Ernest Hemingway is overrated.

So, I just started reading "A Farewell to Arms", and I must say it's not very well written.

Is there something I'm missing? Because I know how everyone always raves about Ernest Hemingway, but so far I'm not impressed at all. I'm not going to judge the actual story just yet, as I just started the book, but just as far as the writing, it kind of sucks.

 

Arms!

 

"All things truly wicked start from innocence". Ernest Hemingway

 

He's not so earnest.

 

The Old Man and the Sea is one of the worst books I ever read in school. Ugh.

 

I've always hated Hemingway, all the way through being forced to read "The Old Man and the Sea" "The Sun Also Rises" and a billion short stories that fall nothing short of torture.

In my American Writers class this semester, I braced myself for more Hemingway, which I knew was to come. I was right. "In Our Time" struck from nowhere. But surprisingly, I didn't mind it as much as his other stuff.

My professor said, after I complained about Hemingway in general, that his appeal lies in his blunt way of speaking, and how the most average reader can understand what he's getting at. But it gets confusing when upper-level readers have to "dumb it down" to get at him. I totally agree, A lot of times he makes terrible writer mistakes, as well, like when he doesn't quote what people say in "The Sun Also Rises", he gets the speakers mixed up and gives the wrong lines to the wrong people.

But yeaa, I don't like Hemingway, even though "In Our Time" wasn't too torturous. I blame his alcoholic tendencies.

 

Bite your tongues. Bite them!

 

I like the one with the Fahrenheit mixup

 

I never thought Hemmigway was a particularly good writer, but I've always enjoyed his storytelling. The older I've gotten, the more I've appreciated his stories, too.

 

That is one of my favorite books of all time.


You are dead to me.

 

Oh thank god!

 

lol

 

The only book by Hemingway I've ever liked was "A Moveable Feast," and that was because it was mostly him talking trash about all his friends and neighbors. He would've made a great JCC poster. He and Gertrude Stein could have created fabulously distracting A/W dramah.

"The Sun Also Rises" makes me want to kill myself, however. Maybe it made him feel that way too. Having written "The Sun Also Rises" went to work on him a little bit every day until he finally snapped.

Finally, "The Old Man And The Sea" reminds me of a Tom Clancy novel with shorter sentences and with all the interesting parts removed. In places, you could easily insert recipes or instructions for small DIY home projects and the difference would barely be noticeable.


And that is all the lousy things I have to say about Ernest Hemingway today.

 

Souderwan is a Jesus allegory?

 

I think he's a sexist, misogynistic pig, but I love his writing.

 

So he's like 90% of famous historical figures?

 

His books bored me. *shrug*

 

I've only read The Old Man and the Sea, which I didn't care for. But I'll reserve judgment on the overall author until I've read more. For instance I love Steinbeck, and consider Of Mice and Men and Grapes of Wrath to be incredible, but think East of Eden is pretentious and annoying.

Scummy

 

That's because East of Eden is absolute tosh


Oh Hemmingway. I used to think he was so good. And now I hate his stupid fat drunken guts.

 

I must be the only one here who liked The Old Man and the Sea.

 

F Scott Fitzgerald>Ernest Hemingway IMHO and that's not just with Gatsby

 

The only good thing about A farewell to Arms is that is is good in puns.

 

Yes, I believe so. Apparently there's some sense in the JCC. TOMATS was awful.