. Ultimately I feel that feelings and the fight thatman has to go through are the over whelming messages of the book.

The oldman... also has beautiful images and throws up lots of questions aboutrolemodels and determination. I read in one of the reviews that the reviewerwanted snatiago to let the fish go and go back to land!That is totallymissing the point. We have to look at santiago and his qualities. Take thearm wrestle he didn't just 'give-up'. All of us can do with some of hisdetermination to be resloute, fear no sacrifice and surmount everydifficulty to win victory.

All in all i feel this is a fantasti bookthat uses some wonderful images. the language, which has caused such achasm between the reviewers, I feel is beautiful. It is so beautifullysimple that hemingway himself considered it the best he had ever and wouldever write.

I would like to recommend One hundred years of solitude bygabriel garcia marquez, graham greene, a confedaracy of dunces by johnkennedy toole

The Old Man and The Sea
This book contains a lot of symbollism that advanced readers can comprehend.The ending is what ties the book together and has a lot of meaning to it.Heidi and Jessica ... Read more

Product Description

The companion volume to the
bestselling Hemingway on Fishing

Ernest Hemingway's lifelong zeal for the hunting life is reflected in his masterful works of fiction, from his famous account of an African safari in "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" to passages about duck hunting in Across the River and Into the Trees. For Hemingway, hunting was more than just a passion; it was a means through which to explore our humanity and man's relationship to nature. Courage, awe, respect, precision, patience -- these were the virtues that Hemingway honored in the hunter, and his ability to translate these qualities into prose has produced some of the strongest accounts of sportsmanship of all time.

Hemingway on Hunting offers the full range of Hemingway's writing about the hunting life. With selections from his best-loved novels and stories, along with journalistic pieces from such magazines as Esquire and Vogue, this spectacular collection is a must-have for anyone who has ever tasted the thrill of the hunt -- in person or on the page. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Hemingway on Hunting, Ernest Hemingway
It was good..but a bit long and sometimes it took several days
to read a chapter.

eclectic ernest
Bits and pieces from E.H. fiction and nonfiction that are hunting-related.For the outdoor enthusiast, reading the excerpts in this book will be more convenient than reading some of the original novels (e.g. Across the River...)
Hemingway was a great writer because of his ability to be very descriptive while still being economical with his words.Enjoyable read.

One for the book, but constellation for the author
As Hemingway the Zen master said, "Some are hunters, some are not." Several Hemingway scholars have treid to explain EH's lifelong affinity for blood sports (notably Bredahl and Drake's 1990 exegesis of Green Hills Of Africa) -- this "package of Papa" is content to just push whole chunks and raw excerpts of Hemingway onto a marketing skewer without any comment.Using "hunting" as a marketing criterion forces together the most flaccid posthumous Hemingway and some of his purest fiction and livliest reportage. It's obvious Hemingway wrote about hunting (and fishing) in the same sense the Homer wrote about Mediterranean tourism. Lazy readers may like the way this editor rearranged Hemingway's cabin furniture, but most of the writing actually seem the duller for being re-packaged to a less spontaneous purpose. Sad to see a great prose turned as a license for 'designer books,' and by his own kin. Some are artists, others are not.

Hemingway hunting related fiction and nonfiction compilation
The handsome book contains no new material but is a compilation of hunting-oriented short stories, non-fiction pieces and excerpts from novels. There's a very good scene from "Across the River and Into the Trees" about duck hunting from blinds near Venice. There is a nice selection of photographs of the author with various trophies. One in particular is spectacular showing Hemingway about to fire his rifle at a huge charging lion. The perspective is from just behind Hemingway, his rifle is raised to his shoulder and the onrushing lion appears to be only a few feet away. Another shows Hemingway standing next to same lion, now very dead.

The longish short story The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" which is arguably his best short story is included. It tells the story of wealthy American and his beautiful wife on safari in Africa. The title character behaves shamefully during a lion hunt. That night, his wife sleeps with the white hunter to show her displeasure. The next day while hunting buffalo, he redeems himself and proves that he is not a coward, both to himself and to the onlookers.The short happy life of the title refers to that fact that soon after redeeming his injured manhood against the buffalo, his wife accidentally (or perhaps not accidentally) shoots him in the head as a wounded buffalo charges.

If you are a fan of Hemingway's you've probably read much of this stuff before elsewhere, the non-fiction pieces may be hardest to find elsewhere. This book makes a great gift for a hunting enthusiast who is not especially literary oriented. ... Read more

Product Description
He spread the photostated military map out on the forest floor and looked at it carefully. The old man looked over his shoulder. . . . "There is no sentry." "Perhaps he is in the shade," the old man explained. . . . "Where is the next post?" . . . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hopeless
I ordered 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' for a birthday present ans was sent 'A first copy of Abstract Algebra' instead. Communication was poor and it was over a week before I got a reply saying that my book had been sent to the wrong person. I was offered the book at half price. I said great, let's arrange it, but never heard from them again! What a debarcle! If something goes wrong, tell the customer straight away and don't make promises that are never going to be kept. Poor form! I would have left average feedback if I eventually got the book but this is ridiculous! ... Read more

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"We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master."

Product Description
Ernest Hemingway's first new book of fiction since the publication of "A Farewell to Arms" in 1929 contains fourteen stories of varying length. Some of them have appeared in magazines but the majority have not been published before. The characters and backgrounds are widely varied. "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" is about an old Spanish Beggar. "Homage to Switzerland" concerns various conversations at a Swiss railway-station restaurant. "The Gambler, the Nun, and the Radio" is laid in the accident ward of a hospital in Western United States, and so on.

Ernest Hemingway made his literary start as a short-story writer. He has always excelled in that medium, and this volume reveals him at his best. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A guidebook to the imagination
Ernest Hemingway, Winner Take Nothing (Scribner's, 1933)

Arguably Hemingway's finest book of short stories, Winner Take Nothing contains fourteen relatively short and always spare looks at various stages of life. What seem, upon first reading, to be nothing more than frameworks or outlines take on more meat upon reflection. Hemingway lets the reader fill in the small details, guiding his imagination rather than manipulating it. This does mean that the onus is on the reader more than usual with this book; Hemingway's work is meant to be thought-provoking rather than escapist. If you can make it to the end of "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place," the second story in the book, and reflect on it without feeling anything, then the book's probably not for you. Those who approach it with the proper mindset, however, will find it to be full of opportunities to plumb one's own imagination. ****

Certainly not the best introduction to Hemingway
Perhaps I was distracted when I heard these short stories, but they seemed to lack substance.The characters seemed like passing shadows - I never knew them well enough to have any solid emotional attachment.The storieswere all very short, and most felt incomplete.If you are just startingwith Hemingway, try something else first.If you like his style, I'm sureyou'll love this collection.

Gain nothing, lose nothing
This was the first Hemingway book I have read and I was surprised. I always imagined his books were boring and completely symbolibic to the point that you don't understand it. However I enjoyed this book and all theshort stories involved in this. All the stories were interesting andconnected the theme that the "winner takes nothing" in differentsituations. I enjoyed the fact that since he probably wrote this in Europe,Hemingway weaved French and sometimes German into the dialogue. Also in onestory Fitzgerald is mentioned as a wild child. "Winner takenothing" is an easy book to understand and follow, and the stories areoriginal. ... Read more