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Ernest Hemingway: A Writer's Life
The name Ernest Hemingway conjures up vivid images: grand adventurer, big-game hunter, bullfight aficionado, and writer. Hemingway is considered one of the greatest writers in modern history, and his novels and stories are read, studied, and imitated around the world. His concise prose style earned him both a Pulitzer and a Nobel Prize. But Hemingway also had a temper and a fondness for drinking and carousing that caused his work to suffer. He was a complex man, a hotheaded starter of arguments and a romantic who married four times. He, perhaps more than any other American writer, truly lived what he wrote.
All this makes for a fascinating read. Author Catherine Reef has crafted a compelling biography that is not only a highly enjoyable account of an extraordinary life, but an accessible and tempting introduction to the work of one of our most revered--and sometimes reviled--American icons.
All this makes for a fascinating read. Author Catherine Reef has crafted a compelling biography that is not only a highly enjoyable account of an extraordinary life, but an accessible and tempting introduction to the work of one of our most revered--and sometimes reviled--American icons.
183 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Catherine Reef
59 books46 followersCatherine Reef is the author of more than 35 nonfiction books for young people. Her books for Clarion include the highly acclaimed JOHN STEINBECK and SIGMUND FREUD, which was the recipient of the 2002 Sydney Taylor Award, presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries. She lives in College Park, Maryland.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 17, 2009
An excellent overview of Hemingway, marketed to young adults yet perfectly appropriate for someone like myself who knows virtually nothing about him and doesn't particularly like his writing. Two things stood out for me: the unbelievably cruel letter his mother wrote to him when he was an adolescent, and the fact that his youngest son started drinking at age 11, at his father's encouragement.
May 5, 2011
I really enjoyed this book! Inspiring, poignant, and tragic! He LIVED his life! From skiing in Switzerland to bull fights in Spain to deep sea fishing in Key West and Cuba! He travelled the world to report on war and was there during Spain's Revolution and in France for the invasion in Normandy! Yet he drank a lot, suffered from depression (a family illness), and was a very selfish person! He was also one of the greatest writers we gave ever seen!
Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.
Ernest Hemingway
Courage is grace under pressure.
Ernest Hemingway
You can wipe out your opponents. But if you do it unjustly you become eligible for being wiped out yourself.
Ernest Hemingway
Madame, all stories, if continued far enough, end in death, and he is no true-story teller who would keep that from you.
Ernest Hemingway
Never confuse movement with action.
Ernest Hemingway
Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.
Ernest Hemingway
Courage is grace under pressure.
Ernest Hemingway
You can wipe out your opponents. But if you do it unjustly you become eligible for being wiped out yourself.
Ernest Hemingway
Madame, all stories, if continued far enough, end in death, and he is no true-story teller who would keep that from you.
Ernest Hemingway
Never confuse movement with action.
Ernest Hemingway
September 21, 2010
hemingway is not my favorite authors, but catherine reef's retelling of his life is well done in my book.
October 27, 2021
#audiobook
Thank you Catherine Reef. I really enjoyed your book. You wrote it as it was, no-frills, no author fluff, no adding your own 'art,' and THAT's the best ART. Very much like the man in question wrote. I feel, listening to this, I've done a great service to one of America's best-known authors.
Thank you Catherine Reef. I really enjoyed your book. You wrote it as it was, no-frills, no author fluff, no adding your own 'art,' and THAT's the best ART. Very much like the man in question wrote. I feel, listening to this, I've done a great service to one of America's best-known authors.
December 7, 2022
This was well done, a good presentation of his life and times. Hemingway does not come across as having been all that balanced, or the least bit likeable. Having never found much of a reason to read him, I appreciated the author here adding summaries of his books and stories. One in particular stood out that I will now find and read.
September 18, 2021
A fine book. A very good introduction to the famous writer though probably a bit to nice to the man. Would highly recommend it to someone who is interested in the writer but not a die hard fan yet. Also would be great for high schoolers who want to be exposed for the first time to Hemingway.
August 18, 2020
This was for the Women's Art Club book club
May 9, 2014
A concise and well written biography of one of the greatest writers of our times, Ernest Hemingway. It is a look into his world comprised of being an adventurer, soldier, war correspondent, big-game hunter, bullfight expert, fisherman and writer. He also married four times and each of his marriages reveal another layer of this very complex man who ended up taking his own life. I enjoyed learning about his process for writing which he learned early from Pete Wellington, his boss at Hemingway's first job as a reporter for the "Star" in Kansas City. "Use short sentences. Use short first paragraphs. Use vigorous English. Be positive, not negative". He never forgot these lessons and applied them to everything he wrote throughout his life and it worked. He lived and visited many places throughout the world - Paris, Key West, Spain, Africa, Cuba, Toronto, Idaho to name a few and it was interesting to see these places through his eyes. Although not official, many feel he suffered from bi-polar and certainly he was a heavy drinker so he was not always an easy person to be around. In any case, a short interesting read about an extraordinary man.
November 20, 2010
Required Category - Nonfiction
Reef has a wonderful, conversational voice when addressing a young adult audience, but her book was just too long to be accessible to that audience. Hemingway is an interesting subject anyway, and Reef brought to life the stories of his life, especially his youth, and used photos well throughout. The book looks like a coffee table book, fat and packed with info. It turned me off a little as an adult reader; it would probably completely shut down a high schooler.
However, the book would be a fun and useful resource for broader research. I just don't see a teenager sitting down and reading it cover to cover.
Reef has a wonderful, conversational voice when addressing a young adult audience, but her book was just too long to be accessible to that audience. Hemingway is an interesting subject anyway, and Reef brought to life the stories of his life, especially his youth, and used photos well throughout. The book looks like a coffee table book, fat and packed with info. It turned me off a little as an adult reader; it would probably completely shut down a high schooler.
However, the book would be a fun and useful resource for broader research. I just don't see a teenager sitting down and reading it cover to cover.
May 6, 2010
A biography of Hemingway by the author of last year’s book about e.e. cummings, this book does not disappoint. Covering the author’s childhood, marriage, career, and death in less than 200 pages, Reef give a pretty clear picture of what his life was like. There are passages that explain the background and influences for his most famous works. The text is interspersed with family photos and the 13 pages of endnotes and 5 page bibliography shows that the text was well researched. An enjoyable read and well indexed to make it useful for research.
January 6, 2010
Good look at Hemingway's life, with no glossing over the rougher parts of his personality or home life. Interesting stuff; there was a lot I thought I knew about him but even more I did not, and what a life he lived!
April 19, 2010
A wonderful overview (for teens) of Hemingway's life and how it affected his writing. Layout is beautiful, with lots of pictures. I've always been fascinated with Hemingway, though I'm sure I wouldn't have liked him much. ;) Fun to read before my trip to Key West, too.
February 9, 2010
An informative and interesting biography that is aimed for teenagers. I can't imagine any teenager being interested in reading it though as it is unlikely a teen will have read enough Hemingway to understand his influence in literature. Well researched.
October 8, 2013
A very readable biography. There were several areas where I think she could have followed through with some more analyses. Gone more in depth on his writing, but alas this did not happen and left the reader wondering. Overall not a bad book...
February 26, 2014
There is no genre I enjoy more than juvenile biographies and this one is a gem. Filled with good photographs, carefully researched and kept objective, it is an excellent guide to the life of a difficult, brilliant, controversial American writer.
October 19, 2009
Why does every great man have to be SO flawed?
March 17, 2010
Excellent biography of Hemingway aimed at teens. Would be great for a research report in middle or high school.
February 3, 2013
Nice tribute to his life and worth reading.
April 29, 2015
Very informative book about Ernest Hemingway. A good book to read after The Paris Wife.
March 19, 2016
A quick overview of Hemingway's Life. More of a snapshot than a portrait.
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April 8, 2016A very concise look at Hemingway's life, suitable for a YA audience. HEmingway the man is almost (or more) intriguing than the characters he creeated.
January 25, 2017
In-depth and enjoyable look at Papa Hemingway's life.
September 1, 2013
Interesting but not super
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews