Brilliant Depictions Of Men Under Fire.
Written: Oct 14 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Hemingway's clear, concise writing reveals universal truths.
Cons: Dark themes may be a turn off to some.
The Bottom Line: Not quite up there with Faulkner, yet not as dated as Fitzgerald.
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| jeff_wilder78's Full Review: The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway/the... |
Ernest Hemingway, in a sense, was the Kurt Cobain of literature. And I'm not saying that simply because he ended his life in much the same way Cobain did his. But because Hemingway also gave voice to the fears and hopes of a generation that also felt lost.
Now as most people who read my music reviews know, I generally prefer Pearl Jam to Nirvana. And when it comes to literature and a similar comparison of Hemingway and William Faulkner comes up, I'd tend to go for Faulkner. Faulkner in a sense is a better writer than Hemingway. But Hemingway's economic style of writing is more accessible to the uninitiated and unlike Faulkner, Hemingway rarely leaves it up to the reader to draw his or her own conclusions, which can be a good or bad thing depending on who you ask.
A commonly held viewpoint among many people (especially those who encounter it as assigned reading in High School and College Lit classes) is that Hemingway's work is depressing. While reading The Complete Short Stories Of Ernest Hemingway, one can understand where they're coming from as the shadow of death hangs over many of the stories whether in the form of battlefield artillery shells or natural causes. However, Hemingway's stories are not as reemitingly bleak as one may think. In "A Days Wait" a young boy with a fever is haunted all day by fear of death, yet is gently informed by his father that he is not dying.
"Soldier's Home" tells of a young man returned home from World War I to 1920 Kansas City. Hemingway portrays him as a man who cares about the people around him, yet is emotionally scarred and often hurts them. In the end, it is the love of his mother and sister that saves him.
"The Killers" is one of Hemingway's stories that features the character of Nick Adams (a recurring character throughout Hemingway's stories). The story shows Nick as a waiter at a bar and restaurant where a couple of Pulp Fiction type gangsters walk in and state their intention of murdering one of the restaurant’s regular customers. The story itself is dark yet humorous, especially in the opening dialogue when the two killers walk in and discover that all of their meal requests are on the dinner menu and dinner will not be served until six o clock.
"Today Is Friday" is a rather satirical playlet about a group of Roman soldiers who go into a bar after crucifying Christ.
"A Clean Well-Lighted Place" also takes place in a bar (a common setting for Hemingway stories) and features several drinking men talking about a fellow customer who tried to commit suicide.
"A Natural History Of The Dead" and "Black A** At the Crossroads" are war stories with depictions of combat that rival those in Saving Private Ryan for grit and realism.
In addition, there are other classic Hemingway stories such as "Snows Of Kilimanjaro", "Hills Like White Elephants" and most of the other Nick Adams stories. Then there are a few story fragments such as "One Reader Writes". All of Hemingway's stories focus on one recurring theme: Men (and women) under fire.
That's why Hemingway works so well in the short story format. His novels are great (especially For Whom The Bell Tolls). But his minimalist writing style and concise, economic prose work well in the short story format.
Complete Short Stories Of Ernest Hemingway is 650 pages of some of the greatest literature of the 20th century. Not all of the stories are classics. But even the lesser ones are worthy of reading. If you're into classic literature, I can't think of a better $20 investment.
This review is part of the "Midwestern Writer's Write-Off" hosted by Loislane05. Although Ernest Hemingway may be most commonly associated with Florida, he was born in Illinois and his travels took him to Kansas and Michigan. You can find out more about the write-off by going to http://www.epinions.com/content_3534332036.
Recommended:
Yes
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Member: Jeff Wilder
Location: Sunrise Florida USA
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