Excerpts of Hemingway’s writing intersperse a narrative that provides an honest depiction of the writer, warts and all.

Admirers of Hemingway are often said to have bought too much into his persona, that his adventure filled lifestyle has been exaggerated to such an extent it no longer reflect reality. I was expecting to feel the same way after reading Ernest Hemingway: A Writer's Life, but I came away with even more stories, with being more in awe of what many consider the greatest writer America has ever produced. It truly was a writer's life and Hemingway chased adventure and danger the way most chase a mortgage and a steady career. Whether it was crash lading in hills of Africa--- and freeing himself from a burning plane by ramming his his through its windshield--- or chasing Nazi subs off Cuba, glass of whiskey in one hand grenade in the other, Hemingway lived it all on his own terms. Sure, he grew crass, difficult to be around, and eventually reclusive, but, as a famous crooner of the time might have noted, he did it his way.
Author Catherine Reef makes no excuses for Hemingway and shows him for what he was, warts and all. The result is an immaculately revealing book--- purposefully researched, full of the small details--- that perhaps the man himself once imagined for himself. Like her subject, Reef pulls no punches. She also uses his journalistic style: short, detailed, accurate, and above all, incredibly interesting. ( )

“All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.” - Ernest Hemingway

Catherine Reef’s book is a rich and highly readable account of one of American Literature’s most fascinating stories: the actual life of Ernest Hemingway. His biography reads like the script of an action film; complete with guns, wild animals, women, and war -- and also intense darkness and heartbreak. “A Writer’s Life” follows the literary figure through two World Wars, eleven novels, four wives, innumerable scars, and one very untimely ending.

Based on the material presented in the book, it is easy to understand why people gravitated towards Hemingway. His zeal and passion was magnetic, and his raw talent was irreproachable. I absolutely loved reading about his early years in Paris with his first wife Hadley, and during the same time, the relationships he began to form with other writers (Sherwood Anderson, Scott F. Fitzgerald, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, etc.). “Everything we did took on new importance when (Ernest) was with us,” said his friend, Ruth Bradford. (45) As his story continued, it also became easy to understand why the people in his life became so exhausted by him. His passion and zeal spiraled into a life of recklessness and a general disregard for those who cared about him the most. It was heartbreaking to read about the multitude of relationships he threw away for selfish or arrogant reasons. As one close acquaintance described, he was “an impossible friend.” (109)

The book touches briefly on Hemingway’s “theory of omission,” (84, 101) which guided the simplicity and sparseness of his writing. I have always felt that this was the single most fascinating element of his prose -- the ability to say so much, with so few words. However, after reading this biography, it has been interesting to consider how little any “theory of omission” applied to the way he actually lived, which was quite the opposite of simple or sparse. Despite all of his faults, however, I found myself rooting for him throughout every phase of his life. There is just something inspiring about the fearless and unceasing way in which he attacked the world.

“A Writer’s Life” is a wonderfully written biography, filled with incredible primary source photos and fascinating quotations directly from (and about) Hemingway. Over the course of the book, the author summarizes all of his major novels and points out the direct biographical connections. This “survey” of his work, so to speak, is a really excellent introduction to Hemingway’s catalogue and an excellent starting point for any reader with a budding interest in the writer. ( )