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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
"I've seen you, beauty, and you belong to me now, whoever you are waiting for and if I never see you again, I thought. You belong to me and all Paris belongs to me and I belong to this notebook and this pencil"
I don’t know why exactly, but his style is simply carrying you from one sentence to the next and makes you feel and live with him.
I'm not one who regularly re-reads books, but in this case my third reading of A Moveable Feast felt like returning to a familiar place with an old friend both because I, too, was a poor person in Paris in my early twenties and because Hemingway is one of my favorite authors. There are millions of Parises and as Hemingway notes, Paris is ever-changing and different for everyone based on their experiences. Yet Hemingway captures that thread of Paris's spirit that allows for people to still find moments of satisfaction despite the stress and lack of funds. He writes from the point of view of a man looking back with the hindsight to notice and appreciate his youth and happiness in a way he didn't at the time. In this regard, his themes on youth, nostalgia, and value transcend a person's location and class.
Structurally, it's an interesting take on a memoir as each chapter is a different story and there isn't necessarily a plot although the book seems to follow chronological order. Hemingway strikes a forthright tone that seems more honest than most memoirs because he nods to the fact that everything could be a fabrication, the reader would never know, and it wouldn't matter anyway. There are appearances by Sylvia Beach, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald and more and it was fun to read about so many creatives and the circles in which they ran.
Structurally, it's an interesting take on a memoir as each chapter is a different story and there isn't necessarily a plot although the book seems to follow chronological order. Hemingway strikes a forthright tone that seems more honest than most memoirs because he nods to the fact that everything could be a fabrication, the reader would never know, and it wouldn't matter anyway. There are appearances by Sylvia Beach, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, F. Scott Fitzgerald and more and it was fun to read about so many creatives and the circles in which they ran.
A great companion to "The Paris Wife" (or vice versa!)
While I wasn't riveted by this book, I did enjoy reading about some of the authors with whom Hemingway was friends. In particular, the anecdotes about Fitzgerald were very interesting. 2.5 stars.
One of my all time favourites, makes me want to run away and be a poor, struggling writer in 1920's Paris
A unique peak into Hemingways writing process (developing from describing to presenting), his meetings with contemporary legends (including Fitzgerald’s, appreciated by even himself, talents) and him and his wife’s unrelenting quest for happiness, amidst poverty.
Ricky be Ricky, and Hemingway be Hemingway.
If you like Papa's writing, you definitely need to read his account of being an expat in Paris. Even if you're not his biggest fan, this memoir is quite accessible. Don't expect great portrayals of women, but you know that going in. Do expect some excellent turns of phrase, and the whole thing is worth a read just for Papa's adventures with F Scott Fitzgerald.
If you like Papa's writing, you definitely need to read his account of being an expat in Paris. Even if you're not his biggest fan, this memoir is quite accessible. Don't expect great portrayals of women, but you know that going in. Do expect some excellent turns of phrase, and the whole thing is worth a read just for Papa's adventures with F Scott Fitzgerald.
funny
reflective
fast-paced
I bought this book in 2003 after the first time I came home from Paris. I put it on my book shelf and stared at it for quite awhile and then forgot about it. The problem, of course, is that I hate Hemingway. His stripped bare prose is just not for me. I didn't really consider reading this again until reading [b:The Paris Wife|8683812|The Paris Wife|Paula McLain|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320545874s/8683812.jpg|13556031], a fictional account of Hadley Richardson during the period she was married to Ernest Hemingway (the same period covered here). It still didn't quite happen. Then finally this year I read Naomi Wood's new novel [b:Mrs. Hemingway|18114165|Mrs. Hemingway|Naomi Wood|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1393788101s/18114165.jpg|25441395] and while I have never enjoyed Hemingway, I have always enjoyed tales about his life. Since this was tales from his life, written by the man himself, and dealing with my favorite city I decided it was far past time to read it. I guess my love of Paris won over my dislike of Hems cause I found this to be thoroughly enjoyable. Though I still don't enjoy his still, I really enjoyed the tales of his friends and experiences in a city he clearly idealizes from the early part of his career. It made me nostalgic for a time and place where I never was.