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cdins17's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Favorite quotes -
It will turn the fat from you soul
- Now he would never write the things that he had saved to write until he knew enough to write them well. Well, he would not have to fail at trying to write them either. Maybe you could never write them, and that was why you put them off and delayed the starting. Well he would never know, now.
- Each day of not writing, of comfort, of being that which he despised, dulled his ability and softened his will to work so that, finally, he did no work at all.
It will turn the fat from you soul
- Now he would never write the things that he had saved to write until he knew enough to write them well. Well, he would not have to fail at trying to write them either. Maybe you could never write them, and that was why you put them off and delayed the starting. Well he would never know, now.
- Each day of not writing, of comfort, of being that which he despised, dulled his ability and softened his will to work so that, finally, he did no work at all.
m4rtalina's review against another edition
dark
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
sha123's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
noel_rene_cisneros's review against another edition
4.0
Un hombre derrotado ante su propia vida, sus aspiraciones, sufre la agonía en medio de la sábana africana. En esta narración Hemingway da una lección de su estilo, en el cual se narran los hechos de manera normal, casi superficial, mientras el drama humano transcurre en el fondo.
thoughton98's review against another edition
5.0
At this stage I think I’m just starting to love Hemingway as an author, but this is another fine example of writing in general. Set on the eponymous mountain slopes, a man is dying of gangrene much to the horror and sadness of his wife who offers him comfort. What then ensues is a brilliant dream-like exploration into his gradual descent into death, culminating in a somber ending. Likewise, the dialogue is written masterfully and really makes the audience empathise with the characters. My favourite short story? I’m not sure. But it’s up there.
rickwren's review against another edition
5.0
Hemingway at his absolute best in short fiction . .. powerful, simple, raw. Loved it.
margaux's review against another edition
3.0
So I finally finished this book... after putting it down for more than 3 months. I read it because Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea was one of my unexpected favourites this year and I wanted to read some of his short stories. I could say that it was well worth the read, if only for the story "A Clean, Well-lighted Place" which really struck a chord with me. I also liked "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" and "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber" which are actually quite similar since they have the same setting and even share some plot devices.
So, what took me so long to finish this book when it was only a mere 154 pages? Well, I did not particularly like the Nick Adams stories and I was practically falling asleep every time I read one. In fact I would have forgotten that I was still reading this if not for my goodreads list.
In sum, the stories in this collection are a hit-and-miss for me which explains the 3-star rating. I find that I love when Hemingway writes about loneliness and desolation as portrayed so succinctly by the following quote:
"...It was not fear or dread. It was a nothing that he knew too well. It was all a nothing and a man was nothing too. It was only that and light was all it needed and a certain cleanness and order. Some lived in it and never felt it but he knew it was all nada y pues nada y nada y pues nada..."
Needless to say I'll definitely be reading more of Papa's works in the future.
So, what took me so long to finish this book when it was only a mere 154 pages? Well, I did not particularly like the Nick Adams stories and I was practically falling asleep every time I read one. In fact I would have forgotten that I was still reading this if not for my goodreads list.
In sum, the stories in this collection are a hit-and-miss for me which explains the 3-star rating. I find that I love when Hemingway writes about loneliness and desolation as portrayed so succinctly by the following quote:
"...It was not fear or dread. It was a nothing that he knew too well. It was all a nothing and a man was nothing too. It was only that and light was all it needed and a certain cleanness and order. Some lived in it and never felt it but he knew it was all nada y pues nada y nada y pues nada..."
Needless to say I'll definitely be reading more of Papa's works in the future.
scarletranger's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Hemingway can craft a sentence like no other. The prose is wonderful, the stories rare entertaining yet meaningful, and the characters are unforgettable.
dirtbagdemimonde's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0