The works of Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway, who lived and breathed literature and put some of his core interests such as sports and his life experiences in the war (he served on the ambulance unit in Italy during World War I) to paper, began his career as a newspaper writer in Kansas City and even lived briefly in Cuba before his failing mental health caused him to leave.
The writer, who also doubled as a journalist, ultimately succumbed to his long battle with depression and alcoholism but left behind a rich legacy and countless works that were unfinished and posthumously released to the public, some of which we will explore through this post.
List of Ernest Hemingway Books
From Whom the Bell Tolls
The Sun Also Rises
A Farewell to Arms
A Moveable Feast
The Old Man and the Sea
To Have and Have Not
Islands in the Stream
Death in the Afternoon
Green Hills of Africa
Men Without Women
The Nick Adams Stories
The Garden of Eden
From Whom the Bell Tolls
Published in the year 1940, Hemingway brings to us the story of Robert Jordan, an American who knows Spanish and is stationed in Spain during the Civil War. Jordan is assigned to blow up a bridge and is also a part of the International Brigades, a group of Communist volunteers who fought for independence in the raging war between democracy and fascism. The novel is also noted for the inclusion of a quote from the poem- No Man is an island- which acts as an introduction of sorts to the book itself.
The Sun Also Rises
This 1926 novel centers around the lost generation- youth whose lives were changed or damaged irrevocably due to the first World war. Jake Barnes suffers an injury due to which he cannot become physically intimate with the love of his life, Lady Brett Ashley, who spurns his advances. His heart is further broken by her affair with the Princeton educated, rich Jew Robert Cohn while on a trip to Spain.
A Farewell to Arms
Published in 1929 and set in Italy during World War I, the success of this book made Hemingway financially dependent as well as a household name. It follows lieutenant Frederic Henry who works as an ambulance driver during the war. He falls head over heels in love with a nurse named Catherine in Milan during his recovery period after he’s wounded by shrapnel. After successfully seducing her, they continue their love story, but a tragedy strikes the couple, putting their romance at risk.
A Moveable Feast
Hemingway’s memoir which was published in 1964 and encapsulates the journalist and writers 20s that were spent in Paris. There are references galore to b famous figures whom he met via his wife Hadley Richardson.
The Old Man and the Sea
This well-known short novel earned Hemingway a Pulitzer for its exploration of themes centering around man’s conflict with nature and with himself, perseverance, courage, and life experience. Set in 1950 in Prayer of Havana, Cuba, the story revolves around Santiago, who meets his match with a large fish. Santiago has been defeated by both the fish and life as he’s been dealt a bad hand. This conflict and inner turmoil is narrated via an inner monologue format that takes readers on a journey through the thoughts of the protagonist, who is in a prison built from his own stubbornness and inability to let go.
To Have and Have Not
Harry Morgan, an ordinary man who works as a fisherman, finds himself embroiled in the black market goods trade and runs the contraband between Cuba and Florida. It’s all smooth sailing until he swindles Chinese immigrants and ends up involved in a murder case.
Islands in the Stream
This book was published posthumously in 1970 and was one of the author’s 332 finished and unfinished works. It follows protagonist Thomas Hudson through various stages of his life and follows a 3 act structure divided into the following ‘stages’ namely- Bimini, Cuba, and At sea.
Death in the Afternoon
This non-fiction book focuses on Hemingway’s personal experiences and opinions regarding the sport of bullfighting in Spain and also delves into the sport’s historical origins, its importance as well as dissects themes such as fear and courage in relation to the sport.
Green Hills of Africa
A non-fiction book that’s based on Hemingway’s month in Africa while on safari with his wife, Pauline. It showcases the impact of the hunting trip on the writer while also giving viewers a taste of the landscape.
Men Without Women
Published in 1927, this collection of short stories (14 in all) delves into topics close to Hemingway’s heart, such as the casualties of war, sports, and sportsmanship. Not only that, but it also includes stories on the misunderstanding between both sexes and the rise and fall of an aging disgraced bullfighter (hmmm, talk about range!).
The Nick Adams Stories
A character named Nick undergoes traumatic situations such as PTSD after the war, a beautiful experience such as a summer romance with a waitress at a summer resort named Marjorie, and other unhinged situations which test him. It also delves into Nick’s blind hero-worship of a fraudulent father. The book contains 24 stories and sketches featuring this character, 8 of which were previously unpublished, and is divided into five sections namely- The Northern Woods, On his Own, War, A soldier’s home, and A company of two.
The Garden of Eden
Posthumously published in 1986, Hemingway toiled on this manuscript for 15 years, beginning in 1946. However, he was simultaneously writing short stories, and as a result, this never saw the light of day for 15 years. It delves into a period of five months as David Bourne, an American writer, and his wife Catherine try to assimilate into their married life, beginning with their honeymoon in Camargue followed by a back and forth between France and Spain. The book is written from David’s perspective and revolves around him suspecting his spouse of infidelity, his feelings of jealousy, as well as Catherine exploring and eventually not adhering to fixed gender roles within the marriage. David isn’t happy with her changing behavior and feels that their once simple married life has now taken a turn and become more complicated.
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