by Catherine Reef
Clarion, 2009. 183 pgs.
Reading Level: Young Adult / Older Children
Hardcover: $20.00
Annotation: Obsessed with war, bullfights and big game hunting, Hemingway's lifestyle fueled his writing.
Summary: Born at the turn of the twentieth century, Ernest Hemingway grew up in Oak Park, Illinois. Son of a doctor father and a stylish mother, he was raised in a religous, gentile environment. Growing up, his father was quick to teach him to love the outdoors and he learned to fish, boat and camp at an early age. Hemingway's affinity for the outdoor lifestyle was a prevailing trait throughout his life and he later traveled the world in search of new, exciting adventures on land and on sea. With a penchant for writing Hemingway found his first employement as a cub reporter, but soon left to join in the excitement of war, becoming a Red Cross ambulance driver in Italy. War suited Hemingway and he was to use his war experiences, then and later, as the basis of many award winning novels and short stories. He came to be known for a new kind of writing. His brief sentence structure, that tried to elluminate the essence of a thing while leaving much of the detail implied, was later dubbed "stream of consciousness". While he experienced both success and failure as a writer, he won the hearts of both the critics and the public and managed to garner a Pulitzer and a Nobel prize for literature. The writer was a blustery, creative type who thrived on the violence of the bullring in Spain, deep sea fishing in the Florida keys and big game hunting in Africa. He fell in and out of love with four different wives and had three children total. A hard drinker, Hemingway was prone to mood swings and tempermental outbursts, especially towards the end of his life. Living around the world in places like Paris, Spain, Key West, Cuba and Sun Valley, Idaho, Hemingway experienced life like few people and throughout his tempetuous career was obsessed with truth, courage and death.
Evaluation: Reef pens an interesting, clear biography of Hemingway's extraordinary life. The book is well researched, with just enough anecdote to make it a robust, lively portrait. All the pertinent details are included, from birth till death and the book is large, with large print and peppered with photographs that nicely augment the text. Not only does the life sketch include all of Hemingway's publications, but Reef manages to connect each of Hemingway's experiences to his writing, which allows the reader to understand the basis for Hemingway's work. The book serves a reading level that addresses either advanced children's readers or young adults, so the title has excellent crossover appeal. Ernest Hemingway: a Writer's Life is a solid exposition and I enjoyed getting to more about Hemingway's legendary personlity.
Significance: Hemingway won both a Pulitzer prize and the Nobel prize for literature for his short novel, "The Old Man and the Sea". A master of clean, spare writing--sometimes referred to as "stream of consciousness"--Hemingway's influence on modern literature was immense and a study of twentieth century writers must include this infamous personality.
Personal Choice: I have a fondness for Hemingway and was excited to learn more about his life. I loved "A Sun Also Rises", "A Moveable Feast", "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and immensely enjoyed "In Love and War" - the story of Hemingway and his nurse friend, Kurowsky.
Awards: Golden Kite Honor Recipient, 2010 / YALSA: Excellence in Nonfiction Nominee, 2010
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