Originally published at: https://danieldavidwallace.com/2010/11/24/hemingway-and-books-about-nothing/
Any contemporary writer wanting to write a novel about the meaningless of modern life, the routine of hanging out in cafes, the sensation of having just enough money to never need to work that hard, the feeling that time is passing worthlessly—and the loss of moral sense this kind of lifestyle implies—faces a big problem:…
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Truly, Daniel, I don’t think I can make myself read it. I have always intended doing so, but despair is not something I want to indulge in, either vicariously or in reality. Maybe that’s why I didn’t do my PhD in English!
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I love the imagery, making it so easy for the reader to feel they’re watching the scene with their own eyes. I must admit, however, like @tannislaidlaw, I’ve never read any of Hemmingway’s novels, nor do I feel motivated to do so (perhaps showing my lack of literary sophistication?) Maybe now I’ll make the effort … Time!
Off topic entirely but I just wanted to share … I do love a Hemingway daquiari (I believe made from his time in the Carribean (sp?)), and his fame was one of many reasons we bought our house (I live on Hemingway Place).
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I love Hemingway. My favorites are The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Old Man and the Sea. His prose is raw and succinct. There’s always a sad existence in his stories. It’s not tangible, he doesn’t come out and say it, but you can feel it. His books are a great study in sentence structure and delivery.
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While shopping at Goodwill, I found a copy of Earnest Heminway’s entire collection of short stories. I’m excited to give it a read asap.
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