A book written about the relationships of Hemingway with the significant women in his life, by a woman, seemed almost repulsive, but in that time between books when anything will do, this got a quick glance that lead to a complete read.
The book, The Hemingway Women, was written by Bernice Kert, released in 1998 and is about 400 pages long.
Per Ms. Kert, the dominant figure in Ernest Hemingway's life was his mother, a domineering woman who came from money. This relationship while very close in childhood grew to the son's embarrassment as an adult and hatred following the death of his father.
Ernest Hemingway, as a young man on adventure in Italy during WW1, met and fell in love with Jane Kendall Mason, who as an older woman moved on, putting the first scars on the young author, something he hints upon in the novel The Sun Also Rises.
After Mason, the emerging author married Hadley Richardson, a thoughtful woman who was careful to protect his freedom to write and bore his first son. Hemingway, enthralled with the exciting life in Europe following WW1, started an affair with his next wife. After an eventual divorce he wrote A Moveable Feast in which Richardson is the main feminine character.
Bride number two was Pauline Pfeiffer who came from money, and bore him more sons. Pfeiffer did knowingly be aggressive with the married author while all three were friendly in France. As Hemingway's wife Pfeiffer was present and deeply involved in the purchase and development of the home in Key West. This is where Hemingway worked on his man among men persona. This marriage seemed to be his most contentious, as the author was reaching middle age and fearing loss of connection with the excitement of living dangerously.
Ernest's third wife was Martha Gelhorn, who he met while married and living in Key west. Gelhorn was herself a published author, and again from a family with money. The attraction between the two seemed to center on their similar side careers as foreign correspondents. In the end Ernest's competitiveness, and Martha's need for independence were at odds, the two broke during WW2 while both were in Europe. Of course not before EH hooked up with wife number 4.
This introduces bride number 4, an American correspondent met while both were in in England during WW2. Mary Welsh hung in there to the bitter end, even while Ernest carried on an affair with a 19 year old Italian girl (EH was in his 50's), named Adriana Ivancich.
During his fourth marriage Mary and Ernest went on safari in Africa. On this extended vacation Ernest was a surviving victim in two plane crashes. Poor care and a stubborn patient allowed the effect of an undiagnosed concussion to worsen. Ernest Hemingway was started on the mental descent that culminated with his 1961 suicide in Ketchum Idaho.
The book was much better than expected. You should expect that such a book, written from the perspective of a woman concentrating on the women of Hemingway's life, can lean to a negative concussion about the man. This reader is inclined to believe the negative light on Hemingway as it is quite clear from other indicators, such as Hemingway's youngest son becoming a incomplete transgender woman, that Ernest Hemingway was a pig who treated women badly.
I still think that The Old Man and the Sea is one of the most enthralling books I have ever read.
If you are interested in Hemingway's life, this wouldn't be a bad second book to read, that being after a more standard biography.
More
The book, The Hemingway Women, was written by Bernice Kert, released in 1998 and is about 400 pages long.
Per Ms. Kert, the dominant figure in Ernest Hemingway's life was his mother, a domineering woman who came from money. This relationship while very close in childhood grew to the son's embarrassment as an adult and hatred following the death of his father.
Ernest Hemingway, as a young man on adventure in Italy during WW1, met and fell in love with Jane Kendall Mason, who as an older woman moved on, putting the first scars on the young author, something he hints upon in the novel The Sun Also Rises.
After Mason, the emerging author married Hadley Richardson, a thoughtful woman who was careful to protect his freedom to write and bore his first son. Hemingway, enthralled with the exciting life in Europe following WW1, started an affair with his next wife. After an eventual divorce he wrote A Moveable Feast in which Richardson is the main feminine character.
Bride number two was Pauline Pfeiffer who came from money, and bore him more sons. Pfeiffer did knowingly be aggressive with the married author while all three were friendly in France. As Hemingway's wife Pfeiffer was present and deeply involved in the purchase and development of the home in Key West. This is where Hemingway worked on his man among men persona. This marriage seemed to be his most contentious, as the author was reaching middle age and fearing loss of connection with the excitement of living dangerously.
Ernest's third wife was Martha Gelhorn, who he met while married and living in Key west. Gelhorn was herself a published author, and again from a family with money. The attraction between the two seemed to center on their similar side careers as foreign correspondents. In the end Ernest's competitiveness, and Martha's need for independence were at odds, the two broke during WW2 while both were in Europe. Of course not before EH hooked up with wife number 4.
This introduces bride number 4, an American correspondent met while both were in in England during WW2. Mary Welsh hung in there to the bitter end, even while Ernest carried on an affair with a 19 year old Italian girl (EH was in his 50's), named Adriana Ivancich.
During his fourth marriage Mary and Ernest went on safari in Africa. On this extended vacation Ernest was a surviving victim in two plane crashes. Poor care and a stubborn patient allowed the effect of an undiagnosed concussion to worsen. Ernest Hemingway was started on the mental descent that culminated with his 1961 suicide in Ketchum Idaho.
The book was much better than expected. You should expect that such a book, written from the perspective of a woman concentrating on the women of Hemingway's life, can lean to a negative concussion about the man. This reader is inclined to believe the negative light on Hemingway as it is quite clear from other indicators, such as Hemingway's youngest son becoming a incomplete transgender woman, that Ernest Hemingway was a pig who treated women badly.
I still think that The Old Man and the Sea is one of the most enthralling books I have ever read.
If you are interested in Hemingway's life, this wouldn't be a bad second book to read, that being after a more standard biography.
More
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