A Moveable Feast by Hemingway was the book for the Classic Club Spin. I had to get the photo of the book against this picture we have above the bar. It's perfect for the French theme :-)
This has been one I'd meant to get to for some time and enjoyed most of the writing, capturing his time in Paris. As it's more memoir type this reflects his point of view, conversations and disputes reported with his bias.
I loved reading about the time he spent in cafes writing, meeting authors and poets, descriptions of the drinks from a lovely cold bottle of Sancerre, champagne, Rum St James and cafe au lait. His inspiration for writing about what he knows was interesting. When he speaks of writing a story about Michigan when he is in Paris, and surmises he'd probably be able to finsh a novel about Paris when he was elsewhere.
He was the masculine alpha dog of his associates befriending and defending Fitzgerald from his wife Zelda, eventually realizing, as he put it, "she is insane." Neither Fitzgerald or Hemingway (or probably anyone else during that time period) considered mental illness and how to handle it. The conversations with Ford Madox Ford were the direct opposite, Hem seeming to despise Ford for his artistocratic ways. Or was that jealousy? Again, it's from Hemingway's point of view.
I loved reading about the creative souls who rubbed elbows, shared stories, drank and sometimes traveled together. Hemingway's focus on writing was extreme, chasing friends and competitors from "his" cafe where he wrote. While it wouldn't be considered his style as it's a diary of sorts, it was enjoyable to read. 4.5 stars
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Now, a juxtaposition of Hemingway's time in Paris may be read in the book Untold Paris: the Secrets of the City of Light by John Baxter.
This book addresses many topics, each with their own well detailed chapters such as Art and Culture, Food and Drink, History, Raymond and Isabella Duncan, Brits and Royals in Paris as well as Hemingway.
The recollections about Hemingway were quite different from his view of that time in Paris. He was regarded by many as a bully and a cad. Here are some quotes:
" leaving aside his meagre war record (he handed out chocolate and cigarettes, but never fired a shot ) and the shabby treatment of his first wife, married on the rebound from an unhappy love affair and dumped, along with his baby son, in favor of someone younger and richer...."
"Hemingway had little good to say about Paris when he lived there...scathing about fellow members of the 'lost generation' he sniped in words at his sometime mentor Gertrude Stein, and used his fists in an attempt to dominate such early supporters of Ezra Pound and Morley Callaghan. I thought he was a bully, recalled theatrical caricturist Al Hirshfield. "Ther was a little gym where artist and writers used to come and Hem was always there, boxing all the time.. I never saw him try and fight anyone his own size."
Without quoting anymore of this chapter it was said he was banned from the Montmarte by the owner as he was always trying to bring people down and was liable to punch you.
With multiple viewpoints I think the truth is usually somewhere in between. With a famous person there are always many more opinions, more people who have had experiences, good or bad.
Sharing this post with The Classics Club for my spin book - A Moveable Feast and Emma at Words and Peace for Paris in July.
