Stephanie Jane reviewed The Snows of Kilimanjaro by Ernest Hemingway
Perhaps not the best introduction to Hemingway
3 stars
As a first taste of Ernest Hemingway's writing, I am not sure that The Snows Of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories was the best place to start. There are eighteen stories in the collection, but some are as short as just a couple of pages so read more like a single scene than a self-contained tale. I liked the title story which has a great sense of its place and time. Hemingway's sparse prose suits the repressed emotional interplay between the characters and the ending was both unexpected and poignant. I was less taken with the series of Nick Adams stories. I was able to picture their poor, rural environment, but felt the characters only rarely sprang to life. I understand from other reviews that Hemingway himself was very much a man's man so was unsurprised by his sexism. There is significant casual racism too which dates the writing. Each story …
As a first taste of Ernest Hemingway's writing, I am not sure that The Snows Of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories was the best place to start. There are eighteen stories in the collection, but some are as short as just a couple of pages so read more like a single scene than a self-contained tale. I liked the title story which has a great sense of its place and time. Hemingway's sparse prose suits the repressed emotional interplay between the characters and the ending was both unexpected and poignant. I was less taken with the series of Nick Adams stories. I was able to picture their poor, rural environment, but felt the characters only rarely sprang to life. I understand from other reviews that Hemingway himself was very much a man's man so was unsurprised by his sexism. There is significant casual racism too which dates the writing. Each story begins with an apparently autobiographical paragraph. I liked reading these but am unsure whether they are meant to relate to the following tale or are simply interludes.
I will definitely read more Hemingway as I liked the writing style. However, I think I shall make sure my next of his works is a full length book to give me more chance to get to know and understand the characters he has created.
