From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up--This series entry opens with a fairly detailed biography of Hemingway that concentrates on the development of his writing and how his life both influenced and was influenced by it. The readings introduce many aspects of Hemingway's work, including the importance of heroes and heroic behavior in his stories; the ways his writing reflected the man and his experiences; his unique, spare style; and recent reevaluations of his work, especially his treatment of women and minorities. The readings are mostly excerpts from longer criticisms, and are edited so that students will be able to understand them. The contributors are serious scholars, and each selection is prefaced with an introduction that explains its general point. They date from the 1940s to this decade, which allows readers to see how criticism and interpretation have changed. This book will be useful to both students and teachers of Hemingway and is a good complement to Melissa McDaniel's Ernest Hemingway (Chelsea, 1996), which provides more detail about his life, struggles with depression and emotional problems, and contributions to both the body of and development of American literature.
Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Copyright 1997 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
