Anthony discusses Hemingway

What drew me towards Ernest Hemingway’s work was, I simply picked up a copy of The Old Man and The Sea, one gentle afternoon and all it took was a single paragraph.

The Writing has a simplicity to it and the symmetries in its flow are beautifully constructed. A natural writing voice that gets to the point and you know that this writer knew exactly what he was doing. I think the writing is so good that it didn’t matter what the story was, it drew me in and I felt instantly that I was in safe hands. There wasn’t any arrogance about it or any ‘look how highbrow I can go’ theme; it was written with warmth. There are some seriously long sentences but the writing voice he has created helps him get away with it. I wouldn’t necessarily pick up a book about a fisherman and his struggles but it’s the writing that grabbed me. I found the story heartbreaking and soulful. A simple clear narrative and the writing brought out the pain and struggles of the protagonist. Short chapters kept the story pressing forward. I wanted more interaction with the old fisherman and his friend, the boy because I found their interaction of youth and old to be charming. The endless positivity, the luck and hope. That’s what this book is about, it’s about hope. A brilliant read and I can see how he was given a Nobel Prize for Literature. His writing could appeal to everyone.

I am currently reading Farewell to Arms and I have tasked myself to read all of Hemingway’s work. After Farewell to Arms, it will be either A Moveable Feast or For Whom the Bells Toll. This man was a hectic of a writer, I have found it comforting and inspirational.