Лазаренко П.О.

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Здобувач освіти 1 курсу
Відокремлений структурний підрозділ « Одеський
автомобільно-дорожній фаховий коледж Національного
університету «Одеська політехніка»

Керіник: Язаджи Л.В.

Викладач, спеціаліст вищої категорії
Відокремлений структурний підрозділ « Одеський
автомобільно-дорожній фаховий коледж Національного
університету «Одеська політехніка»

«Приречений переможець»
Ернест Хемінгуей - книги американського письменника.

In 1925, Hemingway's book "In Our Times" was published for the first time. The first
real literary success came to Hemingway in 1926 after the publication of "And the
Sun Also Rises", a pessimistic but at the same time brilliant novel about the "lost
generation" of French and Spanish repatriates of the 1920s. Critics and readers
appreciated the author's style — restrained, simple, but deep and full of subtext.
Hemingway himself described his innovative writing as the "iceberg theory", where
only a small part of the plot is shown directly, and the rest remains hidden. The novel
received mixed reviews. Some critics admired the new style and the author's ability to
truthfully describe the emotional state of the postwar generation, while others
criticized the immorality and pessimism of the work, as well as the lifestyle of the
characters, who drank heavily and traveled aimlessly. However, thanks to
Hemingway's talent and sharp view of life at the time, the novel became a resonant
one and influenced the literary development of the generation. It cemented the
author's status as an innovator and made him one of the key writers of the twentieth
century.
In A Farewell to Arms (1929), Hemingway continued to explore the horrors of war,
this time drawing on his personal experience as an ambulance driver in Italy during
WWI. This semi-autobiographical love story between an American officer and a
British nurse unfolds against the brutal backdrop of the Italian front. Themes of love,
loss, and the inexorable randomness of death recur throughout the novel, highlighting
Hemingway's complex relationship with the war. The novel’s realistic depictions of
both romance and wartime trauma led to censorship in some areas, yet it became a
major critical and commercial success. For Hemingway, the book solidified his status
as a literary powerhouse, but its tragic tone mirrored his own growing disillusionment
with society and personal struggles.
In 1932, Hemingway’s nonfiction work Death in the Afternoon offered an in-depth
examination of bullfighting, a subject that fascinated him for its artistic and mortal
qualities. The book dives into Spanish bullfighting culture, reflecting Hemingway’s
admiration for traditions that confront life and death. Though some readers found it
enlightening, others criticized it as morbid and excessive. Thematically, the book
wrestles with mortality, courage, and art, subjects Hemingway felt deeply about. For
him, bullfighting exemplified life’s harsh realities, a philosophy he aimed to portray
in all his writing.
Winner Take Nothing (1933), a short story collection, presented Hemingway’s
minimalist style at its bleakest, addressing themes of isolation, despair, and existential
doubt. The stories' dark tones, including reflections on death and human frailty,
resonated with readers but also highlighted the mental struggles Hemingway faced.
The collection added a new layer of complexity to Hemingway’s public image as a
writer unafraid to tackle the dark corners of the human experience.
His 1935 work Green Hills of Africa is a nonfiction account of Hemingway’s month-
long safari in East Africa, a place that inspired and reinvigorated him. The book
captures his experiences and philosophies on writing, art, and nature, intertwined
with his own quest for authenticity. Although critics were divided—some praising the
vivid adventure narrative, others criticizing his egotism and colonial perspectives—
Hemingway remained unapologetic. The work captured his passion for Africa and
bolstered his public image as a rugged, adventurous writer.
In To Have and Have Not (1937), Hemingway diverged from his usual settings to
explore the social and economic struggles of Depression-era America. Set in Key
West and Cuba, the novel follows Harry Morgan, a fishing boat captain, as he
descends into illegal activities to support his family. It examines themes of survival,
moral compromise, and class disparity, revealing Hemingway’s awareness of social
issues. Though initially met with mixed reviews for its experimental narrative style
and dark themes, the novel later gained recognition for its gritty realism.
The Spanish Civil War inspired For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940), one of
Hemingway’s most celebrated novels, which centers on Robert Jordan, an American
dynamiter aiding Spanish guerrillas. The novel delves into the moral ambiguities of
war, sacrifice, and the impact of fascism. Its exploration of ethical conflicts and the
heavy cost of war resonated deeply with readers, especially as WWII loomed. The
book was both a commercial and critical success, and Hemingway’s personal
connection to Spain and his opposition to fascism made it a deeply personal work.
In Across the River and Into the Trees (1950), Hemingway portrays themes of aging,
lost love, and the desire to reconcile with past traumas through the story of an aging
colonel reflecting on his life and love for a young woman. The novel was panned by
critics, some viewing it as an indulgent work overshadowed by Hemingway’s own
personal struggles. The criticism deeply affected Hemingway, pushing him toward
more introspective and distilled writing, ultimately leading to his acclaimed novella
The Old Man and the Sea.
Published in 1952, The Old Man and the Sea is a triumph of Hemingway’s literary
philosophy and earned him the Pulitzer Prize. This story of Santiago, an aging Cuban
fisherman battling a giant marlin, explores themes of dignity, resilience, and
humanity’s place in nature. The novella’s success reinvigorated Hemingway’s career,
and its critical acclaim restored his confidence after previous criticisms. This final,
major work affirmed Hemingway’s ability to convey profound struggles with
minimalistic beauty, contributing to his Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.
Finally, A Moveable Feast (1964), published posthumously, is Hemingway’s
nostalgic memoir of his early years as a writer in 1920s Paris. The book provides an
intimate view into Hemingway’s formative experiences, friendships with literary
giants, and early career struggles. Widely loved by readers, it reveals Hemingway’s
idealized memories of Paris and offers a glimpse of his relationships with figures like
F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein. For readers, it preserved Hemingway’s legacy
as a key figure in the American expatriate community, despite his complex
relationships with those he wrote about.
These books reflect the evolution of Hemingway’s literary style and personal
philosophy, illustrating his complex relationship with war, love, nature, and mortality.
Each work reveals a different facet of Hemingway’s life and artistic journey,
capturing the mind of a writer who experienced life with intense conviction and
whose impact on literature remains profound.
Sources
1)Baker, Carlos. Hemingway: The Writer as Artist. Princeton University Press, 1972.
2)Meyers, Jeffrey. Hemingway: A Biography. Da Capo Press, 1999.
3)Bloom, Harold. Ernest Hemingway. Infobase Publishing, 2005.
4)Wagner-Martin, Linda. Ernest Hemingway: A Literary Life. Palgrave Macmillan,
2007.
5)Reynolds, Michael. Hemingway's Reading, 1910-1940: An Inventory. Princeton
University Press, 1981.
6) Ernest Hemingway. (2023, October 12). In Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Hemingway