This was the first book I checked out from the library on my Kindle. Pretty exciting. Though I was in the middle of another novel at the time, I abandoned it as library check outs have a shorter check out time. I thought it was 14 days, but turns out it is 21.
Synopsis: This is a fictionalization of the life of Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley. (Or at least I think that is her name since those two used so many different nicknames for each other.) It starts with a slight foreshadowing, then launches into their meeting, courtship, and subsequent marriage. There are a few mentions of their earlier and almost equally sad lives leading up to their meeting. For example, both of their fathers committed suicide. Their relationship is simultaneously passionate and pedestrian. Their marriage is rapid and lovely and doomed.
I admit to not knowing all that much about Hemingway beforehand, thus cannot tell you how ‘truthful’ this account is. Honestly, I wasn’t too interested in the subject beforehand, but after hearing so much about it (and it being available for Kindle check out) I caved. And I’m glad I did. I read this in about 4 days, which is great for me as lately I’ve been in a non-reading funk. I became invested in Hadley’s story, even though I knew how it would play out. I enjoyed the famous supporting characters like Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein. I was a tad surprised by the group’s openness to extra marital affairs and homosexuality. I’ll admit that the end had me tearing up, and it has been a very long time since that has happened.
There were a few passages that I highlighted. One quote:
“In the end, there wasn’t one thing about him that was truer than the rest. It was all true.”
That gave me pause. It really made me think about how different people view each other differently. Someone may see me as a horrible person that shoved her son into the lion’s den by allowing him to wear that costume while others may see me as a beacon of hope. And the truth is I am neither and both. We are so many things to so many people.
The only Hemingway I can remember reading is The Old Man and the Sea. I read it in high school and don’t remember enjoying it. Perhaps I owe the man another try, though I didn’t particularly like him.
4 out of 5 stars.
My #fridayreads this week :
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Tinkers by Paul Harding
Library checkouts:
Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
Shine - Lauren Myracle
The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell
We Need To Talk About Kevin - Lionel Shriver
Chime - Franny Billingsley
The Weed That Strings The Hangman’s Bag - Alan Bradley
A Red Herring Without Mustard - Alan Bradley
Nemesis - Jo Nesbø
I’m on page 89 - loving it. Just finished James Lee Burke’s “Feast Day of Fools” - which had me thinking about you a lot. Great story. Cops, robbers, coyotes and other fools - a great read.
I struggled with this read after awhile because Hadley was portrayed in such a bland manner. I never really figured out why Ernest Hemingway declared her to be such a love of his life.
Have you read A Moveable Feast? My mom read that at the same time as I was reading The Paris Wife — we had some interesting discussions. She did read the Paris Wife eventually, but had a different take on Hadley. I wonder if it is was not because she had already read Hemingway’s point of view first.
I will say this — I really want to re-read The Sun Also Rises now! It has always been one of my favorite reads anyway and I can’t wait to see what I can glean after reading some of the backstory in which it was written!
I’m reading this too, only about a third of the way through, but I am enjoying it. I think Hadley has a really engaging narrative voice that seems very relatable and modern without being anachronistic. I also haven’t read Hemingway for years and also wasn’t a huge fan when I did, but I am surprised at how tender and vulnerable this book makes him seem, as my impression as far as I remember is of a terse, closed-up, macho man.