For Hemingway fans and those who wonder about him
Discussion
Hemmingway was a rather odd man. His tastes were hardly woke, and his treatment of women was objectionable, even in his own time, let alone now. But as a writer, he struck a cord with me when I was younger, and his fans are legion. He has many immitators, and some might think not enough.
Fans might like to know there is a programme on him, perhaps a series, on BBC4 'soon'. Could be good. Might be dreadful, but I'll watch it.
Fans might like to know there is a programme on him, perhaps a series, on BBC4 'soon'. Could be good. Might be dreadful, but I'll watch it.
In another thread I said:
Ernest Hemingway nearly lost a leg after being injured by mortar fire in 1919. A year or so later, he pulled a skylight into his head, thinking it was a toilet chain, and suffered a concussion. He later broke his back and nearly severed his arm in a car accident. Then he nearly died of dysentery in Africa. Soon afterwards, he received 57 stitches and another concussion after another car accident. Shortly after that, he suffered severe head injuries, and permanent brain impairment in a motorcycle accident.
In 1944 he nearly died of pneumonia. In 1945 he suffered a further head injury in another car accident. In 1950, he fell off his yacht and suffered, yup, another concussion.
In 1954, on safari an Africa, he was in an aeroplane crash, in which he suffered a head injury. The following day he boarded another aeroplane to take him to hospital. That aeroplane crashed and he suffered burns and another severe head injury. As part of his recovery, he went on a fishing trip and when ashore one day, nearly died in a bush fire suffering second degree burns.
Having spent several years self-medicating with alcohol to manage the constant physical pain, in 1961, he shot himself at the age of 61. Despite all that, during his life, he managed to marry four times and publish six novels.
In 1944 he nearly died of pneumonia. In 1945 he suffered a further head injury in another car accident. In 1950, he fell off his yacht and suffered, yup, another concussion.
In 1954, on safari an Africa, he was in an aeroplane crash, in which he suffered a head injury. The following day he boarded another aeroplane to take him to hospital. That aeroplane crashed and he suffered burns and another severe head injury. As part of his recovery, he went on a fishing trip and when ashore one day, nearly died in a bush fire suffering second degree burns.
Having spent several years self-medicating with alcohol to manage the constant physical pain, in 1961, he shot himself at the age of 61. Despite all that, during his life, he managed to marry four times and publish six novels.
sausage fingers, apologies. Doofus said:
In another thread I said:
Ernest Hemingway nearly lost a leg after being injured by mortar fire in 1919. A year or so later, he pulled a skylight into his head, thinking it was a toilet chain, and suffered a concussion. He later broke his back and nearly severed his arm in a car accident. Then he nearly died of dysentery in Africa. Soon afterwards, he received 57 stitches and another concussion after another car accident. Shortly after that, he suffered severe head injuries, and permanent brain impairment in a motorcycle accident.
In 1944 he nearly died of pneumonia. In 1945 he suffered a further head injury in another car accident. In 1950, he fell off his yacht and suffered, yup, another concussion.
In 1954, on safari an Africa, he was in an aeroplane crash, in which he suffered a head injury. The following day he boarded another aeroplane to take him to hospital. That aeroplane crashed and he suffered burns and another severe head injury. As part of his recovery, he went on a fishing trip and when ashore one day, nearly died in a bush fire suffering second degree burns.
Having spent several years self-medicating with alcohol to manage the constant physical pain, in 1961, he shot himself at the age of 61. Despite all that, during his life, he managed to marry four times and publish six novels.
In 1944 he nearly died of pneumonia. In 1945 he suffered a further head injury in another car accident. In 1950, he fell off his yacht and suffered, yup, another concussion.
In 1954, on safari an Africa, he was in an aeroplane crash, in which he suffered a head injury. The following day he boarded another aeroplane to take him to hospital. That aeroplane crashed and he suffered burns and another severe head injury. As part of his recovery, he went on a fishing trip and when ashore one day, nearly died in a bush fire suffering second degree burns.
Having spent several years self-medicating with alcohol to manage the constant physical pain, in 1961, he shot himself at the age of 61. Despite all that, during his life, he managed to marry four times and publish six novels.
The writer who I admire above all others, and who inspired me to write myself . I read my first in 1972 - Islands in the Stream - and was blown away by how his sparse prose and short sentences packed such a descriptive punch . He has been out of fashion for decades , rubbished by lazy commentators making lazier comments.
Judge the art, not the artist is a mantra which should be applied to Hemingway even more than to most writers . Of course he was loud, bluff , aggressive , hard drinking , awful to women , economical with the truth and enjoyed pastimes which are no longer in fashion but so what ? His writing said it all .
Years ago , on a trip to Paris we went to Le Cafe Deux Magots (where he sat and wrote ) and Shakespeare and co (the bookshop who helped him when he was a struggling young writer.) I don't mind admitting I 'had something in my eye' - it meant a lot to me , as did going to Harry's Bar in Venice years later .
He is most famous for The Old Man and the Sea but that is not his best boo. My favourite is A Moveable Feast , written in middle age about his time as a young man in Paris. And it is just perfect .
He is The Man.
Judge the art, not the artist is a mantra which should be applied to Hemingway even more than to most writers . Of course he was loud, bluff , aggressive , hard drinking , awful to women , economical with the truth and enjoyed pastimes which are no longer in fashion but so what ? His writing said it all .
Years ago , on a trip to Paris we went to Le Cafe Deux Magots (where he sat and wrote ) and Shakespeare and co (the bookshop who helped him when he was a struggling young writer.) I don't mind admitting I 'had something in my eye' - it meant a lot to me , as did going to Harry's Bar in Venice years later .
He is most famous for The Old Man and the Sea but that is not his best boo. My favourite is A Moveable Feast , written in middle age about his time as a young man in Paris. And it is just perfect .
He is The Man.
It's on this Tuesday, 29 June. A series. I assume it'll be on iPlayer as well.
His influence on writing style was tremendous. He's got his critics, and probably more so now with the woke crowd, but had it not been for him, Jane Austin might still be a current style.
He enjoyed bullfighting. Not my preferred day out, but I'm not sure why that should stop us reading his books.
At school we read London, which I quite enjoyed, and still do - got his collected works. I mentioned a book I'd read on the Spanish Civil War which an uncle had fought in, and she suggested For Whom the Bell Tolls. That was a hit for me, and then went on to Farewell to Arms. Two war books down, I then read The Old Man and the Sea. I'd stated work then and there was a book club and everyone was a Hemingway fan, so got to borrow all his books.
I wasn't much of a short story fan, but he changed that to a significant degree.
His influence on writing style was tremendous. He's got his critics, and probably more so now with the woke crowd, but had it not been for him, Jane Austin might still be a current style.
He enjoyed bullfighting. Not my preferred day out, but I'm not sure why that should stop us reading his books.
At school we read London, which I quite enjoyed, and still do - got his collected works. I mentioned a book I'd read on the Spanish Civil War which an uncle had fought in, and she suggested For Whom the Bell Tolls. That was a hit for me, and then went on to Farewell to Arms. Two war books down, I then read The Old Man and the Sea. I'd stated work then and there was a book club and everyone was a Hemingway fan, so got to borrow all his books.
I wasn't much of a short story fan, but he changed that to a significant degree.
I've seen the first four and it's not been as revealing as I hoped. That's not to say I haven't learned anything about the man, I have, but the series should have concentrated on his writing. It's as if they are looking for reasons to excuse the man for his conduct. He had a difficult upbringing. I get that. He suffered trauma through his war experiences. I understand that. He had wives and affaires. Yep, I knew.
What about his books? How did they relate to the circumstances they described? He was a journo, so how did he make the transition between facts and creative writing? And so well. How did his style develop over the years? And some other stuff.
Newton was weird, but we all revel in the revelations of Principia. Darwin would have been frowned on in polite circles nowadays, but he explained us. Churchill had his dark side and his dark moods, but his histories, while biased, are great reading. Not to mention Einstein.
What about his books? How did they relate to the circumstances they described? He was a journo, so how did he make the transition between facts and creative writing? And so well. How did his style develop over the years? And some other stuff.
Newton was weird, but we all revel in the revelations of Principia. Darwin would have been frowned on in polite circles nowadays, but he explained us. Churchill had his dark side and his dark moods, but his histories, while biased, are great reading. Not to mention Einstein.
I received a TV programme alert only this morning about the great man. Streaming on Freeview PBS.
3 x 2hr episodes.
https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/hemingway/
Anything by Ken Burns ( Vietnam ) is almost certainly a brilliant documentary.
3 x 2hr episodes.
https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/hemingway/
Anything by Ken Burns ( Vietnam ) is almost certainly a brilliant documentary.
I was so- so about the first episode but the second ...my God I fell in love with his writing all over again. A Farewell to Arms was never my favourite of his works , but I need to re - read - the prose quoted on the programme was spine- tinglingly wonderful.
And I loved the sequences of b&w photographs which were used . Oh to be in a young man in Paris in the twenties , with a talent like his...
And I loved the sequences of b&w photographs which were used . Oh to be in a young man in Paris in the twenties , with a talent like his...
It's a shame short stories have fallen out of favour. His were enjoyable.
I used to be an apprentice printer and I remember becoming so enthralled by one of his short stories that I was left sitting and reading by the other apprentices after lunch ended. The foreman crept up behind me and dropped some metal trays. I was so engrossed that I didn't jump up, as he'd hoped, just looked around. He took the book, saw the author and we ended up having a little chat about him; he was a fan, mainly for the depictions of bullfighting. One of the journeymen dropped some trays behind him. It was better to experience it than read about it I suppose, but it was funny. We became friendly, and had our own little book club.
I've sold quite a few articles, unsolicited as well, but I've never managed to sell a short story. No one seems interested.
I used to be an apprentice printer and I remember becoming so enthralled by one of his short stories that I was left sitting and reading by the other apprentices after lunch ended. The foreman crept up behind me and dropped some metal trays. I was so engrossed that I didn't jump up, as he'd hoped, just looked around. He took the book, saw the author and we ended up having a little chat about him; he was a fan, mainly for the depictions of bullfighting. One of the journeymen dropped some trays behind him. It was better to experience it than read about it I suppose, but it was funny. We became friendly, and had our own little book club.
I've sold quite a few articles, unsolicited as well, but I've never managed to sell a short story. No one seems interested.
Finished the series last night . It got much better from what I thought was a rather shaky start . Even though I have read all his books , and several biographies , I still learned a lot . What a complex man- vain, brave , a show off but also a man terrified of public speaking. His mental decline was dreadful , from gifted writer and tough war correspondent with the world at his feet to a prematurely aged and paranoid 'old' man perving over an18 year old . .
I loved Edna O'Brien's take on Old Man and The Sea - a good book but very far from great, and written as if by a teenager . But God knows how he pulled it all back , but he did as A Moveable Feast is utterly sublime , and Islands in the Stream is an epic you can't put down.
I loved Edna O'Brien's take on Old Man and The Sea - a good book but very far from great, and written as if by a teenager . But God knows how he pulled it all back , but he did as A Moveable Feast is utterly sublime , and Islands in the Stream is an epic you can't put down.
Not chronologically - I'd start with Byline - if you can find it . It is a Penguin anthology of his journalism and Hemingway was a complete master at his craft . Then A Moveable Feast - I think his greatest work . I agreed with Edna O'Brien that The Old Man and The Sea is far from his best . I love Islands in The Stream best of all his fiction .
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