Literature-Hemingway
Since our school year started this past Monday, we thought the best thing would be to jump right back into literature, one of my favourite subjects. We started with Hemingway, whose “plainspoken, no frills writing style became so famous that is is was (and still is) frequently parodied“.
My first thoughts after reading his biography, were “I hope I can read through one of his books” due to the reviews I read. I read the two, of the two books we had gotten from the library, and I ended up reading The Old Man and The Sea-the safer choice. Apparently his books are manly and have questionable content including sensuality and language.
It is true…Hemingway wrote in a plainspoken, no frills style. Sentences are simple and straight to the point. You read the lines and that is it, with an occasional pondering or two. To me, he didn’t seem like the great writer people spoke of for it was just too plain for me, which is probably why people like him. He is a simple writer for easy, relaxing reading. The Old Man And The Sea won a Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.
I also want to say that the title says it all…The Old Man And The Sea was indeed about an old man and the sea. If you love to hear about fishing techniques, survival tips, and rough adventures, this book will entertain you.
This is probably my first and last Hemingway book. Sorry.
By: ThePainter | Book Reviews, Home Education
We had to read the Old Man and the Sea at school. I wasn’t too pleased with it either.
I, too, have read The Old Man and the Sea, and I found Hemingway’s style a bit blunt for my taste (to say the least). He was not discreet where I felt he ought be, and neither was he descriptively “frilly” where I thought he should be.
And, yes, the title says it all.
I don’t think I have ever read any Hemingway, other than maybe a few poems. Does he write poetry? Hmmm. Anyway, from the sounds of it, I don’t blame you one bit for not liking his work.
You may recall me saying that I was going to try and write a review for every book on my summer reading list? Well, I haven’t written one yet for Till We Have Faces, because my mind was just so confused and blank after reading it! I need some other opinions, and thoughts before I write my review.
Have a very bright, very cheerful day!
Miss Eyebright
I studied Hemingway for an American Literature CLEP test recently — though I didn’t actually read any of his work, the summaries were enough to steer me away.
Hope you’re having lovely day!
Kori
Thank you for your comment — it’s nice how the Lord brings inspiration for writing with simple things.
And thanks for adding me to your links, too.
Kori
I am pleased that you have read this book. I think maybe this book was for you what ‘1984′ was for me. Trying, but I wanted to finish to see if it ever got better. I am glad I read it, but for me, it was a hard read, like Moby Dick. Try to get through the Joseph Conrad book and then I may have you read Fahrenheit 451. It is a quick, creepy read.
Love you.