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88th out of 485 books
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613 voters
Islands in the Stream
First published in 1970, nine years after Ernest Hemingway's death, Islands in the Stream is the story of an artist and adventurer -- a man much like Hemingway himself. Rich with the uncanny sense of life and action characteristic of his writing -- from his earliest stories (In Our Time) to his last novella (The Old Man and the Sea) -- this compelling novel contains both t...more
Hardcover, 448 pages
Published
July 8th 2003
by Scribner
(first published 1970)
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The Most Interesting Man in the World: The Novel(s). I removed Islands in the Stream from my “currently reading” shelf because I wasn’t sure I would ever finish it. The first part, “Bimini”, is the best part of the novel, and could probably have stood alone as a short novel. It tells the story of Thomas Hudson, a somewhat famous painter, and the visit of his three sons. It’s fishing and drinking and eating and story telling, with a tragic ending . Pure Hemingway, with some wonderful passages to...more
Falling in love at an advanced age you would think would be a little bit different. But I am like a school girl. I'm not writing Me and Ernie 4 Eva on my notebooks but I might as well be the way I am mooning around about Papa Hemingway these days. Without a doubt I'm head over heels and “Islands in the Stream” only confirms it.
Even though this book was never highly praised by his critics and is one of his later works it is, to me, one of the finest literary works to pass before these tired eyes....more
Even though this book was never highly praised by his critics and is one of his later works it is, to me, one of the finest literary works to pass before these tired eyes....more
Oh how I wish Hemingway had lived to revise and compile this book. Published posthumously and with only minor attention given to copy editing by Papa's publisher and last wife, the book limns its main character in three parts: as an artist living in the Gulf before WWII, as a grief-stricken u-boat hunter in Cuba following the loss of his sons, and in a final hunt for German fugitives. The unifying theme is in line with the Hemingway code: man is powerless before the abyss, but can behave with gr...more
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The book is good. It's good but it's sad. It's a good, sad book about a good, sad man, and that's what Hemingway intended. He knew that writing a good book is a fine thing, because people will enjoy reading it.
I tell myself that he's right: reading a good book is a good thing. You can be glad that the book is good, and you can be glad that you are not a character in the book, because Hemingway books are sad books, and characters in Hemingway books do not have an easy time of it. But it's a good,...more
I tell myself that he's right: reading a good book is a good thing. You can be glad that the book is good, and you can be glad that you are not a character in the book, because Hemingway books are sad books, and characters in Hemingway books do not have an easy time of it. But it's a good,...more
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This was put together posthumously. If you accept that and give the book a little leeway it's a great read about dealing with adversity. The first section "Bimini" is incredible. If you liked The Old man and the Sea, this is right up there. At the beginning of the second part "Cuba" my mind started to drift and I couldn't focus when he was discussing Thomas Hudson's cats. I may have been contrasting it to the the first section with the abrupt change. The momentum quickly comes back when the stor...more
my favorite novel.
before i experienced a loss, i was drawn to stories of loss... this is the best of them.
the greatest love story ever written.
before i experienced a loss, i was drawn to stories of loss... this is the best of them.
the greatest love story ever written.
3 likes · like · see review
The first section of this book should stand alone--the rest is all right, but it's more like a version of "I wonder what happened to this character AFTER the book was finished?" As in, "what did Nick Carraway do AFTER he went back home to the Midwest?" But it's worth it solely for the first (and, I believe, the longest) section--three-and-a-half stars.
I liked it. The first part, Bimini, especially is wonderful to read with the children teasing each other and seeming so real. The scene between David and the fish is typical Hemingway and so beautifully written and just perfect.
The second part, Cuba, had moments that were pure and good. The writing was excellent, straight Hem, but I found myself almost resenting it at times. Maybe I had read too much Hemingway in too little time, but I think some cutting out could've made the second part strong...more
The second part, Cuba, had moments that were pure and good. The writing was excellent, straight Hem, but I found myself almost resenting it at times. Maybe I had read too much Hemingway in too little time, but I think some cutting out could've made the second part strong...more
I keep coming back to this one again and again. I know it has many flaws. I know it was cobbled together posthumously, but it doesn't deter me. Part one, The Sea/Bimini, is the main draw. Although sad, the life that Hudson leads, and the joy he finds in the boys is beautiful. I've spent quite a bit of time in and around Bimini and the descriptive prose is perfect. When my children were much younger we would read over and over about the boys pretending to be drunk at Mr Bobbies. The audiobook is...more
This was a very frustrating book at times. It was divided into three sections and at the beginning of every new section there were all new characters, or almost all new characters. For a while you were left wondering what happened to the old characters, but then you began to like the new characters. The entire book was very well written, and the sections were all very striking. They built on Thomas Hudson’s grief, making it greater after every section. The ending was very striking because you kn...more
Why Papa is the master:
“The end of a man’s own world does not come as it does in one of the great paintings Mr. Bobby had outlined. It comes with one of the island boys bringing a radio message up the road from the local post office and saying, “Please sign on the detachable part of the envelope. We’re sorry, Mr. Tom.”
He gave the boy a shilling. But the boy looked at it and put it down on the table.
“I don’t care for a tip, Mr. Tom,” the boy said and went out.
He read it. Then he put it in his poc...more
“The end of a man’s own world does not come as it does in one of the great paintings Mr. Bobby had outlined. It comes with one of the island boys bringing a radio message up the road from the local post office and saying, “Please sign on the detachable part of the envelope. We’re sorry, Mr. Tom.”
He gave the boy a shilling. But the boy looked at it and put it down on the table.
“I don’t care for a tip, Mr. Tom,” the boy said and went out.
He read it. Then he put it in his poc...more
For anyone who would venture upon this novel as their first trip into Hemingway, I'd presume a rating of far less celestial body. The reality is, this posthumously published, three-part story is not Hemingway's best. In fact, the novel has some pretty uncharacteristic flaws. It is full of the very traditional Hemingway: startling one-liners, little plot with heavy emotion and warmth, intense scene recognition and spatial consideration, machismo oozing out the ears. You name it.
But, for the Hemin...more
But, for the Hemin...more
I reread this Hemingway classic to see if over time my opinion had changed about his body of work. It hasn't. While I do appreciate him for his place in the development of 20th century expressionist prose I am still just not that into him! To his credit, his terse bare bones writing style was a major force in the "Lost Generation" literary movement which revolutionized modern fiction. In this sense he merits greatness in the way Madonna merits greatness for revolutionizing pop culture. I don't l...more
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This book is broken down into three distinct sections. Not only did each have a different setting, but each had their own feel. As much as the sections go together, they felt separate and incongruous. I can’t help but wonder if Hemmingway had polished the stories a little more that they might have fit together a little better. But, alas, Hemmingway offed himself, and the book was published with a little editing from his children.
Of the three sections I enjoyed the first and last. There was an e...more
Of the three sections I enjoyed the first and last. There was an e...more
This was an awfully wonderful book and a wonderful awful book, just like Hemingway. For some reason unknown to me, I enjoy reading the man, even though I find his writing to often be empty and the man himself to often be outlandish, to the point that I don’t know how or why he achieved his status. Or, for that matter, why I myself, one who rarely reads novels, would bother with this author. Granted, “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and “The Old Man and the Sea” were excellent, but even these works have...more
Feb 13, 2010
Sean
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Hemingway fans; people who like ocean books; anyone interested in good literature
Shelves:
hemingway,
american-literature
The story of Thomas Hudson was Hemingway's "big sea book." Eventually, it was put aside once he began working on The Old Man and the Sea as a solo effort (it was originally the fourth section of Islands). As a reader gets deeper into Hudson's story of loss, they can see why Hemingway never finished it. The major themes, as well as excellent action writing, that make Islands in the Stream a good novel, are used to help make The Old Man and the Sea the brilliant piece of work that it is. The novel...more
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This novel is as plotless as The Sun Also Rises, albeit in a more capricious manner. The main character is Thomas Hudson, an established painter living the free life of a bachelor. His three sons from two former marriages come to spend their summer vacation with him. He has such a great time that he laments the fact the he's living away from them and heartbreakingly waves them goodbye when the vacation ends. A while later he hears that the youngest two died in an accident with their mother. Then...more
Nov 11, 2009
Joseph Frame
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
People who like to read Hemingway
Recommended to Joseph by:
a friend
Hemingway wrote more clearly than most people think. His imagery is accurate and honest. The ideas that he communicates, though, are another thing all together. Is he just telling us an interesting story, or is he trying to instruct us in the proper way to live one's live. If the former, than he does a great job; if the latter, well....
Can he really think that non-alcoholics should believe that frozen daiquiris (even without the added calories of sugar) are what people need to live their lives...more
Can he really think that non-alcoholics should believe that frozen daiquiris (even without the added calories of sugar) are what people need to live their lives...more
So, this was my first Hemingway. I know, I know, how on earth did I manage to major in English without ever having read any Hemingway? Well, that's now been remedied. And you know what? I'm planning on reading more Hemingway, because this is not supposed to be one of his greatest hits, and yet I still really enjoyed most of it.
As most others have noted, this book is divided into three different parts, and as this was published with little editing after Hemingway's death, let's just say it could...more
As most others have noted, this book is divided into three different parts, and as this was published with little editing after Hemingway's death, let's just say it could...more
This was a very frustrating book at times. It was divided into three sections and at the beginning of every new section there were all new character, or almost all new characters. For a while you were left wondering what happened to the old characters but then you began to like the new characters. The entire book was very well written and the sections were all very striking. They built on Thomas Hudson's grief making it greater after every section. The ending was very striking because you both k...more
This is quintessential Hemingway, a classic and a must-read.
I think this is a near-perfect book and not too sure how it could be better. Given its posthumous release as well as simply not considered among the top, popular "classics" by Hemingway; I was a bit wary about reading this. I thought it might read like notes, scribblings, ramblings or a jotted-down memoir. But this is a finished and complete book, with the stroke of a master, in my opinion.
With Hemingway, so much is rather autobiographi...more
I think this is a near-perfect book and not too sure how it could be better. Given its posthumous release as well as simply not considered among the top, popular "classics" by Hemingway; I was a bit wary about reading this. I thought it might read like notes, scribblings, ramblings or a jotted-down memoir. But this is a finished and complete book, with the stroke of a master, in my opinion.
With Hemingway, so much is rather autobiographi...more
The first time I read this book I was in High School and read it because my then girlfriend's mother said she thought I would like it. She was right. The girl is LONG gone (thank God) but the book has remained with me as one of my favorites - re-read several times. Yes it's a tad rough and you can imagine how he would have polished the edges a little, but for my bet it's his best work on that popular subject of his: how a man deals with adversity - usually with outward stoicism and gin. What the...more
It's a shame that this book (along with The Garden of Eden) wasn't published before Hemingway died. I think it would have helped his reputation greatly. The gap between For Whom The Bell Tolls and Across the River and Into the Tress was too great. This book is really a forgotten gem and broadens his palette. In it Hemingway really ruminates about aging, his failing as a family man - really all the great themes of his art. A lot of the things he is know for media-wise are not present. (When you t...more
The main character in this story is a representation of the author. Which is the main part of the attraction. The reader follows through Hemingway's mind as is thoughts turn forlorn and regretful about the decisions he has made. The voice to Hemingway's thoughts is Thomas Hudson, an American painter living and working in the Caribbean. He is twice divorced, famous in Europe and America. When we meet Mr. Hudson he is eagerly awaiting the arrival of his children to the island.
The protagonist's lif...more
The protagonist's lif...more
I love Ernie but it is hard not to gain weight when reading this book. It makes me want to embrace the consumption of alcohol in vast quantities. It speaks to a generation fueled by booze in a major way. I love the sense of the artist's life on a tropical island, the happy expectation of the arrival of his sons. The book is permeated with an assumed understanding of what is right and wrong which comes from that 30's and 40's absolutism western P.O.V. (assumed moral center of the universe)it is h...more
Well worth the read.
Was a long book and not sure if I would finish it.
I started out ok with the book but found by the second
have my mind was drifting off. It did pick up by the third half.
I can say I somewhat enjoyed reading it.
Was a long book and not sure if I would finish it.
I started out ok with the book but found by the second
have my mind was drifting off. It did pick up by the third half.
I can say I somewhat enjoyed reading it.
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I've been avoiding his posthumously published works for years and now I wish I'd never broken down. Like other reviewers, I'd be interested in what his final cut of this one would have looked like - particularly where the Bimini is concerned. Rambling and pretentious was okay for me in Across the River and Into the Trees because it was paired with a little comedy and an interesting subject character. Islands in the Stream had neither. Don't get me wrong. Sad can be interesting, but I did not fin...more
This may have been the most miserable slog through prose that I've ever endured. Highlights include the children's stilted dialogue in Bimini, long digressive stories told to a prostitute in Cuba, (Which she manages to point out are boring as all get out.) and then it finally gets interesting, though in need of serious edits about page 385. Please for the love of god, read any of EH's other books. There is a reason that this one wasn't published until after his death.
Read the last book, (At Sea...more
Read the last book, (At Sea...more
All in all I found 'Islands' to be a rich, exciting, and wonderfully tragic. Although it was published after Hemingway's death, the novel proves to be a classic example of his prose and writing style making it worth the read alone.
Formatted interestingly into three different episodes of different eras within Thomas Hudson's life- each could almost be read separately and still have a good effect but in the intended order they form a artful progression of the character's story in terms of his ext...more
Formatted interestingly into three different episodes of different eras within Thomas Hudson's life- each could almost be read separately and still have a good effect but in the intended order they form a artful progression of the character's story in terms of his ext...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Have you already read it? | 7 | 24 | Apr 27, 2013 09:14am | |
| Around the World ...: * Discussion of the October book, Islands in the Stream, is held here! | 13 | 32 | May 28, 2012 07:25am |
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economical and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. He published seven novels, six short story collec...more
More about Ernest Hemingway...
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