The older I get, the more experience I have with relationships the more I wonder if Brett was right to leave the bull fighter. I think she probably never should have gotten involved with him, but having already done so, was it really the best choice for her, or the best choice for him?

I'll keep it short. Just finished reading TSAR and watched a review on YouTube to try clarify my own thoughts on it. The review says:

"The characters fascination with the spectacle of bull-fighting, and their attempts to understand it's meaning, reflect their search for something meaningful and fulfilling in their own lives."

This doesn't ring that true for me, but I feel like it might have just gone over my head.

I can see the major theme of the novel was a lack of meaning and purpose and a search for that. But when did the characters look for meaning in bull-fighting? They were taken by it's danger and brutality, and this made them feel alive - which served as a bolster to carry on getting drunk and partying. But did they really attempt to understand it's meaning?

Just curious what other people think as I want to understand the novel better. If someone could explain in a way I understand that would be great 👍

Hemingway seemed to have admired Jack Britton and Cayetano and Antonio Ordonez enough to model characters after them. He even named his son after one of his favorite matador, Nicanor Villalta.

Jack Britton was a defensive fighter. Was that the reason he liked him? The best defensive fighter in recent history is Mayweather. Would Hemingway have liked him?

Hemingway described Ordonez's style as perfect, slow, beautiful, controlled and pure. A controlled grace. Who do you think of when you think of athletes today?

Of course this is comparing apples to oranges since he was a matador but Hemingway seemed to have liked a certain style.

Hemingway's best book For Whom The Bell Tolls shows that in the greatest fight between the left and the right, between communism and fascism, he was leaning left. Even though Hemingway himself wasn't a communist, he sympathized with anti-fascists.

On the other hand he didn't support Cuban revolution and returned to US in its wake. His sympathy for the left wasn't strong enough. In addition, he was rich and famous, demographics that usually supports right.

Of course Trump isn't a fascist, and Harris isn't a communist despite all the mandatory election cycle demagoguery. Still, where on the political spectrum between extreme left and right would Hemingway fall today? Would he even participate in today's debates?

I am confused about the nature of this book/novel? It’s referred to as a novel.. but is marketed as NOT being fiction. Is it a memoir? Is it autobiographical fiction? I saw someone say it is a retelling of real events with creative flair… but is that not what a well-written memoir is??

Also would yall recommend it?

Margaux Louise Hemingway (born Margot Louise Hemingway; February 16, 1954 – July 1, 1996) was an American fashion model and actress. During the 1970's, she became a first million dollar super model. She took her life by overdosing with phenobarbital becoming the fifth member of Hemingway family to go by his own hand.

Originally I was jusy going to go off of the cover but when I looked inside I noticed the contents were different, and now I’m not sure. I looked at some past reddit posts and found out this book has a complicated editing and publishing history. Those who have read either edition (or another), what would you say?

This summer I randomly picked up the old man and the sea and read it for the first time. I absolutely loved it. It was one of the most unique and beautiful works I have read. Not having read Hemmingway before this, I decided to dive head first and purchase For Whom the Bell Tolls, Farewell to arms, and the Sun also Rises.
I started reading For Whom the Bell Tolls first as it seems to be widely considered his best work and one of the great novels of all time. Here is the rub though, I find it incredibly tedious. I am up to chapter 13 now, so about 1/3 into the book. My reading of it is very slow as I just can't get into it. The "romance" (if you can even call it that) between Robert and Maria is so terrible, and fake. It just seems like its written by a 14 year old boy's idea of how a relationship develops. We are expected to believe these two characters fall deeply in love after one conversation? I have seen cheap YA novels with better developed relationships. The story of the war is great, the planning of the bridge explosion so far is captivating but just not the focus enough compared to the rest. Pilar's monologue on the first day of the civil war in her village was brilliant and is the only part of the book so far that gave me that feeling I first had when reading the old man and the sea. But the rest of the book so far is just so tedious. Am I the only one who feels this way? Should I try to persevere and finish reading it?

Guys, I am googling conflicting data about how many plane crashes good old Earnest survived. Most claim it was three but some sources mention four. Just to make sure, could you tell me the number?

hi guys! this might be weird, it’s my first time doing this, but i’m looking for people who likes the type of authors i enjoy the most, to talk and discuss books and such. while thinking what i like, hemingway came first to mind, so i guessed this subreddit should be the right place for me (i live in a boring town in the middle of nowhere, so people here are not that interesting, only the drunks). i discovered hemingway like a year ago and it completely changed my life, he is great, maybe even beyond greatness. i was hooked from day one of his style and prose, truly an amazing author. anyways, just wanted to say that :) i’ll be very glad to meet new people who can appreciate him the same as i do. cheers!!

I believe this an overlooked book and an integral work if you want to understand Hemingway.

Island in the stream was released after his death and was never finished, meaning Hemingway didn't edit the book because at this point in his life, he simply couldn't anymore. The first part "Bimini" is very beautifully written and it's a perfect example how good Hemingway's writing was when it was good. It is tender, full of love and harmonic - and also funny. At this point of his life Hemingway didn't care anymore that it was obvious to the reader that his main characters are mere reflections of the writer himself and that really shows a lot in this book. The protagonist feels guilty about his declining work ethics and especially his drinking. But it also shows that manic fantasy world Hemingway was living in at that point of his career. His character is a commander, has relationships with many women and princesses even, is a commander for the army and hunts down german U-boots. It's so over the top that it would be funny if it wasn't clear that Hemingway was living in delusion at that time and really believed all that crap. Throw in the occasional racism and you've got a pretty terrible part two, "Cuba" and three "At Sea" which reminded me of "For whom The Bell tolls" -another terrible book by Hemingway. The Woman he calls "The Devil" is another of Hemingway borderline insane Women he invented, then of course jabs at his Ex-Wife Martha Gellhorn. When Hemingway writes badly, it's really bad. Yet I liked the book because it paints a really clear picture (no pun intended) of the writers life and it shows how deranged he was towards the end.

I know its fashionable to hate Hemingway but people hate him because it's easy to do so. He wasn't a great man by any means but he was also a victim, he was mentally ill and physically sick.

But after all he was a great and disciplined writer and when he wasn't any more, he killed himself. How many writers would give up their lifes if they couldn't serve the paper any longer.

My order was kind of weird I read: To Have and Have Not A Farewell to Arms The Garden of Eden For Whom the Bell Tolls The Sun Also Rises The Old Man and the Sea Islands in the Stream

(Disclaimer I read TSAS 12 years ago as a teenager but didn’t truly get it, so when I re-read it a few months it felt like a first read-through)

If I were introducing someone to Hemingway I would recommend: A Farewell to Arms The Sun Also Rises For Whom the Bell Tolls Islands in the Stream To Have and Have Not The Old Man and the Sea The Garden of Eden

My reasoning:

Kicking off AFTA throws you in the deep and immerses you in the trauma the Lost Generation experienced. As a result, jumping right into TSAS is perfect, as you know have some more thematic context. It could almost be seen as a spiritual sequel despite being written first.

You fall in love with Spain in TSAS but then see it ravaged by war in FWTBT. To jump from the life and culture celebrated in the fiesta to the war torn countryside would feel impactful.

From there you leave Europe and it can be a bit more of a toss up. I like the idea of IITS afterward because historically WWII was the next major conflict Hemingway was involved in. THAHN also taking place in Cuba fits in with IITS. Finishing off with TOMATS is perfect because it is such a triumph to balance out the bleak nature of THAHN.

The Garden of Eden is underrated bonus reading which gives a fresh perspective thematically on his works.

I’m fairly new to Hemingway, and I’m wondering whether to read this collection of short stories I already had a couple of years, or to get started with one of his novels? I’ve only read The Old Man and The Sea, but I’d still consider myself new to his work, since I wasn’t in the right mindset when I read that book back then and didn’t get much out of it as a result. I also only recently started taking writing outside of school more seriously, and I think I can learn a lot from Hemingway’s writing. Anyways, I’d love to hear what you all think!

Hemingway himself stated that an old man is just and old man, that a fish is just a fish and a sea is just a sea. He added that people will find depth and meaning wherever they decide to imagine it. What are your thoughts on this? I personally believe that books are more about what readers decide rather than what authors intend. The same applies to the rest of the universe. But let's stick to the old man and the sea. Are they just the old man and the sea are something more?

In one of many articles related to Earnest Hemingway's departure from this world I read that his wife claimed it was an accident that occured when he was cleaning his gun. I personally think that good old Earned splashed himself intentionally. However, I am curious to hear your thoughts on probability that it was really an accident. What do you think?

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