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Ernest Hemingway A to Z: The Essential Reference to the Life and Work (Literary A to Z)

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Oliver's "A To Z" joins Michael Reynolds' "Hemingway, The Final Years," as one of the two or three really valuable books to be issued or reissued in this, the centennial year of Hemingway's birth. As a Hemingway scholar, former editor of "The Hemingway Review" and a dealer in collectible Hemingway editions, Oliver is eminently suited to the task of preparing what amounts to a Hemingway encyclopedia. Casual readers of Hemingway's work and Papa aficionados will find equal value in this book. It is particularly refreshing to have a volume such as this one that confines itself to the facts of the life and the (reasonable) scholarly conjectures regarding the text and subtext of Hemingway's books and short stories. To his credit, Oliver doesn't feel compelled to include listings for Duff Twysden or Harold Loeb, citing them as "obvious" inspirations for certain fictional characters who crop up in a certain Hemingway novel released in the mid-Twenties. One caveat: Given the fact that this book is intended as a reference volume - and therefore a book to be consulted more than once - it is lamentable such a thin grade of paper was chosen (blame the publisher, not Oliver). Therefore, take durability where you can find it and buy the hardback edition.

Charles Oliver has put together a remarkable reference book for both Hemingway fans and scholars alike. As the title suggests, this is a truly "essential" book for the serious student studying Hemingway's life or his work. It includes summaries of all the novels, all the stories, many of his newspaper and magazine articles and a wealth of biographical and historical information. The book also has one of the finest bibliographies of Hemingway and Hemingway-related works available. On top of all this is a wonderul, easy-to-read timeline of Hemingway's life and the important events which helped shape the work of this century's most enduring author.

Concordance like in nature, Oliver's "Ernest Hemingway: A to Z" is one of those books that should always be within arm's reach. It contains detailed plot summaries not only for all of Hemingway's novels, but also his short stories, nearly 50 b&w photos of Ernest in all his glory, a Hemingway family tree, an extensive bibliography of works by and about Hemingway, a list of film, stage, television, and radio adaptations of Hemingway's work, and a Hemingway chronology. Oliver deserves great praise for this invaluable contribution to Hemingway scholarship.

Charles M. Oliver. Ernest Hemingway A to Z: The Essential Reference to His Life and Work.

Facts on File. Jun. 1999. c.411p. illus. index. ISBN 0-8160-3467-2. $50. LIT

All things Hemingway here are dissected and rearranged alphabetically, from that magic elixir "absinthe" to bullfighter "Zurito"-2500 cross-referenced entries in all, although oddly the phrase "the true gen" is absent. The book also includes several top-notch appendixes of maps, a Hemingway family tree, a chronology and dateline, a bibliography, a complete list of his writings with publication history, and an index. An absolute gold mine for Hemingway aficionados that is long overdue.--Michael Rogers, "Library Journal"