Ernest Hemingway: A Writer's Life [Hardcover]

Catherine Reef (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 21, 2009 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

An introduction to the life and work of one of the most significant and notorious American writers of the 20th century.

Ernest Hemingway's literary status alone makes him worthy of a biography. In addition, his life reads like a suspense story—it's full of action, romance, heartbreak, machismo, mishaps, celebrity, and tragedy. He had first-hand experience of several historic events of the last century, and he rubbed elbows with many other notable writers and intellectual greats of our time. Though his reputation has weathered ups and downs, his status as an American icon remains untouchable. Here, in the only biography available to young people, Catherine Reef introduces readers to Hemingway's work, with a focus on his themes and writing styles and his place in the history of American fiction, and examines writers who influenced him and those he later influenced.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–10—This engaging and detailed biography will be valued for its accessible style and honest portrayal of one of America's icons. Reef's account of Hemingway's life is riveting and unglamorized, acknowledging the subject's flaws and tenuous relationship with his stern, pious mother (who regularly banned books and challenged her son's seventh-grade assignment, The Call of the Wild, for its coarseness). At 17, Hemingway volunteered for the Red Cross as an ambulance driver in Italy during World War I. Returning home wounded provided fodder for the short story "Soldier's Home" and made Hemingway realize he wouldn't stay home for long. Europe energized the budding writer and with the first of his four wives, he returned to Paris and Italy. Gertrude Stein, Sherwood Anderson, and Ezra Pound provided friendship and support for his writing. Hemingway was a romantic and unfaithful in marriage, and followed in his father's footsteps by committing suicide in 1961. Captioned black-and-white photos appear on nearly every page, chronicling Hemingway's family, friends, and the places he traveled. Some excerpts of his writing are integrated into the narrative, offering readers a good sense of the work's conception and structure.—Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY
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Review

“[A] perceptive, captivating biography of one of the twentieth century’s most influential writers. . . . Teens jaded by too much classroom analysis of The Old Man and the Sea and Hemingway’s short stories will come away from Reef’s thorough, skillfully constructed biography with fresh interest in and appreciation for this American legend.”—Booklist, STARRED review

“Reef creates a memorable portrait of the writer and his times, and even readers too young for most of Hemingway’s oeuvre will enjoy armchair traveling to the bullfights in Spain. . . . Along the way, they will gain a sense of the writer and his times and will even pick up some writing tips, including Hemingway’s insistence on simple, declarative sentences. The volume is attractively designed with well-chosen photographs, captions that add personality to the text, solid documentation and judicious use of quotations.”—Kirkus Reviews

“This engaging and detailed biography will be valued for its accessible style and honest portrayal of one of America's icons. Reef's account of Hemingway's life is riveting and unglamorized.”—School Library Journal

“An accessible and entertaining look at an American icon.”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (July 21, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618987053
• ISBN-13: 978-0618987054
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #827,444 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Concise YA Biography - 4.5/5 stars, February 23, 2010

By 

Bibliophile By the Sea (US) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Ernest Hemingway: A Writer's Life (Hardcover)

I admit to knowing very little about Ernest Hemingway's life until I read this book, except that he was undoubtedly a talented writer and literary icon, and that he loved cats. In this 192 page biography with young adults as its targeted audience, that all changed for me. Each page was filled with interesting facts about Hemingway, as well as loads photographs at various stages of his life. Some of the facts I found interesting were: POSSIBLE SPOILERS....

He was born on July 21,1899 in Oak Park, Illinois. His writing always reflected what he was feeling. The Sun Also Rises, was inspired by bullfights he saw in Spain. A Farewell to Arms was based on his World War I adventures. In 1953 he won the Pulitzer Prize for An Old Man and the Sea, and in 1954 The Swedish Ambassador to Cuba awarded him the Nobel Prize for Literature. Like his father, he committed suicide on July 2, 1961 in Ketchum, Idaho. His health was failing and he suffered from depression. Many of his books were published after his death. His house in Key West, Florida is a national historic landmark, and is open for tours.

MY THOUGHTS - In my opinion, this book is a great biography for anyone interested in a brief, yet well rounded book about one of the great writers of all time. RECOMMENDED

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Un Generation Perdu, September 14, 2009

By 

Paul Galarraga (Jersey City, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ernest Hemingway: A Writer's Life (Hardcover)

This book captures in pictures the corolaries between Hemingway's life and his fiction. You get a real sense of how his life influenced his art. How he was most concerned, not with plotting,characterization or the market, as other writers were, but with the capturing of real emotions on paper. I you are well read in hemmingway then every picture will bring back a moment in his fiction. This book is less a history and more an experience.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good blend of fact, anecdote, and photos, November 23, 2010

By 

Carey Hagan (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ernest Hemingway: A Writer's Life (Hardcover)

You know how almost middle school or high school student in this country has to read Hemingway in school? This would be a good choice to complement his or her understanding of Hemingway, the man and the writer. It gives a good mix of facts, anecdotes, and photos to show how complicated and rich (and sad, in parts) his life was. For example, it gives facts on bullfighting and why Hemingway was so fascinated with it -- plus photos -- with commentary on how it involved his favorite themes of death, stamina, and strength. I also think it would be a good title for an adult who wants some information on Hemingway without getting bogged down in a long, dense biography, which this title definitely is not. I enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it for students in middle school, high school, or even college.