This fictionalized book tracks the love affair and subsequent marriage between Ernest Hemmingway and his first wife Hadley Richardson. They married when Hemmingway was very young (early 20's) and Hadley was approaching 30. They live in a world that it is hard to imagine inhabiting if you are not an artist. There is the obvious drinking, but also the affairs and betrayals. Hadley herself is much more traditional than the other artists (who include F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein) and believes in true love. This will be put to the test through their bohemian lifestyle.
It was some of the little things in this book that I found particularly fascinating. Hemmingway and Richardson were seemingly dirt poor and yet had a nanny to look after their baby. They also seemed to take epic vacations; although these seemed to occasionally to be funded on the backs of other "trust fund" artists.
I thought that this book was a great read, one that I found it difficult to put down (also fun to learn a little more about the early Hemmingway and how his work evolved). This is an all-occasions book! Do give it a go--it won't disappoint.
5/5 Stars
This book reminds me of Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast" - the bohemian lifestyle, the cafes, the food, Paris... Your review piqued my curiosity. I will keep an eye out for it.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely do...and I will try to get my hands on "A Moveable Feast" as well. Might make for some interesting comparisons at our book club.
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