Customer Reviews

Winner Take Nothing

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Ernest Hemingway, Winner Take Nothing (Scribner's, 1933)

Arguably Hemingway's finest book of short stories, Winner Take Nothing contains fourteen relatively short and always spare looks at various stages of life. What seem, upon first reading, to be nothing more than frameworks or outlines take on more meat upon reflection. Hemingway lets the reader fill in the small details, guiding his imagination rather than manipulating it. This does mean that the onus is on the reader more than usual with this book; Hemingway's work is meant to be thought-provoking rather than escapist. If you can make it to the end of "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place," the second story in the book, and reflect on it without feeling anything, then the book's probably not for you. Those who approach it with the proper mindset, however, will find it to be full of opportunities to plumb one's own imagination. ****

This was the first Hemingway book I have read and I was surprised. I always imagined his books were boring and completely symbolibic to the point that you don't understand it. However I enjoyed this book and all the short stories involved in this. All the stories were interesting and connected the theme that the "winner takes nothing" in different situations. I enjoyed the fact that since he probably wrote this in Europe, Hemingway weaved French and sometimes German into the dialogue. Also in one story Fitzgerald is mentioned as a wild child. "Winner take nothing" is an easy book to understand and follow, and the stories are original.

I had read a number of these stories elsewhere but, such is the way of the short story book. I would not suggest this as your first Hemingway, as it is not his best collection. I suggest "In Our Time" or "The Fifth Column" as better collections.

That said, if you love him and must read everything, pick this up, otherwise, skip it and go for something else. His work is full of good reads.

Perhaps I was distracted when I heard these short stories, but they seemed to lack substance. The characters seemed like passing shadows - I never knew them well enough to have any solid emotional attachment. The stories were all very short, and most felt incomplete. If you are just starting with Hemingway, try something else first. If you like his style, I'm sure you'll love this collection.