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twilliamson's review against another edition
4.0
It may not be Hemingway's finest novel, but it is certainly a powerful one, and those giving the book low ratings or unfavorable reviews seem to stand out as not having really understood the premise of the book in the first place. It's powerfully written, and while the narrative comes up feeling a bit aimless in the last portion of the novel, this one doesn't seem to ever have been about plot as much as it is about characters and their human feelings.
And so while the plot ostensibly breaks down in the last third of the novel, it's also the space in which the human characters emerge most completely. Mixed in with the death of the protagonist, Harry Morgan, is a treatise on the lives of so many other minor characters; in one particular chapter, for example, Hemingway describes the lives and emotions of the occupants of a yacht club, contrasting their lived experiences starkly with those thoughts and fears and pains of the other characters of the novel, like Morgan's wife Marie. Because Hemingway is willing to do away for a moment with the very pulp-like plot and zoom in on character emotions, he's able to do something that literature needs to do in making a statement. The book is poignantly relatable to today, even in the same moments it is undoubtedly a memoir of the past.
Either way, it's a fantastic book, and while it won't top my lists of classic literature or even of the best books of the year, it's still memorable for the way it builds characters and demonstrates the conflicts of trying to live from day to day in a menacing world full of uncertainty and hunger.
And so while the plot ostensibly breaks down in the last third of the novel, it's also the space in which the human characters emerge most completely. Mixed in with the death of the protagonist, Harry Morgan, is a treatise on the lives of so many other minor characters; in one particular chapter, for example, Hemingway describes the lives and emotions of the occupants of a yacht club, contrasting their lived experiences starkly with those thoughts and fears and pains of the other characters of the novel, like Morgan's wife Marie. Because Hemingway is willing to do away for a moment with the very pulp-like plot and zoom in on character emotions, he's able to do something that literature needs to do in making a statement. The book is poignantly relatable to today, even in the same moments it is undoubtedly a memoir of the past.
Either way, it's a fantastic book, and while it won't top my lists of classic literature or even of the best books of the year, it's still memorable for the way it builds characters and demonstrates the conflicts of trying to live from day to day in a menacing world full of uncertainty and hunger.
zacktheguy's review against another edition
3.0
This is definitely one of Hemingway's weaker books, but if you read it without expecting something like "A Farewell to Arms" or "The Old Man and the Sea" you may enjoy it. I found I liked it, however many of the major themes associated with the leading characters echo exactly how Hemingway felt about life, love, and marriage. This is not a bad thing, but it can be quite draining. Overall, I did enjoy reading this book!
guycobra's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
robynmac's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shobnob's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jhale42's review against another edition
4.0
This book is widely considered Hemingway’s worst book. While I do not agree with that, I also believe that it’s not his best work. Having said that, this book tells a good story about a man named Harry Morgan, who begins to run contraband after falling on hard times. The story is much deeper than that however and in classic Hemingway style, he shows his mastery in the indirect exposition of a character. As this story goes on it switches from first-person to third-person and then to different characters all together. This is not Hemingway’s best work, but it is sandwiched between two of the greatest books ever written and it does well enough in telling a thrilling and sad story.
rcthomas's review against another edition
3.0
I think I've come across several sections of this book in the large collection of uncompleted works and short stories of Hemingway that I have purchased and read in the past. It was nice to see them fit together in a larger narrative, but some parts of the book could have been cut entirely, as they go unresolved or diverge greatly from the main focus of the book. If you haven't read the collection of stories by Hemingway about Cuba and the Keys then you should pick this up. Otherwise you can probably give it a miss.
obscuredbyclouds's review
2.0
Less of a novel and more loosely connected short stories. I thought this was a plague of modern fiction but this is from 1937. I liked the writing style, some themes (economic inequality for one) and occasionally scenes. I didn't like the "plot", the machoism, the overt racism (funnily, "fuck" was a no go but slures were fine), the main characters.
I was glad this book was so short, but the sparse writing style was good enough that want to read more Hemingway. I read "A Farewell to Arms" ages ago and didn't like it, but I'm curious about "The Sun Also Rises".
I was glad this book was so short, but the sparse writing style was good enough that want to read more Hemingway. I read "A Farewell to Arms" ages ago and didn't like it, but I'm curious about "The Sun Also Rises".
lianamathias's review against another edition
1.0
I had to give up-probably the 3rd or 4th book in my life that I haven't been able to finish. It just didn't grab my attention.