Title: A Moveable Feast
Author: Ernest Hemingway
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 207
Rating (out of 5 stars): ***
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: A short memoir by Hemingway describing the early years of his career as a writer while living in Paris. It talks about his associations with several other notable authors of the time (James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, etc.), who were also living as expatriates in Europe. The memoirs also describe how happy his relationship was with his wife, despite his struggles to keep his head above water financially as he writes his first novels and short stories.
Thoughts: I enjoyed reading this A Moveable Feast because it gave a very interesting view into Hemingway's life. I guess it was particularly poignant knowing that Hemingway committed suicide about many years later, but he seems really quite happy during this period of his life. The very last sentence sums it up quite nicely: "But this is how Paris was in the early days when were very poor and very happy." He actually wrote the book shortly before he died (it was published posthumously), and I think we all have a tendency to look back on times in our life and remember them as better than they actually were, but even so I find it remarkable that Hemingway was happiest before he found success as a writer. The other remarkable thing about his life is the fact that so many really good writers and artists were all congregated in Paris at that one time. It makes me wonder how much they were all able to feed off of each other to create some really revolutionary work. Anyway, it was a nice, short read, and I would really recommend it to anyone interested in Hemingway, Paris, writing, or the "lost generation."
Disclaimer: There is one small section of this book where Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald discuss some intimate aspects of their marriages. Hemingway leaves out most details, and I didn't find it offensive, but you're forewarned. There also might be a swear word or two, but nothing serious.
Author: Ernest Hemingway
Genre: Memoir
Pages: 207
Rating (out of 5 stars): ***
Reviewed by: Ben
Description: A short memoir by Hemingway describing the early years of his career as a writer while living in Paris. It talks about his associations with several other notable authors of the time (James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, etc.), who were also living as expatriates in Europe. The memoirs also describe how happy his relationship was with his wife, despite his struggles to keep his head above water financially as he writes his first novels and short stories.
Thoughts: I enjoyed reading this A Moveable Feast because it gave a very interesting view into Hemingway's life. I guess it was particularly poignant knowing that Hemingway committed suicide about many years later, but he seems really quite happy during this period of his life. The very last sentence sums it up quite nicely: "But this is how Paris was in the early days when were very poor and very happy." He actually wrote the book shortly before he died (it was published posthumously), and I think we all have a tendency to look back on times in our life and remember them as better than they actually were, but even so I find it remarkable that Hemingway was happiest before he found success as a writer. The other remarkable thing about his life is the fact that so many really good writers and artists were all congregated in Paris at that one time. It makes me wonder how much they were all able to feed off of each other to create some really revolutionary work. Anyway, it was a nice, short read, and I would really recommend it to anyone interested in Hemingway, Paris, writing, or the "lost generation."
Disclaimer: There is one small section of this book where Hemingway and Scott Fitzgerald discuss some intimate aspects of their marriages. Hemingway leaves out most details, and I didn't find it offensive, but you're forewarned. There also might be a swear word or two, but nothing serious.
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