Customer Reviews

By-Line: Selected Articles and Dispatches of Four Decades

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved this book! Hemingway's fiction and journalism frequently interchange themes and even wholesale passages. This takes nothing away from either, rather demonstrating that good writing finds application in either venue. It is a vastly interesting piece of work to a reader that has an intrinsic interest in Hemingway, and his life and times. It is less interesting to the reader looking for a story, though there are some great ones in there. These pieces added a lot to my understanding of an american icon.

Hemingway's work here is very valuable but the book has a small typeface and it is printed in grey rather than black, so it is awkward to read unless your eyes are perfect. Also the book is heavier than I think it needs to be. Among Hemingway's best work his short stories stand out most, and these articles are worth having along with them. My favourites are about skiing in Switzerland and also Christmas in Europe. The writing should have five stars.

Ernest Hemingway oftens gets a bum rap in literary circles. Sometimes it is at the hands of semi-clever critics whose only writing credits come from the venom they spew. A pity actually because if we latch on to the opinions of others without taking the time of forming our own then we just may miss out on more than discovery. So reviews, even this one, should be taken with a grain of salt.
BY-LINE HEMINGWAY is a good look at the early work of one of the icons in the American literary world. What you find here is some of his newspaper pieces as well as some later short magazine articles that span 30 years and a long lost era. Personally, I think it is one of the best introductions you'll find on the writer and his view of the times. Often, in less that 1,000 words, you'll get a glimpse of how he became one of the leading writers of his time and perhaps, like me, be impressed how well he did it. You'll also get to see the origins of his style and early character development.
In my semi-humble opinion (next to A MOVEABLE FEAST) this is my favorite Hemingway book. But hey, this is just one man's opinion. Buy the book, read it yourself, and then come back here and offer up your view.

Even the most die-hard Hemingway fan has probably overlooked this invaluable collection of the famed author's work as a journalist. The articles, though decades old, still read quite modern. Thus is the genius of Hemingway.

I was a journalist for Hemingway's suggested "five years" (he advises writers to get out of the newspaper business after that period of time) and back at the start of my career, I first read a copy of this book when I was based in Tokyo. The style appealed to me with its short declarative sentences. Clear and to the point.

I lost that copy of the book when I moved back to the States and was delighted to rediscover it a few weeks ago on Amazon. I opted to go with a used "original" hard-cover edition vs. a new paperback.

"BY-LINE: ERNEST HEMINGWAY; Selected Articles and Dispaches of Four Decades" should be required reading by all students of journalism. I also recommend it for bloggers.

But this book will be most loved by Hemingway fans. It's a treasure trove of some of his finest writing.

The review provided by Amazon is so comprehensive that I would urge anyone interested in the details to rather read that for an idea of what exactly to expect. I thought I'd just throw in another opinion to balance the others, that this book is essential reading in my opinion if you have any interest in Hemingway or his work. He himself used in his books many excerpts and ideas from his earlier journalistic work, and much that seems of his own creation had its roots in this early writing. I agree with critics of this book that not all pieces are of the same quality, and some of the really early ones are written in a different, almost youthful style (he was only 21 for the earliest pieces) that was not always easy reading for me either. But once you've gotten through these earlier ones, you can look forward to a fascinating collection of articles written with a great deal of insight into whatever he was writing about, be it Mussolini or fly-fishing.

Although Hemingway is considered to be primarily a novelist, his non-fiction writing deserves more attention. This volume fills a serious vacuum. Ronald Frost, M.A.

Papa took pride in his image as the hard-bitten, hard-drinking newspaperman, but these entries suggest he was more of a columnist than a reporter. The most interesting section involves his monthly letters to Esquire magazine in which he rambles amusingly about typical Hemingway concerns -- fishing, hunting, writing. If you would like to step back in time and read Hemingway as Esquire's readers did in the 1930s, this is for you. The pre-WW2 writings suggest Papa as an isolationist; some of his most powerful writing involves the cruel realities of warfare. His WW2 writings are crisp and clear, too, although some of the political discussions are dated and, as such, dry. Still, his trademark tone and style are evident, and fans of The Great Man will enjoy leafing through these random scattershots.

This sample paragraph from the book demonstrates Hemingway's mastery of the craft of writing:

Bull Fighting a Tragedy

For the Toronto Star Weekly October 20, 1923

It was spring in Paris and every thing looked just a little too beautiful. Mike and I decided to go to Spain. Strater drew us a fine map of Spain on the back of menu of the Strix restaurant. On the same menu he wrote the name of a restaurant in Madrid where the specialty is young suckling pig roasted, the name of a pension on theVia San Jeronimo where the bull fighters live, and sketched a plan showing where the Grecos are hung in the Prado.