A Year Reading Hemingway

Okay, Here goes. This is to follow up on my post from last week, where I wrote, in parentheses, “And I want to read all of Hemingway’s stuff.”

Well.

Challenge accepted.

The Details: What I’m Reading

Over the course of this year, 2018, I have decided (for no particular reason other than that I feel like it), to read all of Ernest Hemingway’s stuff.

Books. Short stories. Whatever articles of his are still out there. His writing insights. You name it.

Maybe it’s because I like what I’ve read so far. Maybe it’s because I want to become a better writer.

Anyway, whatever my reasons, I’m doing it.

First up? The Sun Also Rises. I’m almost done with it. The Torrents of Spring is probably next, since that was also published in 1926. Then I’ll switch gears and check out a few short stories and On Writing, then keep on reading the novels, roughly in order.

I’ve already read A Farewell to Arms, parts of the memoir A Moveable Feast, and a couple of his short stories, like “The Snows of Kilimanjaro,” so I’ve got a bit of a head start.

Well, sort of.

Here’s the kicker: If I’ve already read it, I’m still going to reread it. No skipping stuff; that’s the rule.

(He wrote a lot of short stories, so this may take a while, i.e. a good chunk of 2018.)

Initial Thoughts

What do I think of The Sun Also Rises? 

Well.

I’ll say this: the dialogue drew me right in, and got me invested in what was going on with the characters. I could almost hear Brett’s and Jake’s voices.

And the descriptions in the book are, as is typical of Hemingway, stark, but just enough to give you a sense of the setting. “…the wood of the roof cracked and split by the weather…” or “passed the locked doors of the shops, their windows lighted…” or even “He was sitting at the table smoking a cigar.”

It’s just enough to bring a mental image to the surface and have the reader fill in the gaps. I know not everyone cares for that particular style, but I’m into it.

I’ll save some of my critical reader/writer impressions for later, after I’ve read more of his stuff. And like I’ve written before, I’m not a literary scholar, so I’m not going to go on and on with analysis and pretend to know what I’m talking about. (In the tradition of Hemingway, I’ll keep it brief.)

Hemingway for Writers: What I’ve Learned So Far

If you’re a writer and you’ve never heard of Hemingway’s iceberg theory, look it up. Right now. Do it! It will make you a better writer, in my opinion, and fits nicely with that whole writerly “show, don’t tell” mantra.

There is a certain magic that can exist between writer and reader. It happens when the writer only reveals so much to give the reader a chance to figure things out for themselves. It’s a level of respect–and a writing skill–developed over time. Hemingway knew what he was doing there.

So I did a little experiment. I started checking parts of my fiction writing against the iceberg theory, and ended up surprised at some of the stuff I cut out.

The result? What I hope is sharper, more engaging prose and dialogue, and stronger character voices. And, eventually, for future readers, a higher level of trust in their ability to use their imaginations.

And with that in mind, I’m off to go read something else.

Want to join me in my 2018 reading challenge, whether it’s Hemingway or another author of your choice who you’ve been wanting to read for a while? Comment below–I’d love to hear about it!

Reference:

Hemingway, Ernest, The Sun Also Rises. New York: Scribner, 1926. Reprint, New York: Scribner, 2006. Page references are to the 2006 edition. Quotes are from pages 117, 23, and 69, respectively. Edition pictured above.