I’m in the midst of suffering through Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls. I’ve often proclaimed quite vehemently that I dislike Hemingway. Most of this was based on whatever the hell Mrs. Vold made me read in 11th grade English class. I can’t even remember what we read, I do remember that I hated it. I also hated Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine though I cannot remember why.
Since RP2006 involved reading ‘the classics’ I thought I’d give ol’ Ernie another shot. It has proven quite painful.
Jodi’s Crackpot Lit-Theory #43 states that the only chicks who actually dig Hemingway are only saying so to impress those guys who actually dig Hemingway. It seems that mostly men dig the crusty old guy (which totally proves Jodi’s Crackpot Theory #182, men dislike anything super emotional).
Of course when I spouted out that theory at my last writing group meeting, Jags immediately started to talk about how much she loved Hemingway. hrmph! And if you knew Jags, you’d know she’s not the kind of woman to proclaim to like someone as lame as Hemingway just to impress some guy.
Jags said she liked Hemingway because his writing was so sparse. I agree. But where she sees sparseness that leads to great emotion, I see sparseness that leaves me cold because it lacks any warmth of emotion. And, really to be frank, I don’t give a flying fuck about a bunch of Commies trying to blow up a bridge in some Spanish Mountains (again, war and blowing up stuff is boy stuff), and why don’t I care? Because Hemingway sucks rocks.
So anyway, this was all brought to my mind because I got some Spam. The subject line of this Spam is what drives me so nuts about Hemingway, because he writes bullshit circular crap like this (the subject line from the Spam):
Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.
Totally Hemingway. Totally bullshit.
Aw, come on. Love being the desire to be desired? That’s not half bad claptrap. It’s like his “What is moral is what you feel good after.” and “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
And saying Hemingway sucks rocks because he writes about boy stuff - now THAT is running with the bulls, baby!
18 May 06 at 8:38 pm #i like to run with the bulls.
19 May 06 at 10:22 am #Question: When a guy gets told something devastating, and all he does is get really quiet and take deep, even breaths, do you think here’s anything going on up in his head? To you, does it show that hes not able to process it? Because to me I see a man about to break down in tears, but can’t cry because of the societal for men not to cry. I see a man re-adjusting his entire life like he’s playing a giant Tetris game: Childhood scars long forgotten are revealed again and other concerns fade away into the pile of missed opportunities much like crepe paper in a firepit.
Perhaps unless you have it tangibly explained what every nuance means, you use the opportunity to insert preconceptions and your own emotions. Perhaps if you put it in the same framed mental perspective you put your favorite authors in, you might enjoy a passage or two.
19 May 06 at 12:03 pm #But, i would argue that in hemingway there are no nuances.
19 May 06 at 1:18 pm #No nuances at all, or none that you like/see?
19 May 06 at 3:42 pm #The only Hemmingway I ever enjoyed was the posthumously published “A Movable Feast,” which was basically a memoir of his life on the Left Bank and his friendships with Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
And I think that’s mainly cause I have huge writer crush on Mr. Fitzgerald, the far more talented of that duo.
22 May 07 at 9:11 am #Now, that sounds like some Hemingway I could get into. I too have the hots for Fitz. Who doesn’t?
22 May 07 at 9:13 am #Great minds. In all seriousness, any writer will devour A Movable Feast. It’ll make you want to go to Paris.
22 May 07 at 9:40 am #Okay, it’s next up on my audible queue. If I ever finish the interminable Fear of Flying, I’ll listen to that next.
I don’t know if I can actually waste paper-book time on Hemingway, so I’m gonna audiobook it.
22 May 07 at 9:44 am #Excellent. I expect a full report.
22 May 07 at 12:19 pm #Jodi, Jodi, Jodi,
01 Jul 07 at 6:30 pm #Ernest “Write hard & clear about what hurts” Hemingway is indeed a great writer, which dispells your ridiculous gender specific argument: Whaddaya know? Girls luv Papa Hemingway too!!
Jodi, there’s a bull with your name on it.
I’m a guy, and I like over emotional things. It isn’t what tells the story, but it is the one that flavors it. Hemmingway talks in plain english, which is what some people prefer: simplicity, and not overly analytical. It’s fine that you have criticism for another author, but please learn the different styles of writing. In other words, become cultured.
27 Jul 07 at 10:34 pm #well, as a history, philosophy, psychology, and english major, i can honestly say that hemingway is a talletnless hack. he thought he was better than tolstoy, than dosteyeski, than kafka, come on…get over yourself you jock misogynist. fitzgerald, henry james=far better.
05 Nov 07 at 1:08 am #Yes, Hemingway is such illiterate crap. Even when he writes well, it is for evil purposes, and totally existentialist. I mean “To Have or Not Have” the so-called hero Harry Morgan is a stone-cold killer. And there is no morality in the story whatsoever. See http://lit-critter.blogspot.com/2007/11/starting-my-literature-criticism-blog.html
26 Nov 07 at 9:44 am #