The Novellas of Martha Gellhorn

by Martha Gellhorn

Spanning more than 40 years and settings that range from Depression-era America to the smartest London dinner parties to the highlands of East Africa, the novellas of Martha Gellhorn display the same qualities that have made her one of the most famous journalists of the twentieth century: an indelible sense of place, prose of breathtaking swiftness and precision, and an unerring fix on the hidden motives of her characters. Above all, Martha Gellhorn explores the ways men and women live privately -- and often passionately -- amid the rush of history.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Novella, Anthologies, Novels

636 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Martha Ellis Gellhorn (1908-1998) was an American novelist, travel writer and journalist. She is considered to be one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century. The Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism is named after her.

Reviews

[william · Rating 4 out of 5]

I see short stories as a way to discover diamonds in the rough-without having to waste to much precious time digging in to too much of my personal time which to me as I age I feel the pressure that every last minute should be as valuable as my next breath--and I don't want to waste it-this book written by someone who I feel reached certain depths facing challenges in her life that interested me and by reading her views was able to open new vistas for me--when changes happen in my life that I couldn't explain--and why should I-when as in this book-s--- happens--and these changes continue thru out life-so take it and move on--evoling-hard knocks--ways and means-in and outs-the grit-life is not stagnent-it evolves with or without you

[Tôpher Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martha Gellhorn was a phenomena. She wrote brilliantly about the 1930’s depression when Hemingway and Fitzgerald hardly mentioned it. Her writings as a war correspondent are second to none, even Hemingway admitted her reporting on the Spanish Civil War was better than his. She was the only female reporter on Omaha beach in the Normandy landings and her coverage of the Vietnam war was so good the authorities refused to let her return there! A massively important and underrated writer, unfortunately overshadowed by the few years she was married to Hemingway. The men of that period and in her life simply couldn’t cope with her or even come close to fulfilling her. Antiquated sexist, macho ideas and egotistical boorishness which inevitably alienated her and left her sad and alone. This collected novellas is as good as fiction gets and Gellhorn should be acknowledged as the truly great American writer she undoubtedly is.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was interested in reading Martha Gellhorn’s work after finishing the novel Love and Ruin which is a fictionalized chronicle of her marriage to Ernest Hemingway and her work as a writer and war correspondent. I chose this collection of her novellas to start with and was not disappointed. Full disclosure though I did not finish the entire thing as it was much longer than I was expecting and I have a lot of other books on the go. I read about half the collection and enjoyed it. Her exploration of the depression was compassionate and interesting and her trio of marriage stories (for richer or poorer, in sickness and health) etc was nuanced. I will definitely look up her longer works as well as her non fiction about her war reporting.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martha Gellhorn is an exceptional writer. Every single one of these novellas is devastating. She writes such an incredible spectrum of women... i would have loved to meet her, to talk with her. Her observational skills must have been unspeakable. Her way into the minds of these characters is voracious. Simply, an exceptional writer.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was an excellent observer of the world so these stories provide great descriptions of the time and places that they are set, even if they are a little thin on plot.

[Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta say, I think she was a better writer than Hem.

[JerryDeanHalleck · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm coming to the end of my Gellhorn fiction adventure and I'm breathing a sigh of relief. This has all Gellhorn's 14 published novellas issued in 4 collections from 1936-1978. Frankly, the more I read her novellas the less I liked them. Her writing skill declined as she got older and without someone like Hemingway around to kick her butt, she wrote less and less. Her ability to create believable, interesting characters and engaging plots was never high got worse as she aged, until she stopped writing fiction at 70. Comments on the Novella Collections as follows:

Trouble I've Seen (1936) - These stories of Depression-age poor/working class folks put her on the literary map. All the stories seemed fake/manufactured to me, but this contains some of her best writing. Pushed by Eleanor Roosevelt (Gellhorn's Friend) and HG Wells (Gellhorn's lover).

Tea for Two (1956) - Except for one thinly disguised story about her love for Robert Capra, these are domestic tales about life in Italy, England, and America. We get stories of: an American girl married to an Italian nobleman in WW2, an ambitious political wife in post-war England, and American man tied to an invalid wife. None of them are believable or realistic. They remind one of glossy magazine stories from the Atlantic Magazine. You can see the drop off in writing quality and Gellhorn begins her bad habit of summarizing her character's thoughts and actions instead of showing us. 4 stories about 75,000 words total.

Pretty tales for Tired People (1965) - Three stories about middle-age love and marriage - and badly received in 1965. Everyone is a rotter, and its just slick, facile entertainment. Easily read and easily forgotten. The best story is Mrs. Hapgood a fantasy-revenge story where a middle-wife gets back at her cheating husband. Based on Gellhorn's 1964 divorce from Tom Matthews. 3 stories about 18,000 words each.

Weather in Africa - Reviewed separately.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I believe that Gellhorn's nonfiction overshadows her fiction (like this set of novellas).