A review by bellist
The Nick Adams Stories by Ernest Hemingway

adventurous lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This is a collection of short stories and snippets of writing about Nick Adams, a character of Hemingway’s whose life experiences closely mirror his own. They’re mostly set in northern Michigan, though he’s a soldier in Europe during WWI in one set of stories, and span Nick’s youth through and his early fatherhood. Some stories are less engaging than others, but many offer vivid descriptions of Michigan’s landscape and serve as a kind of time capsule of what life was like there, and what the land looked like, in the early 20th century. That’s what I value most about them. Also, his subtle humor is often cheeky and entertaining. But the way he writes characters of color, especially Native and Black people, is racist and difficult to read. Overall, the collection offers a well-rounded jaunt through Hemingway’s writing style and a nice glimpse at his formative years, but it’s reflective of both the irredeemable and the interesting perspectives of his demographic and generation.  

Standouts: The Last Good Country, Summer People, In Another Country